FINAL REPORT
November
2013
JCIF Contract #C101323/072982/003058
Whitfield Town Teen Parenting Project
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Contract #C101323/072982/003058 between Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) and PEY &
Associates (PEY &A) was signed on March 18, 2013. The Contract for Consultant Services was expected
to result in the design, implementation and evaluation of a multi-component intervention for 60
teenage parents (comprising equal numbers of teenage mothers and teenage fathers) that enables them
to delay the next pregnancy, adequately parent their children, and to re-enter the formal education
system or enrol in existing skills training programmes.
The approach used was based on evidence and engaged beneficiaries and community leaders in the
planning and implementation of the project. On-going monitoring was conducted to ensure compliance
with the implementation plan.
The programme to which the project participants were exposed was expected to include the following
components: i) 30 hours of Parenting skills education; ii) 30 hours of Life Skills education; iii) 30 hours of
Livelihood skills education; and iv) 10 hours of Psychosocial support. In addition, the consultant
plannedand executed a one day community fair – Parents’ Day – which allowed community residents to
access health and personal development information and services.
The training sub-components of the programme were delivered by PEY & Associates and partners:
Coalition for Better Parenting which was responsible for the Parenting skills inputs and Professional
Development Institute/Girls Town which provided the Livelihood skills inputs. A trained Social Worker
hired by the project provided the psycho-social support to teen participants from Whitfield Town Zones
A, C and D. The project was managed by a Field Manager who was responsible for the day to day
operations and a Team Leader.
The 8-month project endedin October 2013. This final report provides details on the project outputs and
achievements. It discusses some of the key implementation challenges and lessons learned over the
period.
Outputs and Achievements
The achievements of the project are mixed. The target of 60 teen parents was not achieved and the
reasons for the non-achievement of this target are detailed in the body of the report. All the expected
outputs, however, were achieved and in some cases exceeded.
 Under Training: The expected 30 hours of Parenting Skills and 30 hours of Livelihood Skills
training were delivered between May 28 and September 2013. In all, more than 40 hours
(instead of the required 30 hours) of Life Skills training were delivered.
 Under Family Support: More than the required 10 hours of contact time for the group as a
whole was provided by a trained Social Worker through group education and counselling,
individual counselling and home visits.
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 Under Community Education: A Parents’ Day event was executed on September 23, 2013. The
event held at the Post Office in Whitfield Town saw some 300 residents accessing information
from the National Health Fund, HEART NTA, Professional Development Institute and Girls’ Town,
National Insurance Scheme, and Office of Children’s Registry, and HIV counseling and testing
services from the mobile HIV prevention service of the Ministry of Health.
The following comment from a project participant captures the essence of the effect of the community
education effort:
“The next thing I like about the programme is that they had a parent day for us and we
went there and we take AIDS test, get two lunches free with juice. We got a chance to go
on PATH, sign up for TRN & NIS and it was also interesting. …” (SW, Female Participant)
 Graduation exercise: The graduation exercise was held on October 30, 2013 at the National
Baptist Full Gospel Church on Rodney Road in Whitfield Town.Mrs. Beryl Weir, OD was the guest
speaker and Mrs. Rhonda Lumsden-Lue, General Manager for Communications, HR and
Administration at the JSIF brought greetings from that organisation and handed out the
certificates. A total of 102 certificates were awarded– 67 participants received a Certificate of
Participation for attending 4 or more sessions of the Parenting skills training and 35 participants
(34 females and 1 male) were awarded a Certificate of Completion. This latter group completed
Parenting Skills training as well as the other training components.
Success of the intervention,measured on the agreed short term outcome indicators, was also mixed. The
data show that the completion rate in each of the training components was lower than expected.
However, the performance of the majority of those who completed the individual components was
above average.
In the Parenting Skills component:
 67 of 86 (78%)persons registered completed 4 or more of the 7 sessions offered.
In the Life Skills component:
 22 of 41 (54%) attending this training were considered to be qualified, that is, attended 7 or
more of the 11 sessions.
In the Livelihood Skills component:
 100% of those who registered for Cosmetology completed the programme. The class average
was 76%.
 8 of 18 (44%) who registered for Housekeeping completed the programme. The class average
was 79%.
 6 of 9 (67%) who registered for Early Childhood Development completed the programme with a
class average of 61.5%.
 5 of 11 (45%) who registered for Child Care with Food Processing completed the programme
with a class average of 80.8%.
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10 of 15 (67%) who registered for Child Care with Housekeeping and Cosmetology completed
the programme with a class average of 75.7%.
The final outcome indicator of project success is the percentage of participants using a modern method
of contraception. Survey data collected from a sample of project participants indicate that the majority
(93%) of females are using a modern contraceptive.
The evidence suggests that those individuals who participated in this multi-component project have
been enabled to delay the next pregnancy, better parent their children, and to re-enter the formal
education system or enrol in existing skills training programmes.In addition, a small group have been
enabled to start their own home-based business or to gain employment.
Challenges
 Recruitment and retention of participants, especially male participants, was a major challenge
for the project at its inception. The experience might well be captioned: “The hurrier I go the
behinder I get.” – a quote from Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland1. In order to complete the
project in a shorter time than had been planned (we were notified at signing that the length of
the project was reduced by 2 months), the attention that needed to havebeen paid to the
recruitment was not, and although more than the projected 60 persons attended the first round
of training (Parenting Skills),several participants should have been eliminated based on the age,
parity and risk status criteria established for the project.
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The attendance of many who came to the Parenting training was spotty. Further, a change in
the training venue for the last two sessions of the parenting component served to reduce the
number who ultimately registered for the second round of training (the Life Skills training). Low
literacy levels for some participants, community violence and having to go off to deliver their
babies or to care for their babies contributed to the unstable attendance and completion
numbers for the Life skills and Livelihood components of the training.
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Another challenge was the negative attitude and deportment of participants and getting
participants to adjust to the unfamiliar structure of the learning environment. This challenge
was most evident during the delivery of the first component of the training. Session facilitators
and tutors had to continuously remind the group about the group rules they themselves had
participated in setting for Parenting and Life Skills components. The high levels of aggression
and the extended period that it took them to enter the norming stage of group development
was also a challenge.
What became evident as the training progressed was that the vast majority of the group was
carrying major ‘burdens’. The burdens were such a part of their young lives that they had
learned over time to pretend that “a no nutten”. In addition, old conflicts made participants
1
Lewis Carroll in Alice in Wonderland.
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suspicious of each other. This contributed to distrust and disharmony and affected the delivery
of the content as time had to be spent putting out ‘little fires”. Unfortunately, just as the Life
Skills training and psychosocial support were beginning to help participants to build trust and
improve their interpersonal communication and self-concept, the project ended. The bond
formed between some of the participants may be sufficient to create an environment that
supports the maintenance of healthy behaviours.
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Issues of personal safety contributed to delaying the completion of field visits by members of
the project team, and also affected participants’ attendance at sessions.
Lessons Learned
Two lessons are highlighted here. Neither of them is new, however, the experience of this project
served to underscore both:
1. One size does not fit all:
It was clear, even before the project started, that it would be difficult to find male teenagers who would
admit to being fathers. As a result, the recruitment criteria were adjusted to allow inclusion of males
who were in the age group (younger than 20 years) and who were likely to become fathers in the near
future. This notwithstanding, only one male graduated from the project with a Certificate of Completion.
This experience reinforcedour knowledge that a programme that targets both male and female
adolescents with the same intervention approaches is not likely to be as successful as one which
includes intervention approaches that are more gender sensitive and specific in methodology and
content.
2. ‘Every mickle mek a muckle’2or every little adds up: Consistent reminders and reinforcement of values
throughout the training, the psychosocial support and interactions with the Field Manager and
participants served to influence individual and ultimately group behaviours. One training facilitator
observed that “The group that started the programme is not the same group that graduated, they are so
different now”. Although difficult, it is not impossible to change attitudes and behaviours in the short
term. Sustaining that change is,however, a major challenge if the wider community has not been
influenced to change.
2
Jamaican Proverb – probably linked to our Scottish heritage. To the Scots, ‘mickel’ is a small amount of
something; ‘muckle’ is a large amount of something. Probably a derivation of the original Scottish saying: “Many a
little makes a mickle’. Source: http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/26765/what-is-the-meaning-of-manya-mickle-makes-a-muckle
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
PEY & Associates is grateful for the supportand involvement of a number of individuals and
organisations in this effort and uses this opportunity to thank those who contributed, in substantial or
small ways, to the success of this project. We would not have completed this project without your
contribution. Thanks to:
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The implementation partners: Coalition for Better Parenting and Professional Development
Institute and Girls’ Town (PDI)led by Ms. Doret Crawford and Rev. Percival Palmer,
respectively,for their support in making the inputs in the Parenting Skills and Livelihood Skills
components;
The team providing the Life Skills training: Mr. Wilbert Rowe, Mrs. Dollyann Mighty-Whyte and
Mr. Fabian Miller;
Social Worker, Ms. Allison Tenn, for providing the psycho-social support elements;
Mrs. Beryl Weir, OD, for agreeing to be guest speaker at the Graduation ceremony;
PDI for providing space for the psychosocial support and refresher training;
Pastor Johnson of the National Baptist Full Gospel Church for allowing us to use her church
forthe initial Community mobilization meeting, two sessions of the Parenting Skills training and
the Graduation ceremony;
Ms. Dawn White, Field Officer with the JSIF for the first three months of the project, whose
valuable assistance helped us become acquainted with the community and its leaders;
Zone Presidents – Mr. Michael Whittingham, Mr. David Mowatt and Mr. Prince Taylor and Vice
President Ms. Judith Harrison, for always making themselves available to consult and provide
guidance and for the confidence that we could deliver;and
Community members who catered meals for the training and community education events, and
provided sound and music for Parents’ Day and theGraduation ceremony.
A special thank you to the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF)for the confidence they placed in us by
awarding us this contract. We trust that you and the donors – Japan Social Development Fund – will find
the achievements acceptable.
Finally, to the participants, especially those who remained committed to completing the programme, we
hope that the experience was rewarding at a number of levels and that the information and skills you
would have gained will spur you to achieve the goals that you set for yourself in the Life Planning
exercise. Good Luck.
Pauline Russell-Brown
Director
PEY & Associates
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
i
Acknowledgment
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
v
Acronyms and Abbreviations
Introduction
……………………………………………………………………………………..
….................................................................................................................
Project Activities
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
I. Community Mobilisation
………………………………………………………………………….
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1
2
2
II. Training
Parenting Skills Training …………………………………………………………………………..
Life Skills Training
…………………………………………………………………………..
Livelihood Skills ………………………………………………………………………………………..
Refresher Training
…………………………………………………………………………..
3
4
6
6
III. Psychosocial Support
……………………………………………………………………….…
7
IV. Community Education
………………………………………………………………………….
7
……………….………………………………………………………………………
8
VI. Graduation ……………………………………………………………………………………………………
9
VII Administration
………………………………………………………………………………………
10
Project Achievements …………………………………………………………………………………………………..
13
Challenges
20
V. Family Fun Day
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Lessons Learned
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Participants Have Their Say
Attachments
1.
2.
3.
4.
22
……………………………………………………………………………………..
24
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
27
Course Participants – Parenting Skills Training
Attendance for Participants in Life Skills Training Sessions
Attendance and Grades for Participants in Livelihood Skills Training
Report of Refresher Workshop
vi
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Summary of Project Activities – March – October 2013 ……………………………………..
11
Table 2: Summary Statistics from Psychosocial Support to Project Participants in
Four Zones: August to October 2013
………………………………………………………………
17
Table 3: Summary Statistics from Psychosocial Support to Teen Parents in Four Zones:
August to October 2013 ………………………………………………………………………………………….
18
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ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
CDC
Community Development Committee
CBP
Coalition for Better Parenting
JSDF
Japan Social Development Fund
JSIF
Jamaica Social Investment Fund
PEY & A
PEY & Associates
PDI
Professional Development Institute and Girls’ Town
RGD
Registrar General’s Department
RHS
Reproductive Health Survey
STATIN
Statistical Institute of Jamaica
VSU
Victim Support Unit
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INTRODUCTION
Whitfield Town is a relatively small community of a total area of 126 hectares (approximately 315 acres)
and a total populationestimated at close to 22,0003. Data provided by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica
(STATIN) also indicates a residential density of about 172 persons per hectare. The community is home
to a number of government affiliated organisation including the Community Development Committee
(CDC), and the Institute of Sports; and non-government organisations, namely, the S-Corner Clinic and
Hope for Children.
Like many communities in Jamaica, and especially those in the inner-city areas, the prevalence of
pregnancy among teenagers in the Whitfield Town community is high. Several girls discontinue their
formal education because of an unplanned or unintended pregnancy. The national Reproductive Health
Survey (RHS) reports that 24% of women aged 15–24 have had sexual intercourse by age 144. This is
corroborated by a community-based household survey of youth aged 15–19 found that 30% of females
had had sex before age 14.5Early sexual debut has been linked to childhood sexual abuse. In the latest
RHS, 12% of women reported having a forced sexual experience. Just under half of them (47%) were
younger than 20 years when they had that experience.6
Studies have shown that early sexual debut not only increases the number of years in which a woman
can become pregnant, but is associated with experiences of sexual coercion and violence and may lead
to increased sexual risk taking behaviours like having multiple sexual partners and not using
contraceptives. The studies also show that urban teenagers without father figures were nearly 2.7 times
more likely to have been pregnant than were those living with adult male relatives indicating that
father-figure absence and low self-esteem may combine as risk factors for teenage pregnancy in urban
Jamaica7.
Although over the years the rate of pregnancy among teenagers in Jamaica has declined, teenage
childbearing remains a national concern. The Registrar General’s Department (RGD) reports that about 5
percent of females younger than 17 contribute 18 percent of the births each year. Community leaders in
Whitfield Town identified early and unplanned pregnancy as a barrier to the social and economic
3
2001 Population census data provided by Statistical Institute of Jamaica
National Family Planning Board, Contraceptive Prevalence Survey: 1993 Jamaica Final Report, Kingston, Jamaica:
National Family Planning Board, 1994; and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Highlights from the
Jamaica Reproductive Health Survey, 2002–03,<http://www.cdc.gov/ reproductivehealth/Surveys/Jamaica.htm>,
accessed Nov 12, 2013.
5
Waszak G.C. et al., (2006) Sexual violence and reproductive health among young people in three communities in
Jamaica, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 21(11):1512–1533.
6
Fact Sheet: Childhood and intimate partner violence in Jamaica. Retrieved November 21, 2013.
http://www.jnfpb.org/factsheet/Fact_sheet_draft.pdf.
7
Keddie, A.M. (1992) Psychosocial factors associated with teenage pregnancy in Jamaica. Adolescence 27(108):
873-90
4
development of their community and approached the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) for
assistance in crafting an appropriate intervention.
PEY & Associates, a youth-serving non-government organisation, was contracted in March 2013 to
implement an intervention in three of the four zones into which the community is divided, that would
provide 60 teenage parents with the knowledge, skills and competencies to care for their child/ children
and delay subsequent pregnancies. The programme provided to the teenage parents included –
parenting skills training, life skills training, livelihood skills training and psycho-social support for parents
who were assess as needing it. A community education event, dubbed Parents’ Day, was executed as
was a Family Fun day for teenage parents and their children. Project implementation was supportedwith
funds from the World Bank and the Japan Social Development Fund. The project ended with Graduation
in October 2013.
This report details the activities conducted over the life of the project and the achievements recorded
both by the formal project monitoring and evaluation system as well as the informal qualitative
observations of trainers, facilitators and project participants. Project implementation challenges and
lessons learned are also included.
PROJECT ACTIVITIES
The targeted interventions implemented through this project were organised into four sets of activities,
three that were directed to teenage parents, namely: Community Mobilisation, Training, and Psychosocial Support, and one activity – Community Education - that was directed at the community in general.
I. Community Mobilisation/ Involvement
Mobilisation activities were required for two of the project activities. These were: i) Training and ii)
Community Education. The task of recruiting teenage parents for the training component of the project
was assigned to two groups of community leaders: i) the Community Presidents (Zone A and C) and Vice
President(Zone D) and ii) a small group of 12 specially selected youth from the three target
communities. Community leaders (formal and informal) were tasked with recruiting teenage parents –
that is, females and males who were younger than 20 years of age and who were pregnant, had a child,
or had fathered a child. This directive was modified after meeting with the Zone leaders. They argued
that they would not be able to identify 60 teenage parents and suggested that the recruitment criteria
be modified. The decision taken was that Mobilisers would identify teen parents as well as teen boys
and girls who were perceived to be at risk for becoming parents. This effort produced as many as 86
persons for the first round of training. The challenges associated with this large number of recruits are
discussed later in the report under Challenges.
A sample survey of the teenagers recruited provides a profile of the population:
 The majority (18 or 72%) lived with one of both parents. Only 2 (8%) lived with the father of
their child and 1 (4%) lived on her own.
 All were unemployed but looking for work.
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All had some secondary education. Ten (40%) had completed Grade 11.
The majority (19 or 76%) of those surveyed had ever been pregnant. All but 1 of these
pregnancies ended in a live birth. One ended in a miscarriage.
Age at first pregnancy ranged from 13 years to just over 20 years with a mean age at first
pregnancy of 15.5 years and a median age of 15.8 years.
In only one case was the pregnancy planned
All but 1 had one child, one had 2 children. Four were pregnant when they were recruited.
93% of those who were not pregnant or had never been pregnant were using a modern method
of contraception.
In 56% of the cases, child fathers were providing financial support; in 48% of the cases he
provided emotional support.
Mobilisation of the community for the community education effort, dubbed Parents’ Day, was the task
of the Community Presidents/ Vice Presidents using specially designed flyers, and a local Town Crier. The
mobilisation effortswere successful in getting more than 300 community residents of all ages to attend
the event.
As a matter of course, the community, as represented by their Zone Presidents (Zone A and C) and Vice
President (Zone D),were invited to participate in making decisions about project implementation. They
guided the PEY & Associates team in revising the participant recruitment criteria, in identifying suitable
venues for training and community events, in reviewing programmes for community events and in
identifying community resources (caterers, sound operators, and stage construction personnel) as
needed. They attended the community-based events and were available to trouble shoot during the first
round of training.
II. Training
Training in Parenting Skills, Life Skills and Livelihood Skills were provided to participants in this project.
a. Parenting Skills
A total of 30 hours of Parenting Skill training was conducted over eight days (May 28- June 12, 2013) by
two facilitators –Ms. Doret Crawford and Ms. Claudette Wilmot from the Coalition for Better Parenting
(CBP). They were assisted by Suzette Spratt, Coreen Jopp, and Shanice Wright
3
More than the projected 60 young persons participated in this component of the project. Females
significantly outnumbered the males. Of the 86 persons passing through the programme of training, 73
were females and 13 were males and of the 13 males 7 attended between 4 and 5days of the training.
The attached register – Attachment 1 – provides details. Only 2 of the males who attended were
teenage fathers. The other males who attended were school drop- outs who were currently unattached
to any formal learning system and had the potential of becoming a teenage parent.
The objective of the programme was to provide the basis for behavior and attitude change and to
increase the level of awareness among teenage parents regarding teenage /adolescent parenting. The
sessions were participatory and interactive as combinations of approaches and methodologies
(including role play, individual and group assignments, quizzes, journaling and short scenarios that
required problem solving) were used to deliver the topics. Continuous evaluation was conducted to
ensure that the needs of the participants were being met. There was also one final evaluation at the end
of the programme.
b. Life Skills
The Life Skills component of the Project ran for 11 days (July
3-5, 8-12, and 16-18) providing 40 hours of inputs. Three
experienced facilitators from PEY & Associates conducted
the training: Mr. Wilbert Rowe, Mrs. Dollyann MightyWhyte and Mr. Fabian Miller.
The aim of the Life Skills sessions was to increase
participants’skills and knowledge in interpersonal
communication; decision-making, including sexual and
contraceptive decision-making; life planning and goal
setting. The life skill sessions were framed around
pregnancy and pregnancy prevention, sexually transmitted
infection including HIV prevention. The sub-topics included:
assertiveness skills, making a life plan and Skin Bleaching – a
topic which was added because facilitators saw that some of
the participants were engaging in the practice. The
expectation is that this knowledge and skills would enable
project participants to make health choices and engage in
safe and healthy behaviours.
Facilitators used a range of interactive teaching/ training
methods to deliver the content and enhance learning. The
methods included: Role Play and Drama, Games (e.g.
Jeopardy), Debates and peer to peer teaching.
“What I really learn about this
programme is so good to me
and in my life I learn about
parenting, how to take care of
a child, how to love a child,
hug and squeeze them every
day and I learn about how to
be a house keeper and it also
base on personal hygiene,
kitchen hygiene and I got a lot
of good grades in that class
because I learnt a lot of things
in that class. Thanks to Mrs.
Ottey and Miss Williams and
what I also like about this
programme is they also give
us break and lunch, although
sometimes the lunch don’t
come on time and sometimes
the lunch don’t taste good
(SW, Female Participant)
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Peer Teaching
Participants become Teachers – Demonstrating how to put on a condom.
Photo: Courtesy PEY & Associates
Sample Scenario
Used for Role Play in Life Skills Training
Role Play: Participants acting out a Life Skills Scenario
Photo: Courtesy Wilbert Rowe/ PEY & Associates
“Michelle is a 16yrs old mom of a
beautiful little girl. She misses hanging
out with her friends and tired of doing all
the work she has to do for her baby. She
loves the fact that she and Timmy her
baby daddy are still together and sill in
love. However, Timmy insists on having
sex without using a condom and Michelle
doesn't like to take the pills of injection
and she doesn't want to push him away.
What should Michelle do to keep her
relationship together and avoid having
another baby?”
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c. Livelihood Skills
Partners at Professional Development Institute and Girls’ Town (PDI) were responsible for implementing
the Livelihood Skills component of the project. Forty project participants were exposedto a 1-day
orientation in July and basic Entrepreneurship (July 29 and August 2) and Computer Data entry (August
8-9). Following these basic courses, participants could select two from four courses offered at basic level
– Housekeeping (7 sessions -August 22, 23, 29, 30, September 5, 6, 12); Early Childhood Development (7
sessions - August 26, 29, September 6, 9, 12,13 and 17); Cosmetology (7 sessions – August 22, 23, 29, 30,
September 5, 6, 12) and Food Preparation (4 sessions – August 26, 29, September 5, 9). With the
exception of Food Preparation where each session lasted for a full day, the sessions ran for 4 – 5 hours.
Each of these courses had a practical and a theory component. Students were provided with the tools
and raw material required to complete each course. For the nail course (Cosmetology), for
example,students were given a package to use during the course that includedthe following: Acrylic
liquid, Acrylic powder, Emery board, Buffer, Acetone, Acrylic Primer, Top Coat, 40 nail tips, Acrylic brush,
Nail glue, Cotton, and Nail polish. Tutors indicated that: “The liquids and powders were refilled for all
students at the end of the course so they could continue practice or even make some additional income
by offering their services any willing client”
Students’ grasp of the subject and competence in each of the Livelihood Skills areas were tested through
case studies, written test and practical test.
d. Refresher Training
Although teachers of the different skill areas had reported that participants had shown great
improvements in their knowledge, behaviors’, attitudes and overall growth and development, PEY &
Associates felt that it would be useful to invite participants to a final 3 days of “wrap up sessions” to pull
together some of the topics covered over the duration of the training.
In addition to serving as a review and reinforcement opportunity, the refresher sessions also placed
focus on preparing participants for the world of work. The programme, therefore, included topics like:
Grooming & Etiquette, Parenting & Me, Resume and Cover Letter Writing and Job Interview Techniques.
Power Point presentations with discussion and practical ‘hands on’ activities, including homework
assignments, were used to deliver the content.
The 3-Day Refresher Workshop was completed at the Professional Development Institute and Girls
Town. A total of 38 persons attended the refresher sessions. Based on participants’ comments and
facilitators’ assessment, the sessions were successful in meeting the stated objectives set. A detailed
report of the refresher training is attached as Attachment 4.
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Altogether, participants who attended all the training sessions, including the Refresher Training would
have been exposed to more than the 50 2-hourinputs required under the contract.
III. Psychosocial Support
The Social Worker hired in August was tasked with providing psychosocial support as necessary to the
teen parents. She divided her work into three areas – i) group discussion and interaction sessions; ii)
individual support and counselling and iii) home assessments. The group sessions provided opportunity
for the Social worker to assess participants and identify needs for individual counselling and follow-up at
home.
Home assessments: The objective of home assessments was to assess parenting behaviours and child
rearing practices of teen parents in the home.The Home Assessments were carried out betweenOctober
9 and 17, 2013. A total of nine (9) teen mothers from Zones A, B and C were assessed. The ages of their
children ranged from six (6) months to four (4) years. The girls were selected based on psychosocial
needs and availability of the selected teen parent. The Social Worker stayed in each home for
approximately ten minutes. Overall, the assessments were
incident free and the girls felt comfortable inviting the Social
Worker into their homes.
“We learn how to care for the
The following factors were considered in the assessment:
Child(ren) – Parental interaction with child, Happiness
level, Supervision, Child clean, Clothes, Child’s sleeping
area
Toys – Clean (if provided), Suitable for age
Cleanliness – Bedrooms, Child’s Play Area, Kitchen,
How food is prepared and stored
Safety around the Home – Entrance/Doors, Broken
babies, like bathing properly,
comb his/her hair breast feed
and the rest. Also learn about
cosmetology how to do nail &
hair, how to polish buff,
scrub, wash & massage hair
scalp. I also learn how to use
the computer like doing
Microsoft excel how to do
addition on the computer,
how to sort names from A to
Z & Z to A.” [Female
participants]
windows, Repairs around the house, Stove,
Accessibility of child to kitchen, Shelter
Environment – Pets present, Pets mess,
Entrance/Gates, Status of neighbourhood
Visitors – if any, who they are, if appropriate to be around children, relations with neighbours.
IV. Community Education
One of the highlights of the project was the 1-day community education event held on September 25
that targeted all residents of the community. As indicated by the flyer below, parents, grandparents and
parents-to-be were invited to attend and participate in the event. The objective was to provide an
7
opportunity for community residents, especially the teen parents and participants in the project to gain
access to information and to register for key social services.
Twenty agencies and organisations were invited to participate in fair. Only seven attended. The agencies
participating in the Parents’ Day were: and HEART Trust, NTA, National Health Fund, Office of the
Children’s Registry, National Insurance Scheme, PATH, Professional Development Institute and Girls’
Town and the Ministry of Health. The Ministry of Health HIV Prevention bus offered HIV counselling and
testing.
Flyer prepared for Parents’ Day
V. FAMILY FUN DAY
On the last weekend of the project (the weekend before Graduation), the project organised a day of fun
and physical activity for participants and their children. The event took place on the lawns at Hope
Gardens. The group was transported to and from the venue and provided with games equipment and
8
refreshments. Parents and children played ball games including football and catch; and sprint races.
From all reports, participants had a wonderful time participating in games. Parents used the opportunity
to prepare items to be presented at graduation on the following Wednesday, October 30.
Project participants and their children enjoy Fun Day at Hope Gardens
Photo: Courtesy PEY & Associates
VI. GRADUATION
Graduation was the final activity for this project. The ceremony was held at the National Baptist Full
Gospel Church (NBFGC) on Rodney Road in Whitfield Town. The programme started with the
graduateswalking in to the song “Lean on Me”. Pastor Joy Johnson, pastor of the NBFGC, offered the
opening prayer. The Director of PEY & Associates presented an overview of the project and its highlights.
Greetings were brought from the Counsellor for the area by Ms. Judith Harrison, Vice President Zone D
and from the JSIF by Mrs. Rhonda Lumsden-Lue, General Manager for Communications, HR and
Administration. The Guest Speaker, Mrs. Beryl Weir, OD, charged the graduates to see graduation as the
beginning of a process rather than the end, and to remain focused on their goals even in the face of
9
discouragement which may come from family, friends and others in their community. Mrs. Weir was
introduced by Ms. Nicolette Anderson, a participant in the project.
Mrs. Lumsden-Lue handed out the certificates. Two types of certificates were awarded. A Certificate of
Participation was awarded to those who had attended only the Parenting Training component. A
Certificate of Completion was awarded to those who had completed all the components – Parenting,
Life Skills and Livelihood Skills.
Graduates entertained the audience with a poem and a drama presentation depicting the interview
experiences of two young women living in different communities applying for the same job. Graduate,
Ms. Kimberly Williams, offered the Vote of Thanks. Mr. Wilbert Rowe was Master of Ceremonies and
Mr. Robert Nelson, a resident of the community, provided the background music.
Other guests at the graduation included the following:
 Project partners - Coordinator, Coalition for Better Parenting and four tutors from Professional
Development Institute and Girls Town
 Community Leaders – Zone President from Zone A – Mr. Michael Whittingham and Vice
President from Zone D – Ms. Judith Harrison.
 Mr. John Meeks, JSIF Programme Officer
 2 members of the JSIF Communication team
 Family and friends of the graduates.
 Project Staff: the Field Manager and Social Worker.
Refreshments were served after the ceremony.
VII ADMINISTRATION
PEY & Associates was required, under the contract, to complete a set of administrative activities/ tasks
in order to draw down on the funds available. Therequirements detailed in the contract were:
 To prepare and submit a/an:
o Project Work plan that included the Implementation plan, Training plans detailing goals and
objectives and assessment tools, and related time lines
o Interim Project Report – mid-way through the project; and
o Final Report at the end of the project.
Although there was a fixed schedule for the submission of Financial Reports, that schedule was not
always honoured. On occasion, Invoices, and related reports, were submitted as requested by JSIF.
The following table (Table 1) provides a summary of all project activities (technical and administrative/
management) completed over the period March to October 2013.
10
Table 1: Summary of Project Activities – March – October 2013
Date
Technical
March
March –
April
May
May - June
July
Activities Conducted
Administrative/ Management
Planning sessions with partners and
community leaders to develop Deliverable
#1
Meet with community mobilisers - youth
identified by Zone Presidents in each of the
three Zones to assist with mobilization of
teen parents.
Organised and conducted community
sensitization/ awareness building meeting
in lieu of JSIF Project Implementation
Meeting.
Delivered 30 hour parenting skills training
to over 60 teen parents.
Delivered Life skills training to 40 female
participants.
First orientation session for 40 students
(including 1 male) registered for Livelihood
skills training.
Two courses - Entrepreneurial skills and
July –
September Basic computer use – completed. Thirty of
38 teens sat the final examination in
Entrepreneurial skills. Grades ranged from
68% to 9%. Grades for the computer use
course are not available.
Project approved and Contract signed
Submitted Deliverable #1 – Work Plan with
agreed revised timelines
First meeting with community leaders (2
Zone Presidents, 1 Zone Vice President,
JSIF Field Officer, 2 members of PEY &
Associates team) to outline project
objectives, activities as well as roles and
responsibilities.
Submitted addendum to Work plan that
provided additional details on the
proposed Training (Training Schedules,
objectives and proposed content as well as
assessment methods and tools) as
requested by JSIF.
Hold of 3 weeks placed on implementation
activities resulted in delay in implementing
the Life skills training component of the
project
Meeting with community leaders to
provide update on project (one Zone
president in attendance).
Social Worker hired to deliver the Psychosocial support component.
Interim Report prepared and submitted
Summary report of project activities to
date prepared and submitted
25 teens completed the Early Childhood
Development course. Six (6) teens
completed the Cosmetology course. The
11
Date
October
Activities Conducted
Technical
Administrative/ Management
class average on the final examination was
76%. Eight (8) teens completed the
Housekeeping course. The class average on
the final exam was 79%. Grades for this
course ranged from 91% to 51%.
Parents’ day – September 25 – a day for
Planning meeting with community leaders
education about social services. Seven
to finalise plans for Parents’ Day –
agencies set up booths at Whitfield Town
September 25.
Post Office.
Partners from HEART NTA, NIS, National
Health Fund, Ministry of Health (HIV
Prevention Service), OCA, and PDI
supported the effort.
3-Day Refresher training offered. 18
participants attended the sessions.
Family Fun Day – a day of fun for project
participants and their children
Review of the Project with Community
Leaders
Graduation
Submitted final Reports to JSIF
“We learn how to care for the babies, like
bathing properly, comb his/her hair breast
feed and the rest.Also learn about
cosmetology how to do nail & hair, how to
polish buff, scrub, wash & massage hair scalp.
I also learn how to use the computer like
doing Microsoft excel how to do addition on
the computer, how to sort names from A to Z
& Z to A”. (Anonymous Participant)
12
PROJECT ACHIEVEMENTS
The Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) component of the project was initially intended to measure the
progress of the project and its achievements on the following Output and Outcome indicators.
Outputs:
# of training inputs.
 Training conducted: Training plans,
curricula and reports (mid project and
end of project technical and financial)
 Fifty 2-hour training inputs. spread as
follows:
30 hours – Parenting skills
30 hours – Life skills
30 hours – Livelihood skills
 10 hours - Family support
 Parents’ Day
 Graduation exercise: – award
certificates to teenage parents who
complete the programme
Outcomes:
Success of the intervention was measured
based on the following short term outcome
indicators as presented in the Work Plan:
# adopting modern pregnancy prevention
method;
# practising child stimulation;
% completing livelihood skills training
programmes;
% completing parenting training
% completing life skills training
% certificates awarded.
The achievements of the project are mixed. The evidence presented here in support of this statement is
drawn from objective quantitative assessments (pre and post tests and written and practical
examinations) as well as qualitative observations of participants in class and in their home environments
as reported by the Training Facilitators and Social Worker respectively. The qualitative evidence
provided comes from observations and comments from Facilitators and Project Participants.
In terms of the number of teen parents reached by project activities, the project fell short of the target.
Although more than the required 60 persons were on register for the Parenting course – 73 females and
13 males, because of very erratic attendance only 46 persons attended what facilitators judged to be
the minimum number of sessions (at least 5 sessions) to be assessed as having completed the course. A
similar pattern was reported for the Life Skills component of the project where as many as 41 persons
were on register for the sessions, however, only 23 attended 60 percent of the (seven or more) sessions.
At the end of the 3-day refresher programme, 31 participants were on register. Summary Statistics
shown in Table 2 and Table 3 indicate a similar pattern of attendance for group project participants as
well as teen parents in the Psycho-social support sessions.
Professional Development Institute (PDI), from the outset, had advised that they could accommodate
only 40 teen parents for the Livelihood Skill training components. Teens who had completed the Life
Skills education programme and a few others who expressed an interest were referred to PDI to register
for the Livelihood Skills education courses.
13
Investigation of the matter indicates at least four reasons for the change in attendance statistics. First,
was the change in training venue which became necessary because PDI was unable to accommodate the
project after June 6, 2013. The new venue selected, after discussion with community leaders, was the
Whitfield Town Primary and All Age School which for security reasons was not ideal, especially for the
male participants. The second reason for the decline in numbers was the implementation of a road
works project in the community that hired young men. Thirdly, some teen parents relocated out of the
community and were not able to attend the sessions and fourth, low levels of literacy contributed to a
small number of participants discontinuing the programme – this was the case for the Livelihood skills
component where written tests were administered.
Where the project may have faltered in reaching the required numbers (60 persons), it compensated in
achievement of project performance. The project achieved 100% of the Output indicators.
Training was conducted as planned in all areas. In addition to the stated outputs (90 hours)
being achieved, a 3-day workshop (12 hours) to pull everything together for participants was
conducted and judged, based on objectives, to be successful.
A Graduation exercise was planned and executed. Attendance was lower than expected. The
low attendance is probably attributable to violence in the area two days before the event. In
addition, there were challenges in locating participants who had only attended the Parenting
skills component of the training.
Parents’ Day which took the form of a health and information fair was a success – based on
comments of persons who attended. Although only seven of the 16 agencies invited turned up
on the day, the community response was overwhelming. Agencies present on the day were:
Ministry of Health (National Family Planning Board, National HIV Prevention Programme; the
PATH, HEART Trust NTA, Professional and Development Institute (PDI), National Health Fund,
Office of the Children’s Registry; and Tax Administration.
For the two components that relied on quantitative evaluation methods – Parenting and Livelihood Skills
– the achievements of outcomes were very encouraging. In Parenting, for example, the evidence is that
learning took place. A16-question pre-test administered on Day 1 of the training and again on the final
day of the training showed a 30 percentage point increase in persons reporting correct answers. – from
70% at pre-test to 100% correct answers at post-test. Attachment 1 provides details on participants’
attendance and final grades.
In the Livelihood Skill areas where objective assessment was based on case studies, written tests and
practical examinations, class averages ranged from 61% for Early Childhood Development to 76% for
Cosmetology, 79% for Housekeeping, and 81% for Food Preparation (see Attachment 3).
“Most of the learners, despite their evident internal/personal issues, were respectful to
authority. Most of them demonstrated an interest in the programme and were active
participants. Some voluntarily participated but the others when called upon would make
an attempt” (Livelihood Skills Facilitator)
14
One recommendation from PDI is that the nine (9) participants who “demonstrated a retention,
reasoning and expression level that are above average” should be integrated in a programme as soon as
possible to continue their educational training/advancement. These were judged to have performed
above average. Another eight (8) were assessed to have demonstrated average performance and should
also be integrated but need help with expression of ideas and concepts and/or assistance with English
Language. Only four (4) participants performed below average throughout the period.
Where qualitative assessments were conducted as in the Parenting, Life Skills and 3-Day Refresher
Training programme, marked improvement in attitudes and behaviours were reported. The lead
facilitator for the Parenting component observed that
“The greatest success was to see participants become a group and work together. This
was noticeable in both groups on the three last days of the workshop. They seemed
transformed as the worked together. Instead of shouting at each other they were
listening sharing and laughing together. They shared notes and continuously repeated
information they had gained throughout the training. As they related to the different
topics they had learned there seemed to be a new level of positive self -value and self –
awareness. … Trainers truly felt that the challenge was broken and an impact towards
positive change was made. Although the time was short overall this was a wonderful
experience”. (Parenting Facilitator)
Participants’ comments on Parents’ Day indicate that the event was successful. The comment below
captures the sentiments of several participants:
“The next thing I like about the programme is that they had a parent day for us and we
went there and we take AIDS test, get two lunches free with juice. We got a chance to go
on PATH, sign up for TRN & NIS and it was also interesting. It help me to get along with
people and meet new friends, sometimes we give ourselves a lot of trouble and we
behave bad, but most of us all learn in the end how to behave” (SW, Female
Participant).
Psycho-social support was offered to all the participants in the Livelihood skills component of the
project. This number varied from 24 to 31. A total of 10 participants, 9 of whom were teen parents,
were referred for care to PATH and one to Victim Support Unit (VSU).
A sample of nine homes was visited by the Social Worker. Children in seven (7) of the (9) nine homes
visited by the Social Worker were judged to be “happy, comfortable and seemed satisfied around their
respective mothers”. In the other two(2) homes, the children appeared indifferent to their mothers. All
of the children were being properly monitored, were clean and in clean clothing, had suitable sleeping
and playing areas and where they had toys, those were suitable for age. Three parents were observed
correcting/disciplining their child. The first spoke harshly to her one year old who was playing with his
breakfast instead of eating it. She claimed he is very rude and hard to manage at times. Her friends and
15
family members who were in the home at the time of the assessment, stated that this mother beats her
child on a regular when he does something she does not like. The mother was reminded by the Social
Worker that the child is at a developmental stage where he wants to see, feel, touch and taste
everything. This should not be interpreted as the child being mischievous.
The second parent shouted at her child to stop jumping in her
bed and go to sleep. The child was one year and three months
old and instantly started crying when her mother shouted at
her. This teen parent had a major personal disappointment the
day before and was on edge. The Social Worker had to remind
the mother that she has to be careful not to take out her
frustrations on her daughter.
The third parent spoke firmly when correcting her son, who is
four years old, about a negative behavior he had displayed. She
was firm but gentle and explained to him why his action was
negative. This teen mother was commended for her positive
reaction to her child’s incorrect behavior.
All of the teen parents visited were observed displaying
positive behaviours to their child such as attending to the child
when he/she was crying, bathing and washing the child’s hair,
playing, kissing and hugging the child.
All of the homes visited were clean and appeared safe for the
children to live in. The sleeping areas, bathrooms and kitchens
were clean. However, three of the homes had pets, and in two
of these homes excrement was observed in the yard. This was
pointed out by the Social Worker who stated that the
excrement should be covered with dirt and removed. The
Social Worker also observed the presence of rodents in one of
the homes. This was brought to the attention of the teen
mother who said that her family was aware of the situation and
was implementing measures to get rid of them.
The visitors present at the home during the home assessments
were mostly family members and female. A few of them
interacted with the children at the homes. No negative or
suspicious behaviours by the visitors were observed.
“This programme was very
helpful and educational it
makes me a better person,
learn a lot of new things and
meet a lot of new people and
the teachers was very nice
they did a very good job. I’m
not yet a father but this
programme though me how
when the time comes how to
be the perfect father for my
child, it also though me how
to carry myself when going on
a job interview, how to write a
resume and cover letter.
Ms. Allison in indeed a great
person she did counselling
with us and other learning
activities, I also learn how to
cook, data entry etc.
This programme was really
helpful and I would like to
thank everyone who worked
on building us and making us
a better people. Thank you
PEY for the opportunity,
Professional Development
Institute and JSIF” (MM, Male
participant).
Three teen parents were referred to PATH based on the home assessments. As shown on Table 2 and
Table 3, 10 project participants were referred for care – 9 of them were teen parents (see Table 3). The
16
majority were referred to the Programme of Advancement through Health and Education (PATH) and
one to Victim Support Unit (VSU).
Table 2:
Summary Statistics from Psychosocial Support to Project Participants in Four Zones: August to October
2013.
Zone
A
B
C
D
Month
(August – October)
# homes visited
A
S
O
A
S
O
A
S
O
A
S
O
-
-
4
-
-
5
-
-
1
-
-
-
# participants
continuing in
programme
# participants
receiving
psychosocial support
# participants
referred for care
Did not complete
secondary studies
(Dropped out of High
School)
Low Self Esteem
8
10
9
10
10
10
3
2
2
3
3
1
8
11
9
10
12
10
3
3
2
3
4
1
3
2
-
1
1
-
-
-
-
-
3
-
6
9
6
7
9
8
3
3
2
3
3
1
Recreational Use of
Marijuana
4
1
1
-
1
-
2
1
4
5
4
4
4
1
17
Table 3:
Summary Statistics from Psychosocial Support to Teen Parents in Four Zones – August to October 2013.
Zone
A
B
C
D
Month
(August-October)
# homes visited
A
S
O
A
S
O
A
S
O
A
S
O
-
-
4
-
-
4
-
-
1
-
-
-
# teen parents
observed/contacted
# teen parents
continuing in
programme
# teen parents
receiving
psychosocial support
# teen parents
referred for care
No financial and
emotional support
from child’s father
Did not complete
secondary studies
(Dropped out of High
School)
Low Self Esteem
6
5
8
7
3
2
3
2
5
6
7
7
2
1
2
1
5
5
6
7
7
7
2
2
1
2
2
1
3
2
-
1
1
-
-
-
-
-
2
-
3
5
1
-
1
-
-
1
4
9
-
7
9
-
3
2
-
2
4
-
2
-
-
-
-
-
1
-
-
-
-
-
Recreational Use of
Marijuana
4
-
-
4
-
-
1
-
-
-
-
-
Recreational use of
marijuana
2
4
-
2
4
-
1
1
-
-
1
-
18
“Coming to this programme has
changed my life a lot, because the
parenting section has taught me
how to love and care for my child
the right way… teach them
respect. The life skills section has
taught me how to speak with
people and how to watch my body
language, and to deal with it.
Coming to Professional
Development Institute and girls
town complete 30 hours training in
cosmetology has help me a lot, it
teach me how to do a manicure,
pedicure on people and to acrylic
the nails, how to glue, sew and
braid hair (plat & rope). The
teachers were good to us and the
little package that we got was
wonderful, and the lunch,
sometimes it’s good and
sometimes it’s bad. And I would
like to say special thanks to PEY &
Associates with JSIF staff
members” (TB, Female Participant)
19
CHALLENGES
The difficulties faced in implementing the project can be classified into two categories: i) Management
and ii) Social. Included under the problems classifies as “Management” problems are Recruitment and
Retention of participants, Scheduling and Cash Flow. Included under the heading, “Social”challenges are:
Negative Attitudes and Deportment of Participants, and Personal Safety.
Management Challenges
a. Recruitment and Retention or “The hurrier I go the behinder I get.”8
A major challenge was not being able to control the numbers. At the beginning of the training trainers
did not have a participant list but instead registered all those who came. As a result, the group included
teens who were not resident in Zone B. In addition, it appears that the mobilizers knew, daily, that some
people would not be attending so they brought others to fill up the groups. It took a while for project
staff to catch on to the strategy. What this also meant was that each time new persons joined the group
the standards had to be repeated and time given for them to adjust. This situation contributed to group
disruptiveness – especially with the Parenting skills training component because of the large numbers.
The facilitator for the Parenting skills component notes that
“in retrospect we should have insisted on getting a list of possible participants (teen parents and
at risk teen from the appropriate Zones) before starting. Here we might have been better able
to control the numbers. The problem was that just about 50% of the participants attended the
training consistently.This meant that except for one day when we had 62 persons in attendance,
there was always space to take one more. ” (Extracted from Interim Report)
Data from the 2008 Reproductive Health Survey indicate that only 1.6% of males 15-19 years reported
fathering a child9. In anticipation of these low numbers, the original set of recruitment criteria was
modified. Notwithstanding, the recruitment of males was disappointing. It appeared that the recruiters
did not understand the criteria that were agreed on and so recruited every unattached male in the
community. When the matter was investigated we learnt, also, that the information circulating in the
community was that participants were “promised money” to be part of the training. This promise
swelled the numbers but most of the recruits were not eligible to participate.
Many of the males who floated through the training came with an agenda –‘dress to impress and look
girls’. The majority of them could not read or write well. They were therefore embarrassed when asked
to participate one on one. The girls would laugh whenever they made a mistake. This ridiculing by
participants was not limited to the males but was directed at anyone the group felt was “a fool”. This
group behaviour changed with time, but the male participants did not remain long enough to experience
the new norm where participants were allowed to make a mistake without being laughed at or called ‘a
fool’.
b. Cash Flow
Getting the first tranche of funds on schedule proved problematic. This first drawdown should have
been made when Deliverable #1 (5.1) was submitted by PEY & Associates. With no funds available, the
decision was made to suspend project activities and to ask contractors to delay submitting their
8
Lewis Carroll in Alice in Wonderland.
2008 Reproductive Health Survey: Retrieved November 21, 2013.
http://www.jnfpb.org/Reproductive%20Health%20Survey%20(RHS)%202008.pdf.
9
20
invoices. The resulting 3-week delay in project implementation contributed to a loss in momentum and
contributed to lower than expected attendance in the Life skills programme component.
Social challenges
a. Negative Attitudes and Poor Deportment of Participants
Another challenge was getting participants to adjust to the unfamiliar learning environment. These
adolescents had been so used to doing what they feel at any given time that they found adapting to the
structure of the learning environment challenging. As such they had to be continuously reminded
about group rules they themselves had participated in setting for Parenting and Life Skills components.
The high levels of aggression and the extended period that it took them to enter the norming stage of
group development was also a challenge.
b. Safety concerns
Issues of personal safety affected the project in two ways. First, it contributed to delaying the
completion of field visits by members of the project team; and second, it affected participants’
attendance at sessions.
In the former instance, one teen mother could not be visited by the Social Worker because of a violent
dispute involving her family.
There are numerous examples of the second issue – the effect of safety concerns on attendance at
sessions.On any given day, a number of participants would be unable to attend the session because of
violence the previous evening, spilling over into the morning, or because the threat of a conflict was in
the air. Also, there were days when students from a particular community had to walk the long way to
and from home to avoid crossing a particular area. This situation was ongoing throughout the project,
and would affect different community groups at different times.
There were also situations in which, due to old conflicts, participants were suspicious of each other. This
contributed to distrust and disharmony and affected the delivery of the content as time had to be spent
putting out ‘little fires”.
What became evident as the training progressed was that the vast majority of the group was carrying
major ‘burdens’. The burdens were such a part of their young lives that they learned to pretend that “a
no nutten”. Here is an example:
The bright but quiet girl who one day said to the facilitator: Miss. you have the same name as
my mother! To which Miss. responded, Ok, how is your mother doing? The reply, my mother
died 9 years now, I am happy to meet you Miss. I have been waiting 9 years to see you. And
then to learn that her father and grandparents are all dead and she is living with the father of
her baby.
Rape was a subject that “popped” out. In a session where the discussion was about violence, when
asked what violence they experience, one female participant said ‘rape’ miss, then another said yes miss
rape and another and another. The question was then asked “Are you afraid foryour safety when it
comes to being raped? There was a resounding “yes miss”
21
The female participants went on to say they were afraid to walk in their respective communities, day or
night as any man, young or old,could grab them and take them to a corner or house and rape them. So,
the young women now walk in groups and stay home at nights.
This information was shared with the community leaders who were surprised to learn of this. One
leader said he had noticed that when there were evening events few young women would be present,
but was not aware that their poor attendance was due to fear of sexual assault. The leaders said they
would discuss the matter at their community meetings.
As one participant said
“Miss, the whole a we have big baggage and we a hide it. We need help but we fraid to
talk to some of the same people in the community”.
This young woman’s story is that she lives with her stepfather and sibling. When asked of her
mother she replied that her mother lives outside the community with another man, but
periodically visits for a few dayswhen she wants money from the stepfather.
Two female participants were unable to finish the livelihood skills sessions as their homes were
torched in the night and they had to move out of the community to save their lives and that of
their children.
These are a few of the realities that were shared with us. And it should be noted that these disclosures
were made near the end of the programme, when trust was built up and participants were confident
that they would not be judged. They now felt “safe” within the group.
LESSONS LEARNED
This project highlighted a number of issues – some of which are not new but which were project served
to underscore.

PEY & Associates should have had more involvement in the recruitment process, as mentioned
before, we should have had a list of potential applicants – individuals who qualified based on
the agreed criteria.
The first two days should have been used for registration of participants that meet the stated
requirements. The first week of the programme at least 3 women would turn up with a bunch of young
people and say they brought them to be part of the training, when told that we were unable to take
anyone else, they would say but X community leader told me to take them, or but they are at home
dong nothing. And this went on, and on as it would seem that although this was said to this woman
today, tomorrow she would come back with some of the same young people and new ones. There
needed to have been much closer collaboration with the community leaders and the moblisers.
The next two lessons are closely linked:
 Identify ways to retain males
22
Recruiting and retaining males in behaviour change programmes such as this one, was challenging, The
males who attended the Parenting Skill sessions needed much more information and persuasion to get
their interest, and they need to feel secure enough in themselves so if challenged by their counterparts
they can “defend” their decision.
They demanded a lot of attention from facilitators and fellow students. Having female facilitators and
majority female peers might not have helped them to feel part of the group. In retrospect, havinga male
facilitator in the team that delivered the Parenting Skills content may have helped in retaining the male
participants. In that way, the group could have been divided by sex and the delivery methods used
adapted to the group.
 One size does not fit all
It was clear, even before the project started, that it would be difficult to find male teenagers who would
admit to being fathers. As a result, the recruitment criteria were adjusted to allow the inclusion of males
who were in the age group (younger than 20 years) and who were likely to become fathers in the near
future. This notwithstanding, only one male graduated from the project with a Certificate of Completion.
This experience reinforced our knowledge that a programme that targets both male and female
adolescents with the same intervention approaches is not likely to be as successful as one which
includes intervention approaches that are more gender sensitive and specific in methodology and
content.
PEY & Associates was mindful of these possible challenges and had included in the original plan time to
engage the young people (males and females) in the community to identify the needs, issues, and
concerns and in that way tailor a programme that would be acceptable to males as well as females.
These plans had to be shelved because of the reduction in the length of the project. The pressure to
implement activities detailed in the contract drove us to neglect what we know to be the necessary and
essential front end work with the community.

‘Every mickle mek a muckle’10 or ‘every little adds up’:
The same set of values ran through the entire programme. This constant repetition of values throughout
the training components, the psychosocial support and interactions with the Field Manager and served
to positively influence individual and ultimately group behaviours. At the end of the project, one training
facilitator observed that “The group that started the programme is not the same group that graduated,
they are so different now”. Although difficult, it is not impossible to change attitudes and behaviours in
the short term. Sustaining that change is the challenge, especiallyin a situation where the wider
community has not been influenced to change. In light of reports about sexual violence, we have
10
Jamaican Proverb – probably linked to our Scottish heritage. To the Scots, ‘mickel’ is a small amount of
something; ‘muckle’ is a large amount of something. Probably a derivation of the original Scottish saying: “Many a
little makes a mickle’. Retrieved November 20, 2013: http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/26765/what-isthe-meaning-of-many-a-mickle-makes-a-muckle.
23
suggested to the community leaders that work needs to be done with menand women (separately and
together) to change community norms around male female relationships.
PARTICIPANTS HAVE THE LAST SAY
On the last day of the 3-day Refresher programme participants were asked to comment on the project –
anonymously if they preferred. Several of the comments are scattered throughout this report. Several
others are included below.
“This programme is very well organized and I like it very much. It makes me a better person; I
learn a lot of new things and meet a lot of new people and teachers alike.
Miss Elaine – she ensure that everything is organized well.
Miss Ottey – she is the house keeping teacher, and she is always at class, ever be on time for
class.
Miss Williams – she is my favorite, she also teaches
housekeeping but she gives the notes and
Miss Ottey teaches the practicals.
Miss Montigue (Montague) – always ensure that the
What I like when this programme
food be on time and given to every
stated was the facilitators, in
student.
respect of how they handle the
Miss
Tenn – she is a pretty counselor.
students even though it was
challenging at times they never
gave up on us.
They have made a lot changes in
the habits and behavior of the
students, sometimes we forget to
act or behave ourselves around (1)
one teacher who tolerate no
nonsense from us and her name is
Ms. Elaine, she is a hard core
teacher who I hold with great
respect.
Now don’t get me wrong, I like my
other facilitators as well Mr. Rowe,
Ms. Allison, Mr. Fabian, Mrs. Ottey,
Mrs. Williams, Ms. Peters, Mrs.
Ballistan and Ms. Dollyann. I
would also like to thank Ms.
Montigue for taking care of our
lunch and snacks (NA, Female
Participant)
I just thank God for all the teachers helping me out.
Sometimes the class in which I am is noisy that it seems
it is going to break out in war that the principal or
teachers from PDI would come to see what is going on in
the class. When we started our skilled area I heard
teachers talking that they are impressed with the
change we have made and telling us to keep it up. But
otherwise I enjoy myself very much, so I am grateful to
all the facilitators for my lunch and snacks. (CS, Female
Participant)
I also like some of the teachers and
don’t like some, this programme
makes me a better person thanks to
PEY for the opportunity also thanks to
Professional Development Institute
and also JSIF thanks so much. (SW,
Female Participant)
24
“I learn a lot because the programme has changed my life to be a better person, I learn a lot of things I
never know and we start it was a bit hard but we learn how to control ourselves. I meet a lot of people,
parent day was nice we help people take activities, I did not like our behavior but we behave a little
better I learn how to write a resume, application, how to love your kids and help them, to be strong. For
the rest of the day it was ok” (SB, Female Participant).
“I was at Girls Town for 30 hours and I learnt a lot, like how to achieve our goals, the
following steps that need to complete and achieve it, How to stand up for our rights, I
also learn a lot about cosmetology how to put on the hair and the nails and how to show
the children them love. I am thankful for it and very appreciate it, thank you JSIF & PEY &
Associates” (TM, Female Participant)
“Since coming to the programme from June to now October it has been a great
experience and achievement. I have learnt how to be a good parent, know the roles and
struggles to face with children / child. It has been a rocky road but I still hold on because
I know I have a purpose and am to learn something I have not known and what I want to
know. This programme help me to be brave, help me to believe in myself, sometimes I
feel bad when some of the students disrupt the class and Ms. Elaine start, it irritate me
because I don’t want Ms. Elaine think of us as spoilt brats and I know she want the best
for us. And also the other teachers but overall it’s a good programme and I wish more
programme like this or better come in the inner city to help youngsters”. (TW, Female
Participants)
“This program has tremendous well for me, I have learn to take care of a child and be best role
model for them also we have done cosmetology in which it teach us art and science, also
beautifying, improving skin, hair and nails. We have learnt to do cover letter and resume writing,
therefore how teachers Mrs. Elaine is a wonderful person without her and her colleagues we
would not reach this far in the programme (OJ, Female Participant).
“I did a 30 hours training on housekeeping, childcare, data entry etc. I enjoy the
programme very much I am very grateful to all of you, I think I can be a better person or
mother now thank you Ms. Allison and Ms. Elaine for this I’m also thankful for all that
you have given to us the lunch & breaks etc. Thank you PEY for this opportunity.(DC,
Female Participant)
“I like this programme for sometimes they are good, I did the thirty hours in food
preparation and early childhood care. Sometimes the food is not too good, I learn a lot
about taking care of a new born baby, how to take and operate a small business, an
experience in getting to meet new faces and interact with other people from the other
zones. Sometimes the class in which I am in is noisy that it seems it is going to break out
in war that the principle or other teachers from PDI would come to see what is going on.
But otherwise I enjoy myself very much, so I’m grateful to all the facilitators for my lunch
and snacks (SKW, Female Participant)
25
“During this programme I have learnt o lot of things, thanks goes out to JSIF and the PEY & Associates
staff members. While coming to this school I meet new friends, interact with people, participate in group
activities, and homework. The teachers have been wonderful, cheerful, understanding, reliable,
dependable punctual, hardworking. I enjoy coming here and would love to enhance my life see my future
plans. I think JSIF should continue this programme for the teenagers out there like me would come and
learn things, interact with the others members and so on. The treatment is excellent, the refreshment is
good at times, and the facilitators are comfortable the school treats us good like one on and so I love the
programme and if I get another chance I would have to come again. Thanks again JSIF and PEY &
Associates staff members”. [AT, Female Participant]
“During this programme I
want to tell JSIF thanks for
what they have done and all
the teachers. Thanks Ms.
Elaine for everything that she
has done for us, and they have
sent us to Professional
Development Institute to do
learning skills, and thanks to
Ms. Allison for showing us
how to write a resume and
how to care for our children
and how to teach your child,
and tell them that “I love you”
and to embrace your child”
(IM, Female Participant).
“From this course I have learn and take a lot of
information, skills and new friends from this programme.
Doing the basic in housekeeping have caught my attention
that I find myself applying for level 1 which starts in
December I also hope that the other student will take a
page out of my book and apply as well. Thank you JSIF for
these session here at Girls Town. I don’t want or have
anything negative to say” (NA, Female Participant).
26
Attachment 1
Attendance in PARENTING SKILLS TRAINING Sessions
WITHFIELD TOWN –ZONES A.C&D MAY 28-JUNE 12, 2013
COURSE PARTICIPANTS
NAMES
DATES
Gp1
Gp2
Total
Attendance
for each
participant
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
Aliman Carmen
Aliman Rudaine
Anderson Nicolett
Bailey Tishann
Baker Tywannie
Barrett Annakay
Bennett Ezra
Bennett Javan
Bennett Ricardo
Blake Kedesha
Bowers Olivia
Brooks Paulica
Brown Shawna-kay
Brown Toni- Gay
Brown Crystal
Brown Megan
Brown Nicole
Bryan Stephanie
Buckely Roshell
Carby Donesha
Clark Shaneika
Clark Steven
Clarke Julian
Clarke Nerroe
Clarke Paula
Craig Dianna
Cunningham Tiffany
Curtis Safayia
Dawkins Isha
Douglas Tamieka
Drake Paula
Ellis Temera
S
e
x
May
28
May
29
May
30
June
4
June
5
June
6
June
11
June
12
F
M
P
P
a
p
a
p
a
a
A
P
a
p
a
a
-
1
5
F
F
F
F
M
M
M
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
M
M
M
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
P
P
A
A
A
A
A
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
A
P
P
A
P
P
P
P
A
A
P
p
p
a
a
a
a
a
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
a
a
a
p
p
p
p
p
p
a
p
p
p
a
a
p
p
a
p
a
a
p
p
a
p
p
p
p
p
p
a
a
a
a
p
p
p
p
a
a
p
p
a
p
a
a
p
p
p
p
a
p
p
a
p
p
p
p
a
p
a
a
a
a
p
a
p
p
a
p
p
A
A
P
A
A
P
A
P
A
A
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
A
A
A
P
P
P
P
A
P
P
p
a
p
a
a
p
p
p
p
a
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
a
a
a
a
p
p
p
p
a
a
p
p
a
p
p
p
p
p
a
p
p
p
a
p
a
p
p
p
a
p
p
p
p
p
p
a
p
a
a
a
a
p
-
6
3
4
1
1
5
3
7
5
4
7
7
4
7
7
7
6
6
7
1
1
1
1
7
5
7
7
1
3
7
27
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
Ernandez Kemisha
Finlay Shavel
Foster Teisha
Getten Moyah
Gifford Abena
Gordon Shanique
Gordon Shamona
Graham Lamoi
Graham Sobrina
Grant Marlena
Green Hughette
Hall Shenina
Hanson Pauliann
Harris Mikiera
Henry Althea
Henry Altesha
Hibbert Siboney
Johnson Francien
Johnson Sanesh
F P
F A
F A
F
P
F
A
F
P
F
A
F
A
F
P
F
A
FF
A
F
A
F
A
F
P
F
A
F
A
F
P
F
A
F
P
A
A
a
p
a
p
p
a
p
a
a
a
p
a
p
p
p
a
a
p
a
p
p
a
P
A
A
P
A
P
A
P
P
P
P
P
P
A
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
p
a
a
p
a
p
p
p
p
p
p
a
A
P
P
P
P
A
P
P
A
P
P
A
P
P
P
P
P
P
A
p
a
p
a
a
p
p
p
a
a
p
a
p
p
p
p
p
p
a
p
a
P
P
A
A
A
P
-
p
a
p
a
p
a
p
a
p
p
a
5
2
5
5
3
5
5
4
4
1
4
1
5
5
6
5
7
5
1
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
66.
67.
68.
69.
70.
71.
72.
73.
74.
75.
76.
77.
Johnson Karean
Layton Abbie
Leslie Shayanne
Lewis Kerry – Ann
Madden Shana-Kay
Mair Roydell
Mcbean Tina
McCalla Annisa
Mckess India
Moyston Matthew
Myers Lemar
Nation -Shari -ann
Parnell Wilfred
Powell Kimesha
Scott Christina
Scott Kariesha
Sheary Romario
Smart Moesha
Smith Cadesha
Steele Christal
Steele Kimona
Taffe Shamoie (Andrea)
Taylor Kayon
Taylor Natalie
Thomas Fiona
Waite Lashane
F
F
F
F
F
M
F
F
F
M
M
F
M
F
F
F
M
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
M
p
a
a
p
a
p
p
a
p
p
a
p
a
a
a
p
p
a
p
p
p
a
a
p
p
a
A
A
A
A
A
P
P
A
P
A
P
P
P
A
A
P
P
A
P
A
P
A
P
P
A
A
p
p
a
a
p
a
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
a
p
p
a
a
a
p
p
p
a
p
a
p
P
A
P
P
P
A
P
P
P
P
A
P
P
P
A
P
A
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
A
A
p
a
a
p
p
a
p
a
p
p
p
p
p
a
a
p
a
a
a
p
p
p
p
p
a
p
P
A
P
P
P
P
A
A
P
P
P
a
a
p
p
p
p
p
a
a
a
a
p
p
p
a
-
6
1
1
5
3
4
6
3
6
5
4
6
5
1
1
5
2
1
4
6
7
4
5
7
2
3
P
A
A
P
A
P
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
P
P
P
A
P
P
P
A
28
78.
Wellington Marsha
79.
White Sashoy
80.
Whyte Tabetta
81.
Williams Monique
82.
Williams Natesha
83.
Williams Shannakay
84.
Williams Shantel
85.
Williams Kimberely
86.
Wright Shanice J.
Total daily attendance
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
P
A
A
A
A
A
P
A
A
41
p
p
p
p
a
a
p
a
a
49
A
P
P
P
P
a
p
a
a
48
p
p
p
p
p
a
p
P
P
58
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
p
62
p
p
p
p
a
p
p
p
a
57
P
P
p
27
p
p
p
p
p
a
28
6
6
6
6
4
3
7
4
2
29
Attachment 2
Attendance for Participants in Life Skills Training Sessions
NAMES
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
S
X
Anderson Nicolett
Fp
Baker Tywannie
f p
Barrett Anna Kay
f a
Blake Kedesha
f p
Bowers Olivia
f p
Brown Shawna-Kay
f a
Brown Toni-Gay
f p
Brown Crystal
f p
Brown Megan
f a
Brown Nicole
f a
Bryan Stephanie
f p
Carby Donesha
f a
Curtis Safayia
f a
Dawkins Isha
f a
Drake Paula
f p
Ernandez Kemisha
f a
Foster Teisha
f a
Gifford Abena
f a
Graham Lamoi
f p
Harris Mikiera
f p
Harris Tashene
f a
Harvey Kerry
f a
Johnson Francien
f p
Johnson Kerean
f p
Johnson Oteisha
f a
Lewis Kerry-Ann
f a
Mcbean Tina
f a
Mckess India
mp
Moyston Matthew
f a
Nettleford Kechelle f a
Steel Christal
f a
Steel Kimona
f p
Taffe Shamoie (Andrea)f p
Taylor Natalie
f p
Wellington Marsha
f a
White Sashoy
f a
Whyte Tabetta
f p
Williams Natesha
f p
Williams Shanna-Kay f a
Williams Kimberely f p
Wright Yanesha
f a
Daily attendance
Life Skills Training Whitfield Town Zones A,C and D July 3-18 2013
COURSE PARTICIPANTS
DATES
3-Jul 4-Jul 5-Jul 8-Jul 9-Jul 10-Jul 11-Jul ##### 16-Jul 17-Jul
a
p
p
p
a
p
p
p
p
p
a
p
p
a
p
p
p
p
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
p
a
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
a
p
p
a
a
p
p
p
p
a
a
p
p
a
a
a
a
a
a
p
a
a
a
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
a
p
p
a
a
a
p
p
a
a
a
p
p
p
a
a
p
a
a
a
p
a
a
p
a
a
a
a
a
p
p
a
p
p
a
p
p
a
p
p
p
p
a
a
a
a
a
p
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
p
p
p
a
p
p
p
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
p
a
p
p
p
p
p
a
p
p
p
p
p
p
a
a
p
p
a
p
a
a
p
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
p
p
p
p
p
p
a
p
p
p
a
p
p
p
a
p
p
p
a
a
p
a
a
a
a
a
a
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
p
p
a
p
a
a
a
a
a
p
a
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
p
p
p
p
a
a
a
a
p
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
p
a
a
a
a
a
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
a
a
p
a
p
p
p
a
p
a
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
a
a
a
a
a
a
p
p
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
p
p
p
p
p
a
p
p
p
p
p
a
a
p
p
p
a
p
p
p
19
16
18
18
22
22
17
25
29
27
18-Jul Days attended
p
9
p
9
p
2
p
11
a
1
p
7
p
9
p
8
a
1
p
9
p
7
p
5
a
2
a
4
a
7
a
1
p
7
p
2
p
10
a
7
a
1
p
7
p
9
p
5
a
7
a
2
p
3
p
11
p
3
a
3
a
1
p
7
a
7
p
9
p
4
p
2
p
11
p
11
p
3
a
9
p
7
28
Certificates awarded to persons present on 7 days or more
30
Attachment 3
Attendance and Grades for Participants in the Livelihood Skills Training Programme
CHILDCARE PROGRAMME (FOOD PREPARATION GROUP)
ATTENDANCE
NAMES
Blake, Kedesha
Brown, Shawna-Kay
Bryan, Stephanie
Graham, Lamoi
Harvey, Kerry
Johnson, Francian
Johnson, Kerean
Moyston, Matthew
Williams, KimberlyAnn
Williams, Natesha
Williams, Shanna Kay
Class Average
GRADES
Written
Practical
Test
(Cooking)
97%
93%
A
A
39%
A
52%
93%
A
A
A
A
A
56%
97%
Aug 26
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
Aug 29
P
A
P
P
P
A
A
A
Aug 5
P
A
P
P
A
A
A
P
Sep 9
P
P
A
P
A
P
A
P
Case
Study
92.5%
A
50%
75%
A
A
A
87%
Avera
ge
94%
73%
80%
P
P
P
P
75%
83%
97%
85%
P
P
A
P
A
P
P
P
A
80%
A
40%
97%
72%
80.8%
CHILDCARE PROGRAMME
(HOUSEKEEPING & COSMETOLOGY COMBINED GROUP)
ATTENDANCE
No.
NAMES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Anderson, Nicolette
Baker, Tywannie
Brown, Nicole
Brown, Tonigay
Carby, Donesha
Johnson, Francian
Johnson, Oteisha
McBean, Tina
McKess, Ianda
Steele, Christal
Taffe, Andreca
Taylor, Natalie
White, Sashoy
Whyte, Tabetta
Williams, Natesha
Class Average
Sep 12
Sep 13
Sep 17
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
A
A
P
P
P
P
P
P
A
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
Case
Study
82%
30%
62%
80%
75%
65.5%
77.5%
85%
75%
40%
GRADES
Written
Practical
Test
(Cooking)
95%
93%
22%
79%
65%
83%
78%
89%
75%
79%
79%
93%
77%
89%
49%
89%
75%
83%
75%
83%
64%
83%
87%
79%
95%
93%
94%
79%
46%
89%
Average
90%
44%
72%
84%
80%
74.5%
81%
91%
83%
58%
75.7%
31
Cosmetology:
ATTENDANCE
GRADES
NAME
Aug 22
Aug 23
Aug 29
Aug 30
Sep 5
Sep 6
Sep 12
Final
Brown,Toni-Gay
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
76%
Johnson, Otesha
McBean, Tina
McKess, Iandia
Taylor, Natalie
Whyte, Tabetta
77%
66%
71%
82%
*
*
*
Class Average
83%
76%
Housekeeping:
ATTENDANCE
GRADES
NAME
Anderson,
Nicolette
Aug 22
Aug 23
Aug 29
Aug 30
Sep 5
Sep 6
Sep 12
Test %
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
91%
Baker, Tywannie
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Brown, Nicole
Carby, Donesha
Dawkins, Isha
Steele, Christal
Taffe, Andreca
White, Sashoy
Class Average
51%
72%
76%
87%
80%
87%
87%
79%
32
Early Childhood Development:
ATTENDANCE
NAME
26-Aug
Williams, Natesha
Brown, ShawnaKay
Moyston, Matthew
Williams,
Shannakay
*
*
Johnson, Kerean
Graham, Lamoi
Williams,
Kimberly-Ann
Blake, Kedesha
Bryan, Stephanie
Class Average
GRADES
29-Aug
06-Sep
09-Sep
12-Sep
13-Sep
17-Sep
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Test %
*
*
56%
*
*
*
40%
*
*
*
*
*
52%
*
*
*
*
83%
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
97%
39%
61.5%
Entrepreneurship:
PARTICIPANTS
Abena Gifford
Andrea Taffe
Anna-Kay Barrett
Annisa McCalla
Christal Steele
Crystal brown
Donesha Carby
TEST
PERCENTAGES
ATTENDANCE
Monday
July 29
√
√
√
√
Friday August
2
absent
√
√
absent
√
√
√
√
√
√
absent
absent
37
absent
60
absent
30
33
PARTICIPANTS
Francian Johnson
Ianda McKess
Isha Dawkins
Kedesha Blake
Kerean Johnson
Kerry Harvey
Kery-Ann Lewis
Kimberly Williams
Lamoi Graham
Marsha Wellington
Matthew Moyston
Mikera francis
Natalie Taylor
Natesha Williams
Nicole Brown
Nicolette Anderson
Olivia Bowers
Oteisha Johnson
Paula Drake
Rudaine Alliman
TEST
PERCENTAGES
ATTENDANCE
Monday
July 29
√
Friday August
2
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
Absent
√
√
√
Absent
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
Absent
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
Absent
√
√
√
√
absent
√
√
16
44
27
47
88
18
64
absent
53
53
absent
56
absent
54
22
32
66
absent
36
34
PARTICIPANTS
Sashoy White
Shanna-Kay
Shawna-Kay Brown
Stephanie Bryan
Tabetta Whyte
Tanasha McIntosh
Teisha Foster
Tina McBean
Tonigay Brown
Tywannie Baker
Yanesha Wright
TEST
PERCENTAGES
ATTENDANCE
Monday
July 29
√
Friday August
2
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
absent
absent
absent
√
√
√
√
Absent
√
68
9
45
31
56
absent
absent
absent
24
19
absent
35
Attachment 4
Report of Refresher Workshop
The 3 Day Refresher Workshop at the Professional Development Institute and Girls Town was
successfully completed, and was well received by the participants. The teachers of the different skill
areas reported that the participants had shown great improvements in their behaviors’, attitudes and
overall growth and development.
PEY & Associates felt that it would be useful to invite the participants to a final 3 days of “wrap up
sessions” to pull together some of the topics covered over the duration of the training. However, the
main focus of the 3 Day Refresher Workshop would be on Grooming & Etiquette, Parenting & Me,
Resume and Cover letter Writing and Job Interview Techniques. Power Point Presentations with
discussion and hands on activities by participants were used to deliver the content.
Day 1 – 18 Persons Present
First session:Grooming and Etiquette
The first session reinforced the importance of Grooming & Etiquette in the Workplace. Role play was
used to show the appropriate and inappropriate behaviors. The following topics were covered:

What is good grooming?

What does etiquette mean?

Why are good grooming and etiquette important in everyday situations?

Why are they necessary for the workplace?

Importance of personal hygiene

Do’s and Don’ts for the workplace

Verbal and non-verbal communication

Workplace ethics

Job hunting tips
Second Session:Writing a Cover letter
The second session took place after break. Participants were given the opportunity to practice writing a
cover letter. Facilitators worked with the participants to construct a good letter. The following was
discussed:

What is a cover letter?
36

What should be included in a cover letter?

The importance of a cover letter
Home work assignment: Participants were asked to incorporate the corrections suggested and rewrite
their cover letters.
Day 2 – 17 Participants Present
Cover letters were brought back with corrections.
First session: Resume Writing
Topics covered were: What is a resume?; How to write a resume; and Information to be included in a
resume.
Examples of how a resume could be written were given out in the form of handouts and also done with
class on the board. Participants were given an opportunity to construct their personal resumes in class
and were told to include the following information: schools attended, qualifications, past job
experience, interests, volunteer work, hobbies. The facilitators assisted students and Homework was
given to rewrite the corrected resumes.
Second Session:Parenting and Me
The following topics were discussed:

Building My Child’s Self Esteem

The Importance of expressing Love to my Child

Being a good Role Model

Controlling my emotions

Taking My Child’s Emotions seriously.
Participants were a given Scenarios to discuss and comment on. Their comments could be expressed
through dub poetry and drama.
Day 3 – 18 Participants
First session:
Most of the participants brought in their homework, while others asked for more time to finish it.
Facilitators pointed out the need for participants to carry out tasks in time given, as in the world of work
this is going to be a must.
37
Overall the efforts made by the participants were very good, although some participants needed extra
help.
The topics covered in “Parenting and Me” the previous day were reviewed. They included: Why is it
important to show your child love, and how do you show love? Be careful who you leave your child with!
Listen to your child; Donot dismiss children without trying to understand what they are saying; The
importance of hugs and saying ‘I love you’.
Second Session:
Participants wrote about what they learnt over the past three days. The payment of stipends was also
done after break. Two participants were asked to facilitatethe playing of “Jeopardy”. The participants
were divided into two groups: Group A and Group B. Using their note books and learning materials from
class, they asked questions and awarded points for each correct response that a group gave. Everyone
participated. From the answers given and the comments made it was evident that learning had taken
place.
After lunch, the session closed with hugs and kisses, and a little sadness. The participants expressed
sadness at the void created now that the programme has ended.
Appendix
Some of the scenarios that the participants acted out over the 3 Day Workshop includes the following:
Scenario: 1.You have applied for a job (Specify) and you have been called for an interview, how do you
dress and conduct yourself in the interview? The correct way/incorrect way.
Scenario 2:You are employed as a domestic helper, but you have little respect for your employer. Your
employer calls you to discuss some matters (specify), how do you respond? What is your body language
saying? How is your verbal response? Correct/incorrect reactions?
Scenario: 3. How do you show love to your child/children in your care?
a. You are a basic school teacher, how do you show love to your young students.
38
b. Your child comes home from school excited that she got good marks at school and wants to show
you! You are frustrated by the lack of money and the child’s “worthless” father.
c. You are a stay at home mother, you like to keep a clean and tidy home, but your child makes a lot of
mess. As a result you slap the child and deprive him of food. A neighbor tells your working husband/
boyfriend? How do you respond?
39