KIDS HELPED BY HOLY NETWORK

Holy Network Snatches Kids From Path Of Destruction
Published: Tuesday | May 14, 2013 0 Comments

Bell is committed to working with the youth.
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Jodi-Ann Gilpin, Gleaner Writer

Life was heading in a deadly direction for several children and teenagers who grew up in troubled communities until they were snatched by the Holy Network programme.

The tears came streaming down Serena’sface as she told The Gleaner gruelling details of her life and the uncomfortable environment she encounters at home on a daily basis.

She tried hard to keep it in but as the pain of losing her mother at age seven and being raped at age 10 replayed in her mind, this 14-year-old wept uncontrollably.

“It’s very depressing when you keep hearing from persons who are supposed to love you that they can’t wait for you to leave the house for the simplest thing and every day they say things to put you down,” said an emotional Serena who grew up in an inner-city community in Kingston.

“I became so aggressive and, to add to it, I’m still suffering from my mother’s death, so it is a hard and rough road. Living with my stepmother is not the nicest thing. Right now, my grades are up and down because it is so stressful,” she said.

Timon, 14 years old, could hardly keep his head up during the interview. The sadness and hurt grew more and more on his face and his voice got lower at every detail he related to The Gleaner.

“Miss, mi convince seh mi mother don’t like me, and she show it. Sometimes I’m on edge because I don’t know when she go call police pon mi,” he said.

“It hurts a lot, I get beating for the simplest thing and mi nuh get no love,” said a distressed teenager.

no way out

Aggressive is an understatement in describing 24-year-old Fred. Growing up in a small community in Waltham Park, it almost seemed as if there was no way out.

“Sometimes, four a wi had to stay home while the other four go to school because all eight of us were going to high school at the same time,” he recalled. “While going to school, I was in a crew and it came to a point where I got into fights with teachers on more than one occasion because she would rush mi in front of the school, and I just thought I needed to defend myself,” he told The Gleaner.

He added, “Looking back on it now, I am not proud of it and after being introduced to the programme, I have a learnt lot and I am determined to do all that is necessary to be successful.”

Similarly for Serena, the programme has been assisting her in having better coping skills.

“I am really grateful for Holy Network, it has really given me a different outlook on life and I am determined to rise above my struggles,” she declared.

Founder of the programme, David Bell, said he was committed to doing all in his power to help them become better members of society.

Not their real names