The Ministry of Social and Community Development, Housing and Gender Affairs, in partnership with the Grenada Spotlight Initiative, extends a warm invitation to Grenadians to participate in the island-wide parenting training programme commencing on Monday, 16 October 2023.
This initiative is poised to be a beacon of hope for families across Grenada, providing parents and guardians with the knowledge and skills to strengthen their family bonds and create healthier habits.
Dates and Locations:
Scheduled from 16–27 October, the training programme will be conducted in multiple venues across the island, ensuring accessibility for individuals from all corners of Grenada. The locations are:
- St George: Mon Tout Community Centre
- St John: St John’s Anglican School
- St David: Corinth Government School
- St Patrick: St Patrick’s Anglican School
- St Andrew: Telescope Community Centre
The programme’s well-considered schedule runs from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm, making it convenient for working people to attend and enhance their parenting skills. Support features include free transportation, childcare services, and complimentary refreshments, ensuring that every participant can engage and learn without worry.
Comprehensive Topics:
The programme offers a comprehensive curriculum addressing essential aspects of effective parenting to empower participants such as:
- Child Abuse Prevention: equipping participants with tools and knowledge to safeguard their children from harm. By understanding signs of child abuse and preventive measures, parents can create safer environments
- Fathers Make a Difference: recognising the significant role of fathers in their children’s development, highlighting the value of paternal involvement, and encouraging active participation
- Discipline vs Punishment: delving into the crucial distinction between constructive discipline methods that promote understanding and counterproductive punishment that can strain parent-child bonds
- Gender-Based Violence: raising awareness about the prevalence and impact of gender-based violence and empowering parents to identify and prevent occurrences, creating safer homes and communities
- Communicating with Your Child: teaching valuable communication skills, enabling parents to connect with and understand their children better, contributing to improved family dynamics and mutual respect
During an interview with Sophia Phillip, Junior Communications Consultant at Grenada Spotlight Initiative, Colette Jeffery-Charles, a parenting facilitator, emphasised the significance of training in effective communication and its outcomes.
“During the training, we will stress the importance of communication and, of course, the outcome of communication. Whether it is negative, where parents can receive information and acknowledge the need for change, or when it is positive, and parents can build networks to produce a healthy family.”
Jeffery-Charles also explained the expectations of the training programme. “The expectations are that parents will be more competent in co-parenting effectively. Parents will also gain a better understanding of their children’s rights and respect for their children. Moreover, they will have a better understanding of abuse and how it can be avoided or prevented.”
How to Register:
To participate in this transformative journey toward improved family life, interested persons can call the Ministry of Social and Community Development, Housing, and Gender Affairs at (473) 440-2269 to register.
Upon completion of this training, participants will receive well-deserved awards, recognising their commitment to their family’s well-being.
In partnership with international organisations, including the European Union, this training programme signifies a step toward creating brighter futures for Grenada’s families, one family at a time.
Background Information:
The Spotlight Initiative to eliminate violence against women and girls is a global programme of the United Nations which has received generous support from the European Union. The Spotlight Initiative is intended to provide renewed investment in and commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment as a pre-condition and driver for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially Goals 5 and 16.
The Grenada Spotlight Initiative is being implemented with the aim that “all women and girls in Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique, particularly those most vulnerable, live a life free of intimate partner violence, sexual abuse and other forms of family and gender-based violence”. The main partners are PAHO, UNICEF, UNDP, UN Women, the Ministry of Gender Affairs, other government ministries and institutions, and civil society organisations.
For additional information, please contact Sophia Phillip at [email protected].
Grenada Spotlight Initiative
