PRESS RELEASE: The youth from the village of Petite Soufriere have been taking an active step in coming together, discussing “hot topics” and participating in community service projects.
Over the past few months the youth took a day to clean the beach by picking up trash, removing branches and coconuts and made the bay area much more appealing. December consisted of a project to support the senior citizens of the community. A Friday night was used to hand-make Christmas cards and were personally addressed to each household consisting of a senior citizen. For the less fortunate, packages of essentials; such as pasta, sugar, salt and soap along with some biscuits were also put together. On the 23rd of December about eight young adults took their afternoon to personally deliver the cards and packages and spread holiday cheer throughout the village. “Hot topic” discussions are what we refer to as Youth Nights. This consists of the youth and their two facilitators (mentioned below) coming together and conversing about topics the youth choose. Matters such as relationships & dating, the internet, education, culture and many more have been touched on thus far.
With the start of the New Year drums were painted and distributed around the village for proper disposal of trash. Our hope is that this will offer better habits to dispose of trash in the barrels and also work towards a cleaner environment. Harris Paints deserves special thanks due to their kind donations of all materials for that project.
Since November 2009 an after-school reading program has come into effect. Peace Corps volunteer, Julie Cieszkowski, Petite Soufriere youth, Lilia Durand and Deandra Joseph have taken three days per week to offer their time towards increasing reading skills. There are currently forty-one children registered for the class consisting of preschool through grade six children. Students complete hands-on literacy worksheets, get free reading time and learn new words, weekly, through spelling tests. The class will run through June and take a couple months off for the summer holiday. We hope to start a new school year in September 2010.
A special thanks to all of our supporters; Digicel, Dominica Brewery & Beverages, Coca-Cola, DOMLEC, DOWASCO, Johnson Drigo, Guiyave Patisserie, Harris Paints, LaRobe Creole Restaurant, LIME, Springfield Trading Ltd., Tonge Inc. Meat Centre and Whitchurch & Co Ltd.
We thank you with all our hearts for caring about the growth of the youth of Petite Soufriere. Our projects could not be possible without each and everyone one of your donations. We hope to continue working with you in the future. God bless.
WRITTEN BY: Julie Cieszkowski, Peace Corps volunteer based in Petite Soufriere
Dios ta ku bosnan,God is with u all.
WELL DONE u guys.keep it up.
Now that is some good news! Keep on working. Keep the community spirit alive. These things actually pays off in a lot of ways. Keep it up Soufriere.
congrates to all and hoping that
orther’s for exp= community like , fond cole take example
theu nreally need too
i don’t c u vinna were u b gal?
Excellent work. Keep up the wonderful work and the positive influence in the community.
Well done by the youth of the village. Keep up the good work and all of your hard work will carry forth rewards.
Only an outsider can make a different. the story ot a prohet not welcome in his own town! someone doing my work for me. keep it up…i am still available to help as i participate
community developer/petite soufriere
Good job my people. I may be far away but you guys are always on my mind and in my heart. Just reading here brings back feelings of nostalgia. Love u guys.
Jules… I’m so proud of you… great job kids! keep up the great work! DAD
Keep up the good work! There should be groups like these in every constituency. It may reduce the amount of young people just lying here being idle.
good job all the villages should be doing the same keep dca clean proud of those kids
Petite Soufriere is one of my favorite places…
love it!…. Awesome and a job well done. keep it going petite soufriere, your community is yours to keep and remember your volunteers not just in the minds but have them at the hearts cause one small step makes a big difference.
I hope that other communities read this and understand the need for youth involvement in the community and not only hanging out on the blocks. when hanging out on the blocks can be fun, it can be replaced with doing something more appealing to society’s need and still be fun. like you have done, example. group discussions (such interesting topics). wonderful
again congratulations. may God richly bless you all and continue to encourage you and others to take the initiative to make that bold step and lend a helping hand. yet we speak about unemployment, without volunteerism i believe there would not be employment. but with volunteerism to me it is the first step to employment.
Great job!
Congrats to the Petite Soufriere Youth Council, it is good to see that work continues in that community. I remember a few years ago when we had collaborated to paint the bus stop and a mural. Continue the good work
Delroy
positive youth. one can see the positve vibrations glowing by looking at their faces.
start within yourself and the rest shall follow
keep on the good work
jah blessings
What a wonderful thing to do. We certainly need more of these in our country.
big up. wow look sexy girls. oui la la
Am impress with what the youths are doing, keep that fire burning so the other Villages young people can light there fire too. God bless each and everyone.
That’s whats up!.. Good job guys.. Glad to see my people coming together.. Keep up the good work..
That’s positive! Keep up the good work.
Other Communites should Model on these activities.
Where is petite soufriere? lol. seriously i have no idea where that is.
with that said, good work young ones
keep it up positive movments one love
Positive! Positive! Positive! Accountability. Responsibility. Action. I hope this become contagious and spread to youths in other villages.
I love that positive story. Keep it up and your community will bear good fruits. Education is the key. When businesses support the youth, good things happen.
I must complement the youths on a job well done.
Keep up the good work. All the best.