Free grooming services and school essentials were provided to students on Sunday as the Division of Youth Affairs’ Fresh Start initiative helped prepare them for Monday’s return to the classroom.
The initiative began at 10 am and continued until 4 pm at 10 locations around the island, including Cuthbert Moore Primary School in St George, where Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office with responsibility for Youth and Culture Senator Shane Archer said the programme was about helping young people return to school feeling confident.
“We couldn’t do it at every community centre, every parish… Essentially, what we wanted to do was to give the young people across the island… that confidence, that freshness going back up to school,” he said.
Archer explained that around 100 bags that contained sharpeners, pencil cases, pencils, geometry sets, and calculators were handed out.
The additional school supplies were made possible through the support of St George North MP Toni Moore and donations from people within and outside the constituency.
Youth commissioners also played a hands-on role in organising the activities, including sourcing local barbers and hair braiders.
At the Bush Hall Community Centre, the youth commissioner for St Michael North East, Kamal Downes, said the initiative was particularly important at a time when parents were preparing for the start of the school term.
“I wanted to help in this initiative because I know back to school is tough sometimes, and I know this will ease parents,” he said.
“The barbers and the hair braiders were local persons that I sourced in my community area, so it gave them a chance to also give back,” he said.
At Queen’s Park Steel Shed, the youth commissioner for the City of Bridgetown Faith Hinds said the location was chosen because of the needs of children within the city.
“I felt as though this initiative was important for the city of Bridgetown because, as you know, the city has lots of vulnerable children, and throughout my time working with the persons in the city, I felt as though this would be fit for the location,” she said.
Hinds said her community engagement also helped her identify the stylists and barbers who volunteered their services.
“I do lots of community visits, so I would have been familiar with most of the stylists and barbers that I picked for today,” she said.
About 20 children had already accessed the services at Queen’s Park when Hinds gave the update, with more expected to attend before the initiative ended.
Downes also reported that about 20 children had already benefited at his location, with more children continuing to arrive.
For parents who may struggle to access similar support, Hinds urged them to make use of programmes when they become available.
“As the youth commissioner and an active leader in my community, I would say that parents who find it difficult to have the necessary access to initiatives like this, take advantage of it because the help is there,” she said.
The Fresh Start initiative was held at Bush Hall Community Centre, Boscobelle Community Centre, Delisle Bradshaw Community Centre, Queen’s Park Steel Shed, Cuthbert Moore Primary School, North Stars Cultural and Social Club, Chesterfield Brewster Youth Empowerment Centre, Hoyte’s Village House, St James Primary School and Princess Margaret Secondary School. (LE)
