Unemployed parents in the Mt Bentick, Georgetown community are benefitting from the efforts of the Ministry of Health and the Mt Bentick Wesleyan Holiness Church, through its parenting group.
The newly established group targets unemployed mothers in the community by instilling life skills from which they can benefit, through entrepreneurial endeavours.
Shunice Butcher, health promotions officer within the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment said that the church made the proposal for the collaboration.
The programme, which was launched on Oct. 5, 2017, was executed in two phases: health and parenting, and life skills.
Butcher explained that the ministry saw it as an opportunity to impact positively the targeted individuals in the said community.
Butcher said this was an opportune time for the ministry to jump on board as it allowed them to instil in the members, health and behavioural change and the necessary tools to raise their standard of living.
She further said that the Ministry of Health is responsible for the promotion of healthy lifestyles, social wellbeing, and life skills.
The programme was extended from four months to six months because of the enthusiasm of the parents. This also allowed the facilitators to address an extensive area of the various aspects of health and social issues.
Butcher stated that the first phase of the programme looked at parenting, disciplining, self esteem, women’s health, non-communicable diseases and common childhood illnesses. The second phase looked at learning the art at crocheting and baking.
She stressed that health is not just the absence of diseases but is a holistic approach that highlights the physical, mental, economical, and spiritual wellbeing.
The health promotions officer expressed gratitude to telecommunications company Flow, stating that the company’s continued commitment to community development is admirable.
Butcher said that the Flow team was immediately intrigued by the programme and did not hesitate to extend their commitment towards the second phase of the programme, by the providing utensils for the baking class.
Flow’s Marketing and Comms Lead, Nikala Williams, said her company’s input is a continued collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment.
She said that Flow found the programme to be a noteworthy opportunity to assist in equipping parents with the necessary knowledge, experience and tools essential for the development and transformation of every community.
The programme is expected to conclude in the coming weeks, upon which all 15 participants would receive certificates of completion.
Congratulations to the initiator of this worthwhile program for these parents.
These days; managing a healthy lifestyle along with parenting can be so overwhelming, taking a toll on ones physical, mental, economical, and spiritual wellbeing. It is really a community endeavour if we are ever to rebuild a strong SVG economy and culture.
Clearly, this program has by its mandate ascertained the importance for churches, teachers, and other government related professionals and institutions to come together in providing the tools in raising the standard of living for our children.
With the involvement of the telecommunications company Flow, I will not be surprised that the third phase of this program is to create more social media awareness to the parents so they can secure and monitor the social media activities of the young one.
Kudos!
Good move, this merits admiration but, is this initiative going to have a follow-up or is it a one-off? 15 individuals is a good start but the long-term target should be much broader cross-section. I hope that it is so.