‘Men on the block being stereotyped’

Caricom Youth Ambassador Kyle DeFreitas is of the opinion that young men who lime on the block are too often negatively stereotyped.

The 17-year-old concluded this after participating with some 30 other young persons in a three-day workshop organized by the Pan American and Caribbean Pacific, (PanCap/Caricom) Youth Mini-Grant Programme. {{more}}

DeFreitas said the programme aimed to have youth group members interact with the community and identify areas where resources could be mobilised. He explained that the participants also went out into villages and identified community centers and other places where people would meet.

He said the team, which was split up into groups, met with villagers to hear their views. “The guys on the block were willing to give information and we found out that it’s not that they don’t care for their environment and are clueless. It’s not that they don’t care,” he said, “They are mainly on the block because there was no real alternative, no opportunities within that community nothing new to engage themselves in. Young men on the block have an awareness of the things going on around them and the things that influence them.”

The Caricom Youth Ambassador noted that the PanCap/Caricom Youth Mini-Grant Programme has also taught the participants that when the needs of a community are identified, opportunities could be provided.

He praised the Pan/Cap mini-grant programme for teaching the participants how to identify these problems and how to train others in their group.