4-H students enjoy fun day, Easter bonnet parade

It was a fanfare of colour and celebration as hundreds of students converged at Palmiste Park, San Fernando, to take part in the inaugural Easter bonnet parade and fun day hosted by the County Victoria 4-H Leaders Council.

Students from fifteen primary schools and one secondary school took an early dive into the celebration of Easter, while embracing the 4-H tenets of agriculture and continuous learning in a hands-on manner.

“Our Leaders Council decided that we would aim to highlight the 4-H movement and re-energise our young people. We sought to do this by harnessing their artistic talents through the creation of beautiful bonnets that focus on agricultural, wildlife and marine themes.

“Today is about raising awareness of the 4-H organisation while creating a platform to demonstrate the creativity and vitality of young people. Based on the response, the future of 4-H is looking brighter than ever, which bodes well for the nation’s agricultural sector towards creating a sustainable future,” Glenda Borel, 4-H coordinator for County Victoria said.

As part of the international 4-H body that symbolises the unity of “head, heart, hands and health,” the TT chapter is centred around fostering agricultural education and leadership among youth. Their mandate is endorsed by the government, and supported by several stakeholders including the Ministries of Agriculture and Education.

Apart from the Easter parade, students were also encouraged to participate in fun events such as the lime and spoon race, bunny hop, balloon race, musical chairs and hot potato race. A highlight of the day was the mini zoo hosted by Rondell Hamilton of Rennie’s Orphanage and Animal Rescue (ROAR) where the students were able to learn about and interact with a range of local wildlife species.

Proudly showing off her intricately designed Easter bonnet was seven-year-old Sadie Mohammed from Tortuga Government Primary School.

“I was excited to come out today with my friends and show off my bonnet. 4-H is a lot of fun and we learn about plants and farming. My favourite today was the zoo where we played with the animals, but the games were also fun. I had a great time today.”