Kut N’ Shape transforms young men in St. Paul’s
By VonDez Phipps
Reporter-SKNVibes.com
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – IN excess of 40 boys from the St. Paul’s Primary School and community were brought together yesterday (Sept. 27) for breakfast, which marked the official launch of the Kut N’ Shape project organised by the St. Paul’s Wesleyan Holiness Church.
The project has geared most of its efforts toward the empowerment of young boys in order to enhance their social, spiritual and academic well--being. Guided by the theme “Shaping our Boys is Saving our Young Kings”, the Kut N’ Shape Project offered free haircuts to the students and also its assistance in ensuring the boys have a positive environment in which to grow.
Many sub-projects including Boys and Books, Kite Flying Competition, Operation Wise Behaviour and the Most Disciplined Student Award have been undertaken by Kut N’ Shape, as it has built the foundation for its continued growth.
Pastor of the St. Paul’s Wesleyan Holiness Church and visionary of the Project, the Rev. Peter Paul explained that after several pastoral visits to the St. Paul’s Primary School to talk to the boys, upon request of the Principal, it dawned on him that the 15 minutes spent for such talks were insufficient to establish the grounds for change.
Paul mentioned that he wanted to introduce a practical and holistic approach, away from the normal school setting, that could be of equal impact on the lives of the boys.
He highlighted that the most ideal way was to incorporate the church to launch a ministry which would work closely with boys to address their social needs.
“As the theme suggests, as we shape these boys lives, we are saving them from the wrong path that many of them seem to be taking.
We, through this project, wish to teach them to distinguish between good and bad company, build character, and shape their minds by providing opportunities so that they can recognise the value of their lives.
They need to be able to see life with a sense of purpose and appreciate their lives to make something valuable of it.
“This project is larger than I am; it is larger than the church and the community, because although we provide the opportunity for change, only God can change people. And so, we place a high level of concentration on the spiritual aspect of this project and we place the lives of these boys in the hands on God.”
The Rev. Paul urged the adults present to recognise that just as battering takes time, so does caring. He also pointed out that the boys, through the care provided, could learn from wholesome discussions, life skills and values taught. He indicated that the adults and the community at large have the duty to give their full attention to the young men in order to safeguard their lives and to create a positive environment from which they and their families could all benefit. ~~Adz:Right~~
Principal of the St. Paul’s Primary School Phyllis Carty echoed the sentiments expressed by the Rev. Paul and made it clear that she felt honoured to be a part of the project. She explained that when the staff at the school had observed the young men exhibiting delinquent behaviours, the Rev. Paul would “minister to the boys in the most natural way” and encourage leadership and discipline.
“On behalf of the PTA and the entire St. Paul’s community, I would like to sincerely thank Pastor Peter Paul and his men [from the church] for their work in the lives of these boys. I think I can safely say we have already seen changes in the boys, as they are even looking forward to the Wednesday morning sessions. We have had Janet Paul [Rev. Paul’s wife] come to the school to talk to the girls but we have not yet implemented a similar programme for girls,” Carty added.
The Rev. Paul said the response from both parents and children has been very positive, and he indicated that the project was received with great respect and seriousness as the church and the school combine their efforts in changing the lives of young men.
