It has been 4 years since the formation of the RETECH Foundation. I reflect on the journey so far with mixed emotions, joy and pride at the impact we have made in 4 years and sadness at the huge number of people who still require help. We have the determination to reach and impact the lives of as many people as we can. I strongly believe that for us to move forward as a Country, we need to invest in the education, training and development of our youths particularly those in our public secondary schools and universities. We need our youths to learn to take responsibility, to work hard, to have integrity, to be competent at what they do, to be well-read. We need to provide them with guidance and support. We need to motivate and encourage them to be the best version of themselves. At RF, we continue to do our bit, one youth at a time, many attributes at a time. We have made tremendous progress but there is still a lot to be done. We are encouraged by the increasing number of people who share this belief and who are providing support in various ways.
As a Country, we need to bridge the knowledge gap between school and work and the best way to do this is by Mentoring. Sharing your experience, how you achieved what you have achieved as well as the mistakes/missteps you made is the best gift you can give to a young
graduate. I am encouraged by the number of people who are interested in volunteering their time to mentor. I am excited by our Corpers Corner initiative and how it would provide guidance, support and mentorship to many Corpers. This would ultimately improve the lives and livelihoods of these Corpers, increase our workforce’s effectiveness and productivity workforce and reduce the inequality in our society.
As a Country, we need to encourage hard work, integrity and determination in our teens. We need to encourage them to take responsibility for their actions and their learning environment. We need to improve our maintenance culture so we don’t keep spending hard-earned earned money replacing things we should maintain better. I am encouraged by the enthusiasm and hard work demonstrated by the beneficiaries of our paint your school initiative and I have been wowed by the before and after pictures of their classrooms.
As a Country, we need to improve the reading culture of our teens. This would improve their academic performance, emotional intelligence, and ultimately their employability. I believe the best gift you can give to a teen is a book and the next best gift is a second book. I am super excited at the growth of our book clubs and the number of book club members.
A big thank you to the RETECH Foundation Family. Trustees, staff, and volunteers including speakers, mentors, champions, assessors, and workers. A big thank you to all our corporate and individual sponsors. Thanks to your support, we are hastily walking down the right path.