BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – YOUTH from across St. Kitts are set to gain life-changing skills with the commencement of the Behavioural Change Communication (BCC) Workshop today (June 2) at the Ocean Terrace Inn.
The four-day seminar is facilitated by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Delegates will include youth representatives from various community groups and ministries, as well as guidance counsellors and US Peace Corps volunteers.
The workshop is part of the Ministry’s National Response to the HIV/AIDS Programme within the National Strategic Health Plan 2008-2012. Speaking exclusively to SKNVibes, workshop facilitator Naeemah Menon revealed the weeklong proceedings would be “very interactive” and would incorporate aspects of dance and drama.
“We will be utilising the EIC model, which is Excite, Involve, Commit. We hope to form a performing arts group that will go into communities and educate persons about the topic. The goal is to develop a core group that would ensure continuity of the Edutainment methodology,” she informed.
The guidance counsellor stressed that the workshop is meant to effect serious behaviour change, and noted the old ways of simply providing children with the relevant information was insufficient in today’s world.
“What many guidance counsellors have realised is that it’s insufficient to just throw information at young people and expect them to act differently. One of the issues we have with teaching health is that we’re giving a lot of information but we’re not really doing much to promote behavioural change.
“The workshop will address issues behind this problem, such as self-esteem and identity issues, lack of introspection and making negative choices. The message we want to send is that in order to make our youth change their negative ways, it will require a change of attitude, which at the end of the day can only come from within themselves,” said Menon.
