And while some organizations are focused on basic infrastructure, others are working to heal the mind and the spirit.
That's the goal of the Journey To Freedom project which carries out its curriculum in multiple high schools including Sadie Vernon, and the Tubal vocational institute. The program's aim is to get kids to get better at opening up about their emotions and even start the healing process for trauma and grief. Here's more:
Marlon Baptist, Senior Facilitator, Restore Ministry
"We are presently graduating 24 students that have completed this 8-week journey and I believe that they have done it successfully. The program is all about helping the youths to see life in a different phase because what happens is a lot of our youngster's teenagers are dying out. Some of them are fighting against each other for no particular reason and I as an experienced person have been through a lot I shared my experiences with my boys and so far the feedback from them is that they have learned to change the environment not hang out with. Any bad influences to continue with their education and to move forward and that's my encouragement to them."
"Presently I'm doing a group at Sadie Vernon and one of the fourth-form students has been charged with murder, of course, he's innocent, I believe he's innocent, and it's so sad to know that this year he was going to graduate and it's so unfortunate that he won't make it to graduation. So, before any one of these students goes through that process, you know I am here to encourage them that they can prevent all of that before they ever reach prison or are arrested by the police."
Dwayne Young, Student
"I learned that you have to open up sometimes although it might be very difficult."
Cherisse Halsall:
"With that element of grief just like we asked you, classmate, is there anyone that you had lost in your life that this program helped you to overcome that loss?"
Dwayne Young, Student
"My granny."
Cherisse Halsall:
"Tell us a little about her."
Dwayne Young, Student
"Well, my granny was age 106."
Cherisse Halsall:
"What kind of a relationship did you and she have?"
Dwayne Young, Student
"Well, a close bond because anytime I went to hail her she was happy."
Tarsha Ramos, Student
"I felt. Like they were, like therapists and they had just come to question and thing, and I thought a lot of negative things about them, and then when I realized. I said just let me give it a try and then I saw my other mates they did it so then I said I'm just going to try to be like them and just do it and then after that, when the lady had first come and then she started talking about opening up and all kinds of things like I said I don't open. Up to anybody and then when I realized that is a good thing and then we started talking about different things, how to manage our anger, how to deal with different situations and how to help ourselves to improve in doing the wrong things and then it helped me because then I had this mentality whereby nobody can help me I can do everything for myself but since I joined this program I realized that you can't stand alone when you open up to different people then they might understand and be able to help you in different ways."
