It is my sincere pleasure to be here today at this launch of the Tech Support Centre “SPARKS.”  The GARD Center in its 28^th year as a development  NGO under the auspices of the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas.  A partnership was forged with the European Commission last year through their Civil Society Organizations (CSO) Programme: Enhancing CSOs’ contribution to governance and development processes in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean.
The GARD Center partnered in a project entitled “Improving opportunities for at-risk, probationary and Incarcerated Youth in Antigua and Barbuda and was given an opportunity in a component of this project to provide support for another NGO as a third party. Fate had it that the GARD Center discovered this newly formed NGO Second Chance which fit the criteria perfectly.
We chose Second Chance because of their serious commitment to Positive Youth Development and Justice, its core of professional volunteers and its willingness to work with other agencies on the challenges of youth offenders. Second Chance’s mission and objectives were very much aligned with the GARD Center’s and there were areas we could complement each other, as well as, to share expertise.
We were pleased to provide $EC17, 370 to purchase furniture and computer equipment to build the capacity of this unit.  We pray for all of God’s richest blessings on this facility and to offer the GARD Center’s continued support where possible.