‘One Man A Month’ a success

THE head of the ‘One Man A Month For The Kingdom’ (OMAM) programme would like to see it expand and develop, to the point where it could be presented to the judiciary as an alternative for juveniles to imprisonment.

Reverend Dr. Lucille Baird shared this hope while addressing the programme’s 4th anniversary celebrations event at the Bush Hall Community Centre.

“There are too many juveniles that are going to prison, and when they go to prison, they are exposed to hardened criminals; we want to change that.

“We want to be able to have this as an alternative, that rather than them being sent to prison, they can be sent to be a participant in this programme, that would change them and give them a chance to change, and be able to develop skills, and be able to be part of the scholarship programme that would help them to be a better person. So we are wanting to take this programme to that level.”  

Dr. Baird also told the gathering, which comprised Minister of Social Care, Constituency Empowerment & Community Development, Steven Blackett, and Director of the Criminal Justice Research and Planning Unit, Cheryl Willoughby, about some of the achievements of the programme over the past year. Included in what was outlined was the accomplishments through the Values, Influences & Peers (VIP) programme for students and at risk youth.

She also stated that the OMAM programme “has been a success so far”, and urged all present to continue to pledge their support.

“So what is happening here with the One Man A Month programme, we believe that if everyone of us, members of the church and the community, which includes our honourable Minister, would touch one life every month, chose somebody…. If everyone of us could commit to working with one person a month, to help them in some way to progress from one stage to the other, I believe that then this programme would have been really life changing and impactful.”

Some the agencies involved in the OMAM programme include: Mount Zion’s Missions Inc., Criminal Justice Research and Planning Unit, Men Educational Support Association (MESA), Parent Education for Development in Barbados (PAREDOS) and The Bureau of Gender Affairs. (MG)