Last year UNICEf's youth-led Xchange movement was launched in Belize with a concert headlined by soca superstar Machel Montano. Three thousand people danced in the Bliss parking lot and 1,000 took the pledge. One year later the movement's core leaders from across the Caribbean are back in Belize to take stock of what has been accomplished in the program's first year. Here's the story.
Keith Swift Reporting
They come from 7 countries in the Caribbean, they wear these white rubber bracelets, and they call themselves Xchangers.
Maurice Matooram, Trinidad Xchanger
"Xchange is a very powerful and motivating movement for me."
The Xchange program isn't one catchphrase, it isn't one person, and it isn't one thing. Look at any of these youths and organizers say you are looking at the embodiment of Xchange. 22-year-old Maurice Matooram is from Trinidad and Tobago. He grew up in a broken home and once lived on the streets. Last year Maurice made the Xchange pledge.
Maurice Matooram,
"I as a young person been through a lot. I grew up in a broken down home and I just lifted up my self. I was on the streets living. If you come from a broken down home that doesn't mean that you will always be broken down."
Keith Swift,
What is your dream for this Xchange movement?
Maurice Matooram,
"Well I have a very simple dream for this Xchange movement, just simple a thing, pink. The reason why I see it as a movement for me is that pink is a color that men don't like at all. Men don't like to wear pink but when I see pink I see myself as, I feel inspired, and I feel motivated."
Pierry Gerbier is an Xchanger from Haiti. He is a former gangster. He took the pledge and the 29 year old says it saved his life and those of 130 of his friends who also took the pledge.
Pierry Gerbier, Haiti Xchanger
"It is not something easy to motivate the youths to give up all the negative things and to do something positive in their lives but it is an opportunity for them to stay alive and do something good in their life; to exchange their negative lifestyle for a positive lifestyle. Like I told you in my country, police kill every youth who was involved in a gang before so exchange is a way, it is family, we support them, we help them to come out of all the bad things they have done in their lives before."
Keith Swift,
So exchange has saved some lives in Haiti?
Pierry Gerbier,
"Definitely."
The Belizean Xchangers aren't former gang bangers or indigents but they also have stories of how in one year it has changed their lives. Herbert Wiltshire and Carmichael Polonio both took the pledge last year.
Carmichael Polonio,
"I have to be truthful, like statistic wise we haven't seen a reduction in violence or less deaths or anything like that but I do believe that exchange is a positive outlet for young people along with a number of other youth groups I see really taking a step forward, many other organizations taking a step forward, and I see a increase of consciousness of Belizeans and I would hope that movements like Xchange, taking a part in that, I am very happy things like that are happening."
Herbert Wiltshire,
"The one thing that I can say off the bat is that has been changed is that we have provided a platform for our young people to participate and even so, we have done that on the national level which is very difficult. It has been constant dialogue through our change link where young people communicate to share what is going on with them."
Carmichael Polonio,
"My dream is that when looking at statistics we would see less murders, we would see less violence, less crime. We would see people putting down the knife and the gun and picking up other positive things in which to express themselves to settle their disputes and to exchange with other youths working towards that goal and also to living a positive lifestyle for themselves and spreading it around."
But those are dreams Youth Minister Cordel Hyde says will be dashed sooner than later because the government infrastructure and support isn't there to assist youths in Belize. Hyde says government, his government, isn't doing enough for youths.
Hon. Cordel Hyde, Minister of Youth
"I think that problem we face with our youths is manageable. It is something we could address, make serious dents in, but I think we need the commitment from the top. I think that we cannot continue to exist in a situation where we create a Youth for the Future but we don't bankroll it. We are paying excess amount of money on salaries but we don't have the resources for new programs, for innovations, for interventions and I think that essentially what I tried to say was, provide the resources and you can deal with the problem."
Keith Swift,
But you are the Minister of Youth.
Hon. Cordel Hyde,
"Yeah and I am feeling the pinch."
It is a pinch or maybe a corner........but if given the chance these Xchangers seem ready to maneuver out of it as they enter year two.
The Xchangers reunion ends tomorrow.
