Y.E.S. helps young girls with skills
It is an organisation that has received little publicity, but by all accounts has touched the lives of a significant number of people. Ann-Marie Williams reports on the youths from Y.E.S.
Ann-Marie Williams, Reporting
They spoke about why they feel young people take drugs…
Participant #1
“I think most teenagers that take drugs is because they have problems in their families, an some people say that when you take drug it let you stop thinking about the problems that you have in your home.”
They spoke about low self-esteem…
Participant #2
“If yuh raise up in the right way and you deh round this group and they di smoke, that no mostly naturally means that you do the same thing…when you wah do it, you wah remembah, this dah no weh my ma teach me.”
And lack of parental guidance…
Participant #3
“Unu betta not even seh TV with bad channels because nowadays nobody no give weh kids di watch because they just left deh mek deh watch anything pan TV.”
These are only three of the fifty participants who journeyed from several villages to Lord’s Bank near Ladyville for a young women’s forum held at the Youth Enhancement Services headquarters. After a brief opening ceremony, the girls formed groups amidst the shady countryside to talk openly about the issues that resonate with them.
Dana Popper, Student, Gwen Lizarraga High
“Well I think the issues affecting young women are that you find most teenagers getting pregnant, having diseases and mostly drinking problems. Mostly because they don’t want to drink, but they have the peer pressure to drink.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“So how do you think a session like this today would help you to fight off peer pressure?”
Dana Popper
“When you come here today you can learn about the different places you can go to get advice or to help find out more about the things that are affecting you.”
Cindy Bol, Student, Our Lady of the Way
“If you noh ready fi have sex, nobody noh have to force you fi have sex or something like that. You don’t have to be ready or if you have it you must mek sure you have protection or something like that.”
Annette Diego, Student, Excelsior High
“Deh got certain topics weh they di use right now bout family violence and children weh I noh really bout, weh they di talk to we bout…”
Ann-Marie Williams
“So you’re hoping to get more information on that before you leave today?”
Annette Diego
“Yes ma’am.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“What is it like sharing with young women your own age here today?”
Annette Diego
“Well, I just feel good because dah no everybody get the opportunity or the chance to do it.”
And getting the right information is the aim of the forum says Executive Director Florence Dillett.
Florence Dillett, Executive Dir., Y.E.S.
“They will have information. Because lots of times we assume that because the information is out there it’s available to them. Now we are looking at young women who have come from surrounding villages, who might not have access to this information. And if you look in the packets they have, it’s information on everything that’s related to their issues. And as they have the information that they will understand the power they have within themselves, so they don’t have to settle for less than what they should have.”
But the participants will not be the only ones with information. Dillett will document the outcome of today’s event, hopefully to attract some much needed funding.
Florence Dillett
“A final report will be printed and will be submitted to all the organisations represented here, to government hopefully. And even we’re hoping that we can do a follow-up maybe on the radio or television and share this information with other young people who did not have a chance to be here today.”
“For governments, anyone, if you build a building, you can say look at this structure that I built, twenty million or whatever amount that spent on it, that’s something you can see immediately.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“But human development takes longer.”
Florence Dillett
“Yes, so it’s not a popular…it’s not something that would draw the politicians.”
And although politicians are not drawn to this low profile programme, it has graduated hundreds of young women in its twelve-year existence, providing much needed alternative education and skills training. Dillett feels that despite the odds, she’s come up against, there are some real success stories.
Florence Dillett
“One that’s just graduated from SJC Extension and quite a few have gone on to SJC Extension and gotten their diploma. And some like this girl who’s working in the kitchen today, she just graduated June and she will be going to SJC Extension. She’ll work during the day and then she’ll go to SJC Extension in the evening.”
Some twenty-five young women are presently enrolled at Y.E.S. Ann-Marie Williams for News 5.
Today’s forum, which was sponsored by UNICEF, had facilitators from the N.C.F.C., Women’s Department, NOPCA, BOWAND and NDACC.
