BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – WITH the strategic placement of billboards around St. Kitts, the Advancement for Children Foundation (ACF) is continuing its mandate of “Ensuring our Children’s Future”.
Signs have been erected within proximity of the Basseterre High School, the Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in West Farm and the Rawlins Plantations Inn in St. Paul’s.
Speaking exclusively to SKNVibes, ACF Board Chairwoman Leah Sahely informed that billboards were utilised to sensitise persons to the role of proper child-rearing as a preventative measure against crime and violence. The messages include slogans such as “Train up your child before it’s too late, or would you rather stand outside the prison gate?” and “Your child - your responsibility, your accountability”.
The Rotary Clubs of St. Kitts and Liamuiga established the ACF last year to counteract the trend of rising violence and antisocial behaviour among the young people of the Federation through the promotion of good parenting, family and social values.
Its goals and objectives include the provision of help and guidance in enabling parents to become better parents, to stem the tide of teenage pregnancies, to fund specialists to educate youth in anger management, to eradicate child abuse from society and to champion the development and enforcement of rules and guidelines for the administration of stronger discipline in the home, school and community.
Despite its relatively short existence, the Foundation has already conducted an inventory of the effectiveness of existing social programmes within the Federation. Sahely revealed that although many of the programmes were “impressive”, the Foundation still identified a number of gaps within the existing structure, notably as it relates to the rehabilitation of ex-convicts and delinquent juveniles.
According to the Chairwoman, the ACF is in the process of developing a website through which applications for funding can be accessed. She divulged the criteria persons would be evaluated under in order to receive monies.
“The Foundation will award a grant of anywhere between $10 000 to $40 000. We will be granting monies to persons who are involved in the prevention and rehabilitation of delinquency and criminal behaviour in youth, the enhancement of parenting skills and family development, the prevention of teen pregnancy and the eradication of drug abuse.
“Candidates should possess the requisite management skills and have experience and credibility. We will also examine the sustainability of programmes and the other sources of funding they may be receiving,” she explained.
Sahely was unable to give an exact date as to when the website will be launched, but she promised it would be sometime in the near future.
