YEA performs for primary school students
The Youth Enhancement Academy usually deals with youths who have gone bad forgetting that a great deal of good can result if they’re encouraged to develop their talents. Today that development was put to good use.
Ann-Marie Williams, Reporting
The Youth Enhancement Academy role-played a variety of ways our youths can effectively utilize to stay away from crime and drugs.
The primary intervention programme is part of a thirteen-week series, which will take the inmates within the halls of several primary schools to dramatize their skills. Today was the second leg of the tour, St. Mary’s Primary School. Kelvin Avilez is the deputy director of YEA.
Kelvin Avilez, Deputy Director, YEA
“Through verbal discussions and dramatization we aim to deter youths from a life of crime. We have a peer meditation going on, whereby the inmates counsel each other or be there for each other. We have a parent in action programme, whereby the parent of the inmate have sessions with the guys.”
The guys had their own session. It was their turn to shine.
(Inmates performing)
Elton Palacio a sixteen-year old offender from Dangriga played the part of a bodyguard for a friend who tried to rob a drug dealer.
Elton Polonio, Inmate
“When he was robbing the person, I pointed the gun at the one selling the drugs and his bodyguard pulled out a nine millimetre and shot the two of us and my partner shot one of his partners also and that’s how three of us died.”
Daniel Meighan, Inmate
“I was the little guy who didn’t want to listen to the teachers and my parents and wanted to be bad guy.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“What did you learnt by being a bad guy?”
Daniel Meighan
“I learn that you end up in jail, doing wrong things. You end up separated from society for a long while and end up getting hung for the crime that I did.”
It wasn’t all acting though; some great lessons were also learnt. Rupert Avila produced the skit.
Rupert Avila, Inmate
“The skit taught us about making the right choices being strong and not to do the right thing. Follow the right people and listen to your elders speak and not end up in jail.
Ernest Luna, Inmate
“The young man because of dealing with drugs ended up in jail. When you go to jail, they beat you. Just continue to go to school, continue and be a policeman if you want, or a doctor. I am only seventeen years old and in jail for robbery. I hope when I come out I won’t go back to jail again.”
Ann-Marie Williams for News Five.
