Twenty Primary Schools across the island which participated in the Peer Helpers Program during the academic year 2013/2014 have been awarded.
The Peer Helpers Program initiative was to strengthen the Drug Education Program in primary schools.
Schools awarded include; the St Luke’s Primary, Morne Jaune Primary, Soufriere Primary, Woodford Hill Primary, Bagatelle Primary, Mahaut Primary, Goodwill Primary, Delices Primary, Tete Morne Primary, Castle Bruce Primary, Laudat Primary Trafalgar Primary, Jones Beaupierre Primary, Dublanc Primary, Pichelin Primary, Grandbay Primary, Grandfond Primary, Petite Savanne Primary, Bellevue Chopin Primary and Will Strathmore Stevens Primary.
Speaking at the 2nd annual awards ceremony held recently at the renovated APU conference room at the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH), director of The National Drug Abuse Prevention Unit(NDPU), Jacinta Bannis, five additional schools participated in the program this year.
“During our first awards ceremony fifteen schools participated, but this year I am happy to announce that we have an increase of five schools which makes it twenty schools,” Bannis explained.
Bannis hopes to see a 100 percent participation in the upcoming year.“We want all our schools to participate in the program,” she said.
She said the program helps to develop leadership skills,
“They know about drugs, they are more assertive to share the message around school…they learn to interact and to showcase their talent.”
Meanwhile Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Helen Royer sounded a warning to young people pointing out that too many of them in Dominica are ruined by a drug abuse lifestyle.
It’s a matter, she said, that is of grave concern to Dominica’s government.
“For too many young persons have been ruined by the drug abusing lifestyle which puts them at risk for many social ills…,” she lamented. “The issue of drug abuse is of great concern among our population and more specifically among the youth…the phenomenon has black listed youths all over the world as an endangered species and this in itself is worrisome,” Royer remarked.
The Peer Helpers Program, she stressed, is an excellent way of in empowering students to assist their peers struggling with the challenges and temptations of substance use and abuse and enables both teachers and students to be trained and to assume responsibility for anti-drug activity at their respective schools.
The Peer Helpers Program was launched in October 2012 and has a history of success.
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Congratulations to the Giraudel Primary School. The students placed third in the competition.
CONGRATULATIONS WOODFRODHILL PRIMARY SCHOOL.
THANK YOU LORD FOR SO MANY THINGS.
To The Parents ‘first Teachers’ at home, Thanks For The dedication, Sacrifice and Work You Do Caring For The Children. Their beautiful hairstyle and neat Dressing Says Much. To The CHURCH Leaders And Members,Teachers at School, in The Community, Health Care Providers, Law Abiding Officers And Citizens, Thank You For Doing Good.
Rewards And Blessings For Doing Good Are On Going. Do not Grow weary In Well Doing For IN DUE TIME You Will Reap The Harvest.
To dno Staff and others Reporting on these events Thanks For the Work.