YMCA urged to help rebuild families

DEAN KNOLLY Clarke yesterday appealed to the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) not to become complacent and said the organisation still faced a challenge in rebuilding the family as a cohesive unit  to contribute to the development of TT. At the time he was addressing the congregation at the Holy Trinity Cathedral, who had gathered to celebrate the YMCA’s 40th anniversary. Clarke, who noted that the YMCA’s had an all-female executive, asked why men appeared to be bowing out of prominent roles, allowing their female counterparts to shoulder the burdens.  He said these were “trying and challenging times,” but the future of TT and “quality of life” was assured if one went by what was reported about the recent Music Festival and last Friday’s Walk Against Crime involving approximately 8,000 primary school children.

Dean Clarke praised the media for featuring talented youngsters on its front pages and said while the Education Ministry was attempting to restore some semblance of peace to secondary schools by deshifting junior secondary schools, they could not change the attitudes of the children. He cited the case of the Marabella Junior Secondary which had been converted to a senior secondary school, yet several students appeared in court last week for school violence. Dean Clarke said that the Ministry of Education had their work cut out for them as the family unit was slowly disintegrating. He said NGOs and community-based organisations had a role to play in restoring peace in society. Yesterday’s celebrations were attended by Port-of-Spain Mayor Murchison Brown, Energy Minister Eric Williams and other dignitaries.