Caribbean Girls Rewarded for Their Digital Skills

Castries – Saint Lucia – 8^th September 2023 – The winners of the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority’s (ECTEL’s) Digital Skills for Life Graphic Design Competition have been rewarded. The competition, which was a follow-up to the ECTEL’s Girls in ICT Day Tech Talk and Training held in May, called on girls from ECTEL’s five (5) Member States to create graphic designs to raise awareness about ECTEL.

The girls who emerged the top 3 in the 11 to 14 age group are: Renee Talbert – 1^st place with 213 points received EC$500; Mariela St. Jean – 2^nd place with 202 points received EC$300 and Leonelle Lewis – 3^rd place with 197 points received EC$200. Meanwhile Naekeisha Paige Louis received EC$500 in the 15 to 18 age group.

Renee and Naekeisha were the winners of the ‘most like’ component of the competition on social media. They both won Gift Cards from ECTEL. The prize giving ceremony for the winners in the 11 to 14 age group was hosted by the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (NTRC) in Dominica and can be viewed at https://fb.watch/mVHHYFtrgi/, while the prize for the winner in the 15 to 18 age group was presented by ECTEL in Saint Lucia.

Director Gregory Shillingford, the Director for Dominica on the ECTEL Board of Directors, delivered remarks at the prize giving in Dominica. According to Director Shillingford, “The importance of Dominican and Caribbean girls embracing digital skills cannot be overstated. By empowering you with these abilities, we unlock your potential as agents of change, economic contributors, and leaders in the digital world. As a society, we must invest in your education, provide you with the necessary resources, and create an environment that nurtures your talents.”

One speaker and two trainers from ECTEL’s virtual Tech Talk and Training served as judges for the graphic design competition, namely, Ms. Simone Joseph-Ollivierre, the Assistant Director, EGovernment Unit, Information Technology Services Division (St. Vincent and the Grenadines), Ms. Suean Benoire, Graphic Designer at the OECS Commission (Saint Lucia) and Ms. Medisha Augustine-Casimir, Digital Marketer & Brand Strategist, Apachy Solutions (Commonwealth of Dominica). The entries were judged anonymously to ensure impartiality.

ECTEL has been the regional regulatory body advising the NTRCs on electronic communications matters in its Member States – the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines since 4^th May 2000. Essentially, ECTEL works with the NTRCs to promote consumer rights and harmonised benefits in the electronic communications sector in its Member States.

Visit www.ectel.int or follow us @ectel on Facebook and YouTube and @ectelauthority on Instagram and Twitter for more information about our work.

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Contact: Cheryl Hector Fontenelle

Managing Director (Acting), ECTEL

Tel: 758 458 1701/2

Email: ectel@ectel.int