David and other youth activists who sit on the CAB are
working to make their communities more child friendly
David’s life story is a testimony of willpower and
conviction leading to success in tackling life's challenges. At the tender age
of 16, he is faced with adult responsibilities. He pays his own bills. He has
to balance the demands of his job with his personal needs. Yet, David’s flame
for those things still desired by every child has not dulled.
One morning, David Cruz dashed over to the Child Protection
Training for the Sustainable Child Friendly Municipalities Initiative. Late but
excited, the perspiring boy joined the session just in time to catch the video on
conflict resolution that facilitators were sharing with participants. The other
children at the training got up that day with no other obligation than to be at
the workshop for 8:30 a.m. Not David! Living on his own, work was his first
priority.
David had already worked extra hours under an agreement that
he would get a half-day off to accommodate the training. However, his employer asked
him to work a couple extra hours that day, causing him to be late. Soon, he
managed to settle down and was fully participating alongside the other children.
Children have a right to a safe, loving home with their
parents. Typically, a boy David’s age should be enjoying an exciting adolescent
life. He should be looking forward to graduating from high school or awaiting an
acceptance letter from a tertiary-level school. Otherwise, he should be preparing
for life as a young adult with the guidance and support of loving parents. David’s
life at 16 contrasts sharply against that of his peers.
Nonetheless, this independent and extraordinary youth holds a
unique outlook on life. David lost interest in school and dropped out in
Standard V (7th grade). He hasn’t been enrolled in school since. When asked why he quit school, David responded,
“I’m not interested too much in school. So, I didn’t want to make my parents
spend extra money on something I didn’t want to do. I prefer to work and make
my money, get what I want and stuff like that.”
David chose a path different from his more carefree peers whose only worry is getting good grades. This extraordinary youth, responsible for maintaining his home and providing for himself, is now working as a shop attendant in Benque Viejo del Carmen in the Cayo District.
David has been working at this grocery store to earn money
to take care of himself
After work, David relaxes at home. He says there’s not much recreation
around town. The Sustainable Child Friendly Municipalities Initiative endeavors
to establish more community entertainment outlets through youth involvement.
David became involved with the Child Advisory Body (CAB), an
arm of the Benque Viejo del Carmen Town Council, in early 2017. The CAB exists
in each of the 9 municipalities in Belize. The Benque Viejo group was
established in the early part of 2015 with an initial nucleus of 12 children,
ages 7 to 17. Two representatives were drawn from each of the schools in the
area. There are now 21 members in this CAB. The advisory bodies provide an
avenue for youths to be more involved in their community, giving them a voice and
allowing leaders to consider how their decisions affect children. They also
recommend ways to make their community safer and more appealing to the youth.
Whether it be cleaning and decorating parks or sharing
valuable information such as the rights of the child with their friends and
neighbors, CAB members are determined to have a positive impact on their
community and to make it more child friendly.
David describes the program as “a blast of positivity in life.” Since joining the CAB, he tackles challenges more confidently. He is involved in activities that rightfully allow him to be a child. He makes decisions with his group members to improve his community and plays an active role in its upkeep.
David (right) receives a certificate confirming his
participation in the Child Protection Training for CAB members from Benque
Viejo del Carmen Mayor, Heraldo Ramcharan Jr.
Jimmy Leslie, the rapporteur for the Benque CAB, said that
since David became a member, he has overcome his shyness. David’s confidence
and self-esteem have grown. Jimmy is
presently working with David to get him enrolled in the 4H Program - an
agricultural trade school. This should enable
him to learn some of the fundamentals of English and Math that he did not
complete in elementary school, while equipping him with a solid foundation in
agriculture and farming, his career interest. David has also applied for a
Youth Department training in planting vegetables—something that should make him
even more financially independent.
A brainchild of UNICEF and UNDP, working in partnership with
the Ministry of Local Government, the Sustainable and Child Friendly
Municipalities Initiative and its accompanying Children Advisory Body work to create
safe spaces with a complement of positive engagement and interaction that
empower children to be a force for change in their communities.
