Caritas Freetown Conclude Two-Week Long Trainings on Youth Readiness Intervention
By Mohamed Konneh
Caritas Freetown on Friday September 1st 2023 concluded a youth readiness program after two weeks of intensive training.
The ceremony took place at the St. Anthony Hall, Syke Street in Freetown.
The Youth Readiness Intervention (YRI) training program, is organized by Caritas Freetown in partnership with Brown University. The purpose of the training is to equip teachers with the necessary skills to implement the YRI in schools, focusing on psychosocial and mental health support for the youth.
The training commenced on the 21st of August and concluded on 1st of September 2023.
The aim is to create awareness and inform the general public about the impact of psycho-social and mental wellbeing.
In his statement, Fatoma Momoh said the training will help classroom interaction and call on beneficiaries to translate what they have learnt into action thereby improving the classroom.
Making the keynote address, Rev. Father, Peter Konteh, Executive Director of Caritas Freetown, said the day marks the successful conclusion of a transformative training workshop, jointly conducted by Caritas Freetown and Brown University.
“I stand before you filled with immense pride and gratitude for the dedication and enthusiasm you have shown throughout this program.
The history of the Youth Readiness Intervention (YRI) is a testament to the power of collaboration and the unwavering commitment of organizations like Caritas Freetown, Harvard University, Boston University, and now Brown University, he said.”
Father Konteh noted that together, we have embarked on a journey to enhance the mental health intervention for youth in Sierra Leone, and this workshop has been a vital step towards achieving that goal.
He commended each participants for actively participating in the training and for their willingness to learn, engage, and share experiences that enriched the collective knowledge and expertise of the YRI experts. The Caritas Executive Director noted that the skills and insights the participants have gained over the past days will undoubtedly shape the way they approach their roles as YRI trainers and supervisors.
“However, let us not forget that the true measure of our success lies in the application of this knowledge. I urge all of you to put into practice what you have learned during this workshop. As YRI trainers and supervisors, you have a unique opportunity to make a profound impact on the lives of young people in Sierra Leone. By implementing the YRI within the school system, you will be fostering a supportive environment that promotes mental well-being, resilience, and academic success, Father Konteh noted.”
The Caritas Executive Director noted that he understand the road ahead may present challenges, but have every confidence in their abilities to overcome them. “Remember that Caritas Freetown and our esteemed partners are here to support you every step of the way. Together, we can create a brighter future for the youth of Sierra Leone, where they can thrive and reach their full potential, he said.
Speaking earlier, Unisa B Jalloh, Project Manager, Youth Readiness Intervention (YRI) said the Youth Readiness Intervention (YRI) was culturally developed in 2012 to address the mental health needs of war-affected youth in Sierra Leone.
He said the YRI sessions are based on key components of cognitive behavioral and interpersonal therapies and also mindfulness practices, while noting that YRI sessions are simple and easy to understand, lay people can be successfully trained to facilitate the group sessions with youth.
“Over its past 10 years of implementation in both educational settings and employment programming throughout Sierra Leone, the YRI has been shown to improve youth’s emotional regulation skills, pros-social behaviors and attitudes, and day-to-day functioning, he said.”
He said moreover, youth who completed the YRI in the first study of the YRI in Sierra Leone’s schools (in 2012?) showed better classroom behavior and were six times more likely to stay enrolled in school than those who did not.
The YRI will be implemented in 40 schools during this academic year, reaching approximately 980 Sierra Leonean youth. After final results from the project, teachers in the additional 10 schools will be offered YRI training.
