The inaugural all boys Project S.O.F.T. (Safeguarding Our Future Today) camp is being heralded as a success, and necessary to allow “boys to be boys”.
Minister of Home Affairs and Information, Wilfred Abrahams, underscored the importance of the need to empower young men, as he addressed the camp hosted by the National Council on Substance Abuse (NCSA) at the Eastern Caribbean Bible College, recently.
It is good that we are giving them a space to help them overcome their insecurities…. This camp is a fantastic idea,” Mr. Abrahams said.
Noting that the counsellors at the camp were also male, he said a number of young men had no positive role models in their lives.
The Minister stated that it was beneficial to remove the boys away from the environment that was causing concern to parents and those who nominated them for the camp.
He explained that the week-long camp was designed to ensure that the boys are focused, well fed, and that they learn about discipline and positive lifestyles. “They get the example from men who have achieved; men who are keeping their lives clean, who say ‘no’ to drugs,” Mr. Abrahams said.
He also gave the assurance that the necessary follow-ups would be done even after the camp concluded.
The Minister also commended the Massy Foundation Inc., for its donation of $40, 000 to Project S.O.F.T., which he said would go a long way.
Mr. Abrahams urged the boys to continue believing in themselves and doing what was right. “Your opinion of yourself should be the most important thing to you right now. Do not bend to peer pressure,” he urged.
He told the young boys to practise saying “no” to illegal substances and peer pressure. “It is important to take stock now and decide what you want to do,” he said.
The Minister added that children in the past have used drugs but warned those present that it was not a road they should travel.
Meanwhile, Manager at the NCSA, Betty Hunte, outlined that while initial research showed that there was a greater degree of acceptance to use drugs among boys, new figures were showing that girls were on par.
Ms. Hunte also expressed concern that the last Barbados Drug Information Network report indicated that children in primary schools accessed drugs from in the homes, mainly from family and friends.
“It is important to start addressing those things even as they go into secondary school and receive a challenge from older students,” she said.
The Manager explained that anecdotal evidence indicated that boys were exposed to too many females, and a decision was made to have the camp where “boys can be boys”.
Project S.O.F.T is now in its 21st year, and the annual co-ed camp will be held in the summer.