The boys of the Louise Garland Thomas High School in Providenciales got a rich taste of how bright their futures could be if they keep focused on their goals.
On Friday a plethora of successful men converged on the school’s Boy’s Day Celebration, to encourage, guide and cheer them on. The boys were left with nothing but appreciation and sense of belonging to see so many men of worth and calibre, assuring them that failure was not their final destiny, but just the beginning of where life will take them if they just believe in themselves.
The men comprised business executives, politicians, sports executives, sportsmen, pilots, pastors and fitness instructors.
Guest speaker for the event was Chartered Accountant, Author and Newspaper Columnist Drexwell Seymour, who encouraged them to believe in themselves, even when nobody believes in them. Also present and addressing the boys was Minister of Education Hon. Rachel Taylor.
Boys To Men, a local mentorship group for boys, spearheaded by businessman and a member of the clergy, Keno Forbes, galvanized a great deal of the speakers, including American Football Player Ashley Brooks, who plays in Europe.
Others who addressed the boys were Minister for Physical Planning and Infrastructure Hon. Jamel Robinson, businessman Elery James, Member of Parliament for the area Hon. Matthew Stubbs, other Government MPs Hon. Kyle Knowles and Hon. Randy Howell, Governor’s Appointed Members Hon. Harald Charles and Hon. Willin Belliard, fitness instructor John Wright, Dane Ritchie – Technical Director for the TCIFA.
Dr. Vivian Otuonye, one of the guidance counsellors of the school and Coordinator of the Boys Day event said the Boys Day celebration became necessary because that sex was lagging behind.
“We need the boys of the nation to be encouraged, because we found out that culturally, the girls are moving ahead of the boys, and that makes the boys feel some kind of way, and they lag behind,” she explained.
Otuonye added: “This is an initiative to help find meaning, significance and direction in their lives, it is mostly to empower them to grow up as great men of honor and integrity…men with a high sense of responsibility, men on whom the great futures of our families will depend.”
Otuonye pointed out that out that the future of our men were being wasted away with many of them either in jail or being killed.
“I did a research and the statistics is terrifying. And so, I am glad that the nation understands that it is important to have mentorship of young men, because the Word of God said, ‘Train up a child in the way that he should go, and when they grow up they will not depart’,” Otyounye pointed out.
She was encouraged by the many individuals and businesses that have become interested in the welfare of the country’s young men, by their support of the event.
“We have got over 30 mentors. We had breakout sessions, and each class would have had four young people talking to them,” she said, adding that the mentors also provided food and refreshment for the event.
“ The boys are comfortable and happy that we are staging this event, and it would allow them to know that they are important to the nation.
“We have to build up our men for the women, so that each boy would grow up with the responsibility to know that I need to have my own wife, and each girl now has a responsible husband,” she asserted.
Otuonye said that many Turks and Caicos Islands homes have been fatherless, therefore guidance, to some extent, was lacking.
“As a counsellor for over 20 years, and a teacher for over 30, I have seen young men changed for the better,” she said.
The Louise Garland Thomas High School has the greatest population of children and boys anywhere in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Boys, which are said to be over 300 at that institution, outnumber their female counterparts.
In the meantime, Otuonye is hopeful that the school’s would spur wayward fathers to begin to become responsible stewards of their children.
“I wish for when the news of this event is publicized that those fathers who are not taking care of their children will come home and be a father to their children because I know the future is going to be great with these boys,” she said.
The counsellor told NewslineTCI that she has mentored scores of children, many of them who are boys have gone on to university, and many of them were now mentors to other children.
“Only about few of them that dropped out. Some of them found it boring and they wanted to go and join gangs. About three or four that really dropped out…one is dead, and three are in the wrong place. You know where they ‘wrong place’ is? Her Majesty’s place (Prison).
“So, that shows that guidance, mentorship, leadership, being a role model makes a difference for both our boys and our girls,” she said.