On a recent Wednesday visit to the annual Boys 2 Men Easter Camp hosted at St James’ Western Light Church of the Nazarene, Barbados President Jeffrey Bostic delivered a stirring, interactive address centered on building resilience, claiming purpose and nurturing unshakable self-belief among the nation’s young men. Speaking directly to the teen campers, Bostic framed life’s unavoidable hurdles not as permanent barriers, but as natural stepping stones along the journey to personal and professional success, using a simple wooden chair to illustrate his point. If an obstacle blocks your path, he explained, you do not turn around and abandon your goals — you find another way forward. “Challenges will always be in your life, but you do not allow the challenge to stop you from realising your dreams. Find a way. Face the challenge… no retreat, no surrender,” Bostic told the gathered youth. “If you fall, you pick yourself back up, dust yourself off, and start all over again.”
The president turned next to one of the most pressing shared challenges facing many of the camp’s participants: growing up in fatherless households. Acknowledging that this gap can create significant hardships, he emphasized that communities, faith groups, schools, and targeted mentorship initiatives like Boys 2 Men can step in to provide the guidance and support young men need to thrive. Drawing from his own experience growing up in Barbados, Bostic shared that many people from his generation also grew up without fathers in the home, but benefited from positive father figures in community spaces, local sports teams, churches, and school campuses who helped steer them toward healthy, productive lives.
To further drive home his message of possibility, Bostic pointed to two of Barbados’ most iconic national heroes — legendary cricketer Sir Garfield Sobers and global music icon Rihanna — as examples of how humble origins do not limit extraordinary achievement. He also called on the teens to embrace the core philosophy of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., encouraging them to pursue excellence in every path they choose, stressing that success is not measured by being first, but by giving one’s full effort in every endeavor.
After the prepared address, Bostic opened the floor for questions from campers and counsellors, who quizzed him on his own path to the presidency, his personal life, and updates on the upcoming Chapman Challenge youth initiative. Bostic revealed that the programme, which targets young people ranging from third-grade primary school students to 24-year-old young adults, is in its final stages of development and will launch imminently. Designed to build the mental and psychological preparedness young people need to access existing opportunities, the initiative aims to close the persistent gap between youth and the resources available to help them succeed, he explained. “We have to prepare them to make use of the opportunities… and if we start early, we will see a difference,” Bostic said.
Maria Ambrose, who co-directs the camp with her husband Ambrose Carter, echoed the president’s praise for targeted youth empowerment work, noting that the majority of the camp’s participants come from single-parent households headed by women. Over the course of the one-week programme, facilitators work to instill core life skills and positive habits, from personal conduct to safe online behavior, she explained.
The Boys 2 Men camp is run by the Charity Ammar Empowerment Network, and 2024 marks its third cohort of participants. The daily programme runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day for a full week, serving 20 young men between the ages of 13 and 19. A parallel programme for young women, called Preparing Princesses, follows the same core structure. In addition to mentorship and character building, the camp exposes participants to practical, income-generating trades including hat-making, handmade soap production, sewing, baking, and pottery. These hands-on skills are designed to give young people tools to build financial independence and pursue entrepreneurship if they choose. At the close of the president’s visit, campers and co-director Maria Carter presented Bostic with two handcrafted gifts as a token of gratitude for his time, insight, and ongoing support for youth empowerment efforts across the country.