Prime Minister Philip Davis’s Remarks at the BAMSI-Simpson Penn Centre for Boys Agricultural Programme Close Out

Good morning, everyone!

I’d like to begin by thanking the leadership and staff of the Simpson Penn Centre for Boys for the invitation to be here today.

I also want to recognize the families, the programme partners, and, of course, the ten young men we are here to celebrate.

I am honoured to be standing on these grounds this afternoon. 

And I mean that sincerely, because what is happening here at Simpson Penn is something every Bahamian should be proud of.

To the ten graduates of this gardening programme: I congratulate each one of you!

You have learned how to prepare and cultivate a garden from the ground up. 

You have studied techniques that reduce the need for fertilizers and pesticides. 

You have learned when and how to harvest crops properly. These are real, practical skills that will serve you for the rest of your lives.

The garden you built here at Simpson Penn is a living representation of what you are capable of. 

Every seed you planted, every crop you tended, and every harvest you brought in required patience, discipline, and teamwork. Those qualities will carry you far.

I want to give special recognition to the young man who has been named the Most Outstanding Team Player and Farmer in this programme. 

Your leadership and commitment throughout this process have set an example for everyone around you. I encourage you to continue participating in this programme and in every opportunity this Centre offers. 

You have shown what is possible, and I am proud of you.

I am proud of all of you.

Our young men and the issues they face are very close to my heart.

It’s so often that I speak to young men around this country who tell me they feel unsupported. 

They feel as if society has excluded them, and the opportunities that are available are not meant for them.

It’s because of their stories, and the stories of Bahamians from all backgrounds, who are searching for positive outlets for self-development, that I started programmes like the free Upskill programme, which has over 11,000 registrants, including many young men from the so-called over-the-hill areas.

It’s why we pushed for BAMSI and Simpson Penn to collaborate on this initiative.

Too many of our young men have never had someone sit with them, hand them a seed, and say, “Plant this. Take care of it. Watch it grow. You can do this.”

That is what this programme did for these ten young men. And you should be so proud of yourselves.

You took this challenge on, and you finished it.

You set your mind to it and you completed it. 

I hope that tells you something about what you are truly capable of.

This programme is a powerful example of what happens when government, civil society, and community organizations work together with a shared purpose.

I want to thank the Parenting and Crime Group, the local NGO that has been instrumental in designing and delivering this initiative alongside the Simpson Penn Centre. Your dedication to these young men and their families is making a tangible difference.

I also want to thank the Ministry of National Security, the Ministry of Social Services, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources for their support and coordination. 

I must also thank the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation, the Bahamas Agricultural and Marine Science Institute, the Office of the First Lady, and the Gang Crime and Justice Task Force for their contributions.

To the parents and family members here today: I congratulate you as well!

Your involvement in this programme, through the capacity-building activities designed to strengthen the bond between parent and child, is one of the most important factors in your child’s continued success. 

Your presence here today tells your sons that they are supported and that they are loved. That matters deeply.

I am pleased to confirm that the Government of The Bahamas is committed to supporting Phase 2 of this programme, which will begin in March.

Phase 2 will expand the garden. 

It will deepen the agricultural and management skills these young men have already begun to develop. It will introduce backyard poultry farming. And it will teach entrepreneurship, because we want these young men to know how to build something of their own.

We are building a pathway from skill development to self-sufficiency. And that is a model we intend to replicate across this country through the expansion of this programme, as well as other initiatives at BAMSI, as well as the Creative and Performing Arts School, the National Apprenticeship Programme, Upskill, Digilearn, and the upcoming BPATH initiative that will allow our children to get certified in high school.

These initiatives represent something I believe in deeply: that every young person in The Bahamas deserves access to opportunity, to support, and to the tools they need to build a productive and fulfilling life.

Young men, what you have accomplished here is yours. No one can take it from you.

I encourage you to apply these skills, keep learning, and keep growing. 

The discipline and teamwork you have demonstrated in this programme are the same qualities that will help you succeed in whatever you choose to pursue.

This Government will continue to create opportunities for you to succeed. We will continue to invest in programmes that develop skills, strengthen families, and open doors.

That is our commitment. And what you see here today is proof that it is working.

We have ten young men who planted seeds, tended a garden, and grew something real. Now we are going to help them keep growing.

Thank you, and congratulations once again to our graduates!