“I learned what to do when somebody offers me drugs,” said Ryan-Janae Yarde, one of the more than three dozen students attending this year’s Project SOFT camp. “We also got to talk to counsellors about how we feel.”
Her peer Michael Thornman added that he learned “more about [my] body as a boy” and appreciated the chance to catch up with old friends and make new ones.
These reflections were given during the National Council on Substance Abuse’s (NCSA) annual sleep-in camp, held at the East Caribbean Bible Camp in Jezreel, St Philip – a week-long initiative designed to help children transition from primary to secondary school through drug education, team-building and soft skills development.
On Wednesday, Minister of Home Affairs Wilfred Abrahams joined the campers, urging students to make wise choices and surround themselves with positive influences.
He warned that early decisions can have long-term consequences, and praised the NCSA for its continued work in substance abuse prevention.
“The choices that you make now are the choices you have to live with,” Abrahams told the group. “The age of criminal responsibility is traditionally 12 years old, meaning if you commit an offence under 12, the law says you didn’t know what you were doing. But up until recently, if you committed a crime at age 12, you would get charged for it, because you know right from wrong.”
He encouraged the students to say no to drugs and negative peer pressure and to choose their friends wisely. “You have to be strong enough to say no,” he added.
Coordinator of Project SOFT (Safeguarding Our Future Today), Makeada Bourne, explained that the programme, now in its 23rd year, unfolds in three phases: a residential camp for students who sat the 11-Plus, a year-long follow-up with continued support, and sessions for parents to help guide their children through the transition.
This year’s camp catered to 40 students, though four had to leave due to having flu symptoms. Bourne said the curriculum covers decision-making, self-esteem, drug refusal skills, anger management, and personal hygiene – all aimed at empowering students to make informed and confident choices.
She also thanked the Sandy Lane Charitable Trust, Co-operators General and other corporate sponsors for their support. The camp’s graduation ceremony is set for Friday.
(SM)
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