St. Vincent Entrepreneurs
From Left to right, President Cozy Stewart- 2nd counselor in the Barbados Bridgetown Mission presidency. Mr. Ferique Shortte- participant and winner of the business pitch challenge. Mrs. Ronnette Lewis- CED general manager. Mr. Eric Clarke participant and 2nd place winner of the business pitch challenge and Pierre Luigi Gonzalez-Self Relience Manager.© 2025 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines — July, 18th 2025. The Centre for Enterprise Development (CED), in partnership with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, celebrated the successful completion of the TAMEED (Technical Assistance for Men’s Employment and Entrepreneurship Development) project during a heartfelt closing ceremony held earlier this week.
The initiative, also known as the “Men’s Empowerment Project,” began with 44 participants and concluded with 36 determined individuals who completed the program. The project aimed to equip men with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to launch and sustain their own businesses.
Miss Keisha Phillips, Training and Coordinator at CED, conducted the ceremony, highlighting the collaboration between CED and the Church. Mrs. Ronette Lewis, General Manager of CED, emphasized the uniqueness of the initiative: “There has never been a programme of this sort, of this nature before in the Eastern Caribbean. Today we celebrate not just the completion of the project, but the progress of individuals—men and women who have chosen growth over comfort.”
President Pierre Gonzales, Self-Reliance Manager for the Caribbean Area of the Church, shared a spiritual perspective: “The mission of the Church is to invite others to come unto Christ, and self-reliance is very important in this process. The Lord wants us to provide for ourselves and have better futures.” He referenced Doctrine and Covenants 104:14–15, 17, reminding participants that “there is always enough and to spare” when we trust in God.
Participants shared powerful testimonies of transformation. Mr. Ferique Shortte, winner of the business competition, stated, “Success begins with vision and is sustained by determination and knowledge.” Mr. Raphique Baptiste described the program as “amazing,” while Petra-Ann Garaway expressed gratitude for the opportunity: “We are just going to take this and fly with it.”
Mr. Nkosi Stewart, representing the Church, encouraged ongoing collaboration: “Your success will greatly depend on relying on each other. We will continue to support you, because your success means our country is successful.”
The ceremony concluded with a musical performance by participant Manaki Trimmingham, who sang “Today My Life Begins”—a fitting anthem for a group of entrepreneurs ready to shape the future of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
To watch the entire ceremony, see the following link.
