Reaching at risk youth through new methods
There are a number of organizations and youth groups operating throughout the country who are working with adolescents to help them in their overall growth and development. However the number of youths who find themselves in trouble continues to rise. To find a new approach, NCH Action for Children and the UWI School of Continuing studies has brought together a diverse group of people who work with children and adolescents for a five week course designed to enhance their professional skills and performance.
Cheryl Holder, Regional consultant, NCH
“So what we are trained to do is to help them see that there are alternative ways of dealing with young people through drama, through poetry, through community activities and so forth and how to work more effectively with young persons. We are trying to help them build an understanding of what teenagers are going through because a lot of times people just overlook feelings of teenagers, they don’t listen to them so we are trying to bring the message that they need to be open in order to listen, not talk down to young people and hopefully they will foster better working relationship with them and their parents.”
The participants who vary in age and ethnicity and represent the six districts of Belize say there are a number of issues plaguing the youths of Belize.
Sydney Petillo, School Attendant Officer, Dangriga
“Since living in Dangriga all my teenage life, all the years of my life, I found out that many of our youths do not have the self esteem and self confidence in themselves.”
Starla Bradley, Belmopan
“One of the major problems I see happening in Belmopan is the lack of recreational activities for the youths. There is a lot of drug use and the rise and of course I think this is countrywide with the teenage pregnancy, we have very young families starting.”
Yvette Whyte, Belize City
“They have no activities any recreation, no where to go in Belize so everybody tends to just sit on a sidewalk or in a house or house bottoms and do nothing.”
Holder who is based in Barbados and responsible for the training, development and implementation of NCH programmes says it is not that youth organizations have not been doing their job but rather there needs to be a constant awareness and the strengthening of their existing programmes.
Cheryl Holder
“It has been getting through but there is also the need for reinforcement because you have to keep talking, you have to keep the policy makers aware of what is going on with the young people and this is being done everywhere but the more people you have to be the voice of the young people, the better you will be for them.”
The participants also agreed that in order for the message that there are positive alternatives to drugs, crimes and teenage pregnancy to get through, parents and the community needs to get involved.
Ana Abigail Gomez, Teacher, Corozal Town
“There have been many organizations like NDACC that is working but I think we need more people to be working, like parents, social workers.”
To evaluate how each participant puts theory into practice they must carry out a project in their that involves youth, parent and community participation. Certificates will be awarded at the end of the course.
