Mentorship programme seeks to empower Territory’s males
The mentorship programme, spearheaded by President and Founder Mr Henderson K. Tittle and Mr McKenzie L. Baltimore Sr., was contrived to shape the lives of young men of the Territory. “We’re providing guidance, nurture and protection,” Mr Title told Virgin Islands News Online.
Speaking on the significance of the programme, Mr Baltimore said it was both important and essential. “Parents can’t do it alone and wherever we have mentors, we will use them in whatever capacity they can be used to help our young people to become the kind of leaders we need them to be in our community.”
The two men have been involved with mentoring youths at the school level for several years but decided to have an official launch ceremony this past weekend.
Keynote speaker at the ceremony, Dr Drexel M. Glasgow, dared the participants of the programme to be different while noting the spate of recent deaths and imprisonment of young males within the Territory that made the news.
He reflected on the apparent apathy that came with news of this type and the conclusion by some that they were not affected since it did not come to their doorstep.
“This apparent mentality of ‘It is not my child so it does not bother me’ simply cannot work any longer. It did not work in the past, and for sure it will not work in the future. Parents should not accept this…. Our churches must not accept this… Our Government must not accept this… Our politicians must not accept this… and our community simply cannot sit back and accept this.”
He also noted society’s attraction to and participation in negativity “…we as a people tend to gravitate to headlines that are negative in nature,” Dr Glasgow said. “The Breaking News of our media houses almost always relate to a negative story. Seldom do we see Breaking News on stories that are positive.”
He implored young men to stand strong and to be firm and courageous.
The programme has been afforded the opportunity by the Department of Education to go into the schools and form bonds with young men in society. So far, they have been able to reach approximately 75 youths and have a collective group of about 30 mentors.
According to one of the organisers, the programme is also a community outreach programme that operates under the Save the Seed Centre but is not a church project.
Some of the modules taught through the programme include Core Values, Etiquette, Cooking, Auto Mechanics, Carpentry, Boating and Chartering, Speech Presentation, Learning to converse with girls, Swimming, Basic Bible, Cultural Introduction and Financial Literacy.
Mentors involved in the M.A.L.E programme meet every Saturday from 4-6:30 pm with young men at various locations.
They have expressed an appeal for interested sponsors and noted that this would be instrumental in allowing the programme’s reach to be expanded across the Territory and beyond.
Mr Tittle said he envisions the programme being expanded across the Caribbean and felt local mentors could network with youth leaders and organisations across the region in this regard.
Among those present at the launch ceremony were Deputy Premier Dr The Hon. Kedrick D. Pickering, Third District Representative Hon. Julian Fraser, RA, Bishop John I. Cline and Acting Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Culture Mrs Brenda Lettsome-Tye.
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