Day one of our Life Skills Camp was filled with critical information on topics that may be touchy for some but warrants discussion in order to highlight issues like #HumanTrafficking, #SexualAbuse and #paedophiles.
Our guest speaker was Ms Juanita Headley who is a licensed New York attorney and international speaker. She volunteered to speak on sensitive issues and her presentation on what constitutes human trafficking, prostitution, and the sexual abuse of children, held the attention of over 30 children of the Cashew Gardens Police Youth Club (CGPYC), who attended the camp today.
They learnt the meaning of #pimp (means a prostitute manager and is a very popular word used in rap songs and music videos) and #grooming (means being prepped for the world of prostitution). Everyday examples of these two words were featured prominently in the two videos shown: #BelieveinMe and #CallMeFamily.
The most powerful message that was derived from this presentation was the question of "Can You Keep A Secret?". Ms Headley advised,
The answer to this question must always be YES. You can save a life, build trust in someone, and prevent a future 'Daisy' from being harmed.
In the instance of someone sharing a secret with you that is detrimental to their safety, the best response is,
Tell the person that you are sorry but you must break their trust and then you call a person of authority, be it the children's authority or the police.
Ms Headley ended her presentation by sharing her dreams of building an orphanage and opening a bakery. To assist her in her dreams please follow her on Facebook and her website.
The second presenter for the day was Corporal Small of the TTPS, who wrapped up a day of discussion by reiterating the lifestyle of "Be A Buddy, Not A Bully", which our kids knew off the bat.
Our camp session ended with a game that integrated our Spanish words for the day session.
See you all tomorrow for another interactive, informative and innovative day of the 2nd Day of Life Skills Vacation Camp.