UNICEF inspires youths to make a difference
The shooting death of thirteen-year-old Andrew Wallace over the weekend remains under investigation, but his story and that of so many other young people who fall victim to violent crime or get caught up committing them are far too common. Today, News Five caught up with a group of youth leaders who are trying to make a difference in their communities through the support of a new initiative by UNICEF.
Herbert Wiltshire, Youth Leader
“There aren’t enough opportunities available for young people because then there are specific groups that only want this type of people here or that type and some of us can’t fit into some areas and that is where chaos begins.”
Evan Martinez, Youth Leader
“Right now, I think it is a bit out of hand because you know with the current situation that youths are being very sexually active at this point in time, I think that it’s very high right now.”
Shanidi Chell, Youth Leader
“There is a bit of teenage pregnancy, drug dealing and the worst thing is that it is youths who are doing these things. I mean fourteen year old girls are being pregnant, there are crimes, murders taking place.”
Karena Mahung, Youth Leader
“We have unemployment for our youths, we don’t have much places for the youths and children to go after school, so they don?t have you know a place where they can go and feel secured and have other youths there along with them.”
Jaime Ake, Youth Leader
“Child labour, due to the fact that we have the free zone. Apart from that we have the drug abuse, a little bit of violence, and the trafficking of children from across the border as well.”
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
We do not know just how many of our youths are being affected by the problems mentioned, but when sixty percent of the country’s population is under the age of eighteen years old, then it becomes a situation of concern.
Karena Mahung
“That is very frightening, very frightening indeed and it is very sad that you have youths dying and killing everyday and definitely we want to see some change.”
So what are these youth leaders prepared to do? Well, for the past two days these young men and women have been working along with forty-five of their peers to come up with a plan of action to implement in their respective districts. It won?t be any quick fix solution to the problems. Most of these participants have some experience working with at risk target groups and they know it will be a real challenge.
Shanidi Chell
“I believe that at every youth at one point, he or she might get tired of living a certain life and he or she would want to have a completely new life. And that is where we the youths who have been educated, attending workshops, come in to lend the helping hand.”
The youths are promoting a culture of non-violence in Belize through an XChange Youth Leadership Workshop.
Marleni Cuellar, UNICEF XChanger
“XChange is a regional movement. It was initiated in Trinidad and it was launched in a about five or six Caribbean countries and is being launched in Belize now. The idea behind XChange is that we want to be able to get young people to create a positive change within their own self. The motto is “It Begins With You,” and also to be able to spread that within their homes, schools, and their communities. XChange is not really coming with a programme that says do this do that, it’s really just the identity we give to all these organisations, to all these young people who are already involved in creating positive change.”
Whether the change will come through educational campaigns, drama or music presentations, the participants already have ideas about to utilise the information gathered at the sessions.
Evan Martinez, Youth Leader
“I am a very popular person down in Dangriga, so talking to them is no problem, they always listen. I get their views of stuff and we work out whatever we can, get in programmes. Sometimes we just play around, have fun, we go to sea and stuff like that.”
Karena Mahung
“I like that we get to share our views and opinions with other youths all around the country and we get to know what’s going on in other parts of the country as well. The information gained will be very helpful when we go back to our respective districts and then we’ll be able to share them there.”
The workshop comes to an official close on Friday. Jacqueline Woods for News Five.
The workshop is taking place at the House of Culture.
