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  • 3 weeks ago
After an eight-year break, Families in Action has revived its Peer Helper Programme Closing and Awards Ceremony, celebrating students who have dedicated themselves to supporting their classmates and promoting positive mental health in schools. Education Minister Dr Michael Dowlath says the programme is helping to build stronger communities by empowering young people to support one another. Urvashi Tiwari-Roopnarine reports.
Transcript
00:22One of the greatest resources that a young person can have is actually their pay.
00:29So we wanted to be sure that we can equip young people to be a resource to their peers.
00:38Because their peers are someone who understands them and speaks their language.
00:55The true impact of the program transcends the numbers.
01:00It's really about the ability of the peer helpers to be a safe space and to create a safe space
01:12for their peers.
01:14The principles are the ones who are given through the law, through the Education Act.
01:33But also they're given a responsibility to provide guidance to young people for a future that we don't know about.
01:42A future that is unknown.
01:44But what is important, no matter the significance of AI and all the technology we have, what we really need
01:54are good human beings.
02:06You are the army for families in action.
02:10You are the future.
02:12You will go on to wherever your journey leads you in life.
02:27And you too, as a peer helper, you are like Wi-Fi.
02:37When the connection is strong, everybody is happy, it's comfortable.
02:43But when the connection is weak, what happens?
02:45Everybody is going around looking for some kind of support.
02:59We look for a sense of belongingness.
03:02And many of you will remember from your mathematics, you know that graph.
03:06The zero, zero point is your reference.
03:09And from that reference point, you draw your life and your curve.
03:15When it goes up, it remains constant for a little while.
03:18It goes down for a little bit.
03:21And so your school, your own families give you a reference point in life.
03:29And that's the importance of schools and communities.
03:33And that's the beauty of what Families in Action is doing for us as a nation.
03:39And that's the beauty of which I feel a lot of peace can ask you.
03:46And you need to know that with the challenges.
03:48And you can't tell us that in fact I would be able to do this.
03:51And if you've got to do it, you can't tell us that you are the future.
03:57I'm trying to imagine you, but then you'll see how much work is looking for.
03:58And you get to know how many of you are.
04:00And now we are all about students and being able to do this.
04:03And I'm going to help you with our students in the past.
04:03And I'm going to find a place that you have to do this.
04:04And you're going to help you with your teacher.
04:04You can't help you without teachers.
04:04And I'm going to help you with the same people
04:05that we are going to do this.
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