While giving his Official Communication highlighting October as National Youth Month, on September 30, 2026, in the House of Assembly, Minister of Youth and Sports the Hon. Mario Bowleg stated this is a time “youth leaders, youth organizations, youth workers, stakeholders, and young people from across our nation come together around a common cause: celebrating and investing in the population that is one of our nation’s greatest treasures; our young people”.
“National Youth Month is much more than a calendar of events,” he said. “It provides a dedicated period for our nation to pause, recognize, and focus attention on the achievements, ambitions, voices, and potential of young Bahamians.”
He added: “This year’s theme, ‘Voice to Vision, Youth: Impacted, Amplified, and Empowered’, is more than a theme for a month of activities. It is a call to action. It challenges us as a nation to listen to our young people; to create spaces where their voices can be heard; to provide access and opportunities for their ideas to take shape; and to ensure that they have the tools, resources, and support necessary to turn their vision into reality.”
Minister Bowleg noted that, throughout The Bahamas’ history, there had been men and women who dedicated their lives to paving the way for young people.
“Through mentorship, teaching, sacrifice, and encouragement, they have invested in generations of young Bahamians,” he said. “National Youth Month provides us with an opportunity not only to celebrate our young people, but also to honour those who have poured into them.”
Minister Bowleg added, that day his Ministry honoured and recognized its 2026 Lifetime Achievement Recipients and Patrons of National Youth Month.
“Mr. Bruce Darville, Senior Commander of the Royal Rangers Programme, has dedicated more than 32 years to mentoring and positively impacting the lives of young people,” he said.
Minister Bowleg added: “Commander Darville did not limit his commitment to the walls of the Royal Rangers Programme. He extended his service into our schools, including Columbus Primary School and Centreville Primary School, where he established a vibrant after-school programme. His commitment to service and leadership also gave birth to Camp Wilderness. After hosting 20 boys in his hometown of Little Harbour, Berry Islands, Commander Darville created an experience that provided these young men with more than a camping trip.
“It gave them an opportunity to build confidence and develop leadership skills.”
He stated that that was what mentorship looked like.
“It is seeing potential in a young person and being willing to invest the time, energy, and love necessary to help them evolve,” Minister Bowleg said.
He noted that his Ministry also had a responsibility to honor those who had “gone home from labour to reward”.
“One such individual is the late Grand Master Basil Rolle,” Minister Bowleg stated. “Grand Master Rolle was a former police officer who, while serving and patrolling the communities of The Bahamas, recognized that there was a deeper need among the young people he encountered.”
He added: “In 1967, Grand Master Rolle established the Bahamas Tong Dojo Karate School of Self-Defense. What began as a martial arts school became something much greater.”
Minister Bowleg said that Grand Master Rolle worked with at-risk youth, providing them with “a positive outlet for their anger while teaching discipline, self-control, respect, and responsibility”.
“His vision created a safe space where young people and members of the wider community could address personal challenges without fear of judgment,” he said. “The true measure of a mentor is not simply what they accomplish during their lifetime, but what continues because they lived.”
“Today, the vision of Grand Master Basil Rolle lives on through the many champions he produced at both the national and international levels and through the students and family members who continue his work,” Minister Bowleg added. “His legacy continues to demonstrate that one person’s vision can impact generations.”
He pointed out that Senior Commander Bruce Darville and Grand Master Basil Rolle did not simply speak about helping young people.
“They acted and because they did, lives were changed,” Minister Bowleg said. “We owe them our gratitude and our respect, and we must continue the work they began.”
He stated that, once again, the team at the Division of Youth, along with his Ministry’s offices in Grand Bahama, Eleuthera, Andros, and across the Family Islands, had put together an “exciting” calendar of activities for National Youth Month.
“Across our islands, there will be opportunities to showcase, celebrate, empower, and highlight our young people,” Minister Bowleg said. “National Youth Month is not just a New Providence celebration. It belongs to every young Bahamian, from Grand Bahama in the north to Inagua in the south, and on every island in between.”
He added: “We began this year’s celebrations with the welcoming of 16 new Ambassadors to the 2026–2028 cohort of the National Youth Ambassadors Corps. This is an important programme that provides young Bahamians with opportunities to develop leadership skills, engage in advocacy, and represent their country on national, regional, and international platforms.”
Minister Bowleg noted that they will also”gather in worship” during the National Youth Month Church Service on Sunday, October 4th, at Evangelistic Temple at 4:00 p.m.
“I am also pleased to announce that Cat Island will host its own church service on Sunday,” he said. “I encourage as many of our young people, families, youth workers and stakeholders as possible to join us as we seek God’s blessing over our young people and over this year’s National Youth Month celebrations.”
Minister Bowleg added: “We are also pleased to provide a special day of empowerment for the Wards of the State residing in our children’s homes, ensuring that they, too, have an opportunity to celebrate National Youth Month in grand style. Every young person deserves to know that they are valued, that they belong, and that their future matters.”
He stated that his Ministry looked forward “with great anticipation” to the Youth March and Parade of Youth Organizations, taking place on Sunday, October 11th.
“And following their church service, South Andros will take to the streets on October 18th to celebrate its young people and the contributions they continue to make to their communities,” Minister Bowleg said.
“We will also officially open Youth Parliament on October 16th, followed by the Youth Senate Sitting on October 19th,” he added. “We will round out the month with the National Youth Awards Nominee Medal Pinning Ceremony on October 21st, where we will recognize more than 100 nominees from across the country and a historic special event will be held on October 27th.”
Minister Bowleg pointed out that that year’s theme “challenges us to do more than hear the voices of our young people”.
“It challenges us to ensure that our young people are not only participants in national development, but active contributors to it,” he said. “So, from Grand Bahama in the north to Inagua in the south, and every island in between, I extend an invitation to the people of The Bahamas.”
He added: “Let us celebrate their voices. Let us amplify their vision. Let us empower their dreams. And let us continue building a Bahamas where every young person has the opportunity to discover their purpose and live out their potential.”
