The Ministry of Home Affairs is currently conducting a series of workshops targeting school dropouts, young mothers and other youth to teach them to pinpoint and prevent intimate partner violence and other forms of violence and abuse. The six-month initiative is being held inRegions Six and Four at schools and community centres in Agricola, Sophia, Plaisance, Annandale, Buxton and Berbice. The Region Four coordinators are Eraina Yaw, who targets child abuse; Beverly Chan, who deals with teen violence; and Grace Roberts, who focuses on intimate domestic partner violence. In photo young people from Agricola and the surrounding areas listen intently to what is being explained to them about “Self” and learning to accept, understand and value one’s self worth. After listening, each person was given a chance to share their experiences or speak on a random topic as a way of improving self confidence. According to Roberts, a retired truancy and welfare officer, teaching the youth about self and self worth and getting them to understand where they come from will assist in helping them to stand up for what they believe in when in a relationship, and thus “the expected outcome is that crime would be reduced significantly”. She said that since the workshop began in August, there have been evident changes in the lives of those attending, the most significant being that many have sought and found employment. She added that an average of 20 persons attend the workshops, which are held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 5.30 pm to 6.30 pm.
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