WITH all this talk of the results of the CSEC and CAPE examinations released on Friday, I’m sure everybody is buzzing with the top students and their amazing performances- and rightly so, but let’s take some time to change the narrative just a bit.

The talk of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) examinations, inherently focusing on the top performances, does little to highlight the advances in youth development for the masses. And though, it’s good to celebrate accomplishments which may very well cause Guyana to top the Caribbean again this year, other strides should not be overlooked.

Youth Parliament, for me, is one such stride. The Fourth Annual Youth Parliament was held over the past week. And as per the norm, secondary school students from each region were brought as representatives to participate in the event and for the few days, all the students benefited from training in public speaking and parliamentary practices. Drawing closer to the end, the secondary school students alongside students from the University of Guyana- a new addition to the initiative- debated on motions concerning them.

One of the motions debated was amending the Representation of the People’s Act (Chapter 1:03) to include youth participation. This was one of the more skillful debates, especially given that half of the young people were debating to have youth involved in national decisions while the other half of the house was arguing against this.

Some of the other debates included revamping the education sector, implementing a healthy policy to prohibit the sales of carbonated beverages and oily foods and augmenting measures to combating climate change.

What I like about Youth Parliament is that it gives youth a structured platform to voice their opinions on matters that affect them and their colleagues, and effectively contribute to the national discourse. What I am unsure of is if their views are taken into account and channelled towards creating solutions for all youth.

But I do know that with the training received through the Youth Parliament, some young people have learned how to raise their voices and make an impact in their communities. And this year, some of those young persons, who were previous Youth Parliamentarians, came back to render their services through mentoring to this year’s cohort.

So at the end of the day, the Parliament helps to mould young minds and give them the opportunity to use their voices to effect the change they want to see in their communities. It’s creating a chain of impact among young people.

But more than Youth Parliament, what has made me most happy this week was the story of Chantoba Bright. Yeah, the results for the CSEC and CAPE examinations dropped this week and ultimately that’s given the most attention right now (I would know) but I think this week, Chantoba’s story takes the cake for me.

Eighteen-year-old Chantoba Bright received a full scholarship from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), and The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division One School. This was because she has consistently performed well in the athletics arena.

And more than that, she rose out of a “depressed” community in Linden- Victory Valley- to make her name. Added to that, she also excelled at her CXC examinations. It seems easy enough on paper, but being a student-athlete is tough; balancing the books and putting in the extra training every day.

The Victory Valley resident, at the 2016 CARIFTA Games, won silver in the triple and the long jump. In 2017 she won gold in the long jump and bronze in the triple jump. In 2018, she won gold in the long jump, bronze in the triple jump and silver in the 4×400 relay.

Chantoba is now the poster child for showing that your circumstances do not define you and that, perhaps, is something truly beautiful. Her hard work has paid off for her and she can now pursue her dreams and continue to represent Guyana.

Development takes shape differently and it’s good to acknowledge it. Whether it’s excellent CXC results, Youth Parliament or great stories like Chantoba’s, the future is bright but it needs development now.