Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698752955794.pdf (Saint Kitts and Nevis)
February 15th, 2020 Volume 3, Issue 1 Ministry of Community Development, Gender Affairs and Social Services (MCDGASS) COMMUNITY CORNER Child Abuse Prevention in the Spotlight Inside this issue: The Newsstand 1-4 House Matters 5 Working Scenes 6-7 School in Session 8-9 On de Playground 10-11 Notice Board Contact Us 12 12 Protection of the nation’s chil- dren was the focus of Child Abuse Prevention Week, which was observed by the Probation and Child Protection Services Department from November 17th-22nd, 2019, under the theme “Thirty Years of Child Protection; Nurturing the Next Generation”.
In speaking of the importance of the Week, Mr. Gerald Con- nor, Director (Ag.)

of the De- partment, noted that the ob- servance was designed to bring awareness to the pressing issue of Child Abuse in the Federa- tion, and the importance of ensuring that the fundamental rights of children are looked after, including their right to be protected from harm.
“With the backdrop of the Federation being the first CARICOM signatory of the Convention of the Rights of a Child, we have shown that we can lead the about the work of the Probation and Child Protection team.

“The Daily Tip” radio briefings, which spotlight important areas of child protection, were also launched.
Tuesday 19th November was observed as Corporal Punishment Suspension Day - a day in which persons with children in their care were asked to refrain from the commonly used ‘beatings’ or ‘licks’ (which sometimes lead to physical abuse) in favour of oth- er modes of discipline, according to the Mr. Connor, who empha- sized the Department’s desire to see parents and guardians use alternative modes of instilling values and discipline in children.
Wednesday 20th, internationally celebrated as Universal Chil- dren’s Day, saw Probation and Child Protection officers visiting schools across the island to en- gage with ….

(cont’d on pg.

4) Children pose on Universal Children’s Day way”, he declared.

The Week of Activities offi- cially opened on November 17th, as members of the De- partment enjoyed communal worship at the Pro-Cathedral of St. Georges (formerly the St. George’s Anglican Church).
The following day saw the Ministry’s offices beautifully decorated in blue (the aware- ness colour for Child Abuse) for the Department’s Open Day, in which the public was invited to come in and learn with all stakeholders.
Ministry’s Newest Department gets a Name Change The newest Department of the ensure that all Departments Ministry, the Social Protection can make evidence-based deci- Implementation Unit, has under- sions, through the manage- gone a name change and is now ment of data, the conduct of titled the Policy, Planning, and research, and the production Projects Unit.
of best practices and lessons learnt through the application of sound project management techniques, throughout the project cycles of all pro- grammes and activities, while effectively communicating The name change, which takes effect immediately, was under- taken so that the work of the Department could be more accurately reflected.

The Policy, Planning and Projects Unit is staffed by Ms. Azilla Clarke, Mrs. Jeweleen Woodley, Mr. Theodore Phipps, and Ms. Pa- trice Carey.
Established in 2018, the Depart- ment was formed with the aim of having improved planning, over- sight and accountability for pro- grammes and projects carried out by the Ministry.

Its mission is to Page 2 THE NEWSSTAND Volume 3, Issue 1 “Love Echoes Loud” during 16-Day Campaign Love Echoes Loud was the local theme for the 2019 16-Day Cam- paign on Gender-Based Violence, held from November 25th to De- cember 10th, 2019.
Youth for Human Rights March The objective of the an- nual 16-day Campaign, a world- wide observance which begins on November 25th, is to raise aware- ness of gender-based harm (which refers to violence against someone because of their gender) and to advocate for its elimination.
In speaking of the Cam- paign, Senior Gender Field Officer Mrs. Shinnel Charles, explained that gender-based violence is a Participant at Youth Workshop matter of serious concern around the world as well as in the Federation, with one hun- dred and fifty-seven (157) cases of domestic violence reported locally in 2016, par- ticularly against women.
To educate persons about the issue, the Department of Gender Affairs in collaboration with local NGOs, spearheaded sev- eral activities, including a youth workshop on gender-based vio- lence, and panel discussions on Youth violence as well as Domestic Violence and Religion.

The topic of gender violence was also highlight- ed during special Working For You and Inside the News programmes.

The campaign ended on Human Rights Day, December 10th, which was also celebrated as T-Shirt Day.
Ms. Stanley said “We try to get everybody involved, but the boys really enjoy going outside” Farm to Fork project continues to reap rewards Residents, staff and the broader community continue to reap the benefits of a Farm to Fork project established on the grounds of the New Horizons Rehabilitation Cen- tre in 2019. food crops were planted last year, including eggplant, watermelon, seasoning pepper, squash, pump- kin and cucumber.
reap some cabbages and lettuce, and were awaiting the arrival of sweet potatoes that had recently been planted.

The project saw the planting of several food crops on the grounds of New Horizons, so that produce could be harvested for use by the Centre, thereby cutting food ex- penses.
Case Manager and Coor- dinator of the Project, Ms. Michelle Stanley, noted that sever- While lamenting that they were not able to get much of some produce, as the “monkeys were having a feast with them”, Ms. Stan- ley advised that they had gotten an excess of cucumbers, and that they were able to sell most of the harvest to Valu Mart, which was a boost to the project.
She also advised that were able to reap In speaking of the farming activi- ty and the involvement of resi- dents, Ms. Stanley said “We try to get everybody involved, but the boys really enjoy going outside”, adding that one resident had expressed interest in pursuing farming in the future.

She advised that the Centre hoped to continue the project over the long term.
Cucumbers for sale at New Horizons Counselling Director speaks on “Working for You” programme Mental Health Association confronts the topic of Suicide On October 7th, the Association The Counselling Department, in joined with Ross University to collaboration with the Mental facilitate a workshop on Suicide, Health association, participated in including risk factors, assessment, raising awareness of Suicide during and referral protocols, for front activities for Mental Health Week line workers whose work often 2019. brings them into contact with persons considering self harm.
Hospital.

The week, which was celebrated from October 6th-11th, began with a church service on October 6th at the Antioch Baptist Church, in which President of the Association Dr. Cherrilyn Crawford, outlined the importance of the observance and the need for awareness of Suicide Prevention.
Members of the Association also generated through awareness several radio programmes, includ- ing Working for You, and on Thursday, the usual patient treat was given to patients warded at the Psychiatric unit of the JNF In other news from the Counsel- ling Centre, discussions were re- cently held towards the develop- ment of a Mental Health and Psychosocial Support committee, to look at coordinated responses to disasters and other large-scale traumatic events occurring in the Federation.
The committee is chaired by Dr Cherrilyn Craw- ford, deputized by Director Michele Blake of the Counselling Unit, while Counsellor Zahra Jacobs serves on the Executive.

Volume 3, Issue 1 THE NEWSSTAND Page 3 Delegation travels to England on Study Tour A 10-member delegation travelled to the United Kingdom on October 12th, as part of a two-week study tour to observe youth rehabilitative ser- vices there.
The delegation included members of the Child Justice Com- mittee, namely Chair and Senior Magistrate Renold Benjamin, Deputy Chair Mrs. Celia Christopher, Ad- ministrative Assistant and Social Worker to the Committee, Ms. Jacquilin Christopher and Members Mr. Austin Williams, Ms. Eveta Somer-sall, Ms. Ruby Thomas, Ms. Patricia Lake, and Dr. Sharon Archibald.
The delegation also in- cluded Inspector Mackie Smith of the Police Special Victims Unit and Acting Director of Probation and Child Protection Services (PCPS), Mr. Gerald Connor.
While in England, the dele- gation were guests of a facility for youth offenders called Targeted Ser- vices for Youth, based in Liverpool, under the supervision of Head, Ms. Emma Rathbone, who expressed that she was happy to accommodate Delegates meet with the Right Worshipful Lord Mayor opportunity to experience mean- ingful exchange of best practices and ideas.
The 10-day visit allowed the delegates the opportunity to shadow staff of Targeted Services for Youth, as well as to visit institu- tions such as a secure children’s facility and Youth Courts, to ob- serve practice and procedures.

Committee Administra- tive Officer Ms. Jacqulin Christo- pher, said that the visit was over- whelming and an ‘eye opener’ for the delegation.
She noted that they learnt that knife crime was very common in England, as op- posed to gun crime, and young offenders faced many of the same challenges that youth in St. Kitts-Nevis face, such as turf wars, the fear of crossing over into a different area, and diffi- culty in finding jobs.

Neverthe- less, they observed that there were several strategies aimed at helping these youth.

“There are a lot of strategies to curtail violence in young people.
‘Targeted Services’ is a huge place with lots of staff- even persons who are retired and have expertise are invited to give their services on a volunteer or paid basis.
There are even medical stu- dents who come to provide sessions – and the sessions are targeted to the crime that is committed – so if there is a knife crime, there might be a session on what that kind of crime does to a person”, she said, adding “There are many pro- grammes which go on till late, like 10 pm – and are lot of activities, such as metalwork and cooking classes ... (cont’d on pg.
4) Delegates at Court hearing (above), and presenting their hosts with gifts of appreciation (below) Administrative Officer Ms. Jacqulin Christopher, said that the visit was ... an ‘eye- opener’ for the del- egation.

Ten Male Leaders awarded on Men’s Day 10 Male leaders were awarded during generations”.

the International Men’s Day Ceremo- ny, which was held on November 19th, 2019,at OTI, under the theme “Men leading by example”.

captured the Humanitarian Award.


The Company of the Year Award went to RAMS Trading Inc., while Mr. Heston Hamm received the prestigious Prime Minister’s Inter- national Men’s Day Award 2019.

Minister responsible for Gender Affairs, Honourable Eu- gene Hamilton, remarked on the need to recognize the positive con- tributions that men make to society He said “As we celebrate this wonder- ful day under the theme ‘Men Leading by Example’, we consider the men in our federation.
We consider them in their multiple roles as husbands, fathers, employees, citizens and leaders to name a few.
It is in those roles and many more, if we look closely, that we will see the finer qualities of men, who shape and mould our present and future Awarded were Mr. Delwayne Delaney - Youth Development and Sports; Mr. Stuart Versailles - Agri- culture; Dr. Ricardo Neil - Infor- mation and Communication Tech- nology (ICT) in Education; Mr. Lennox Warner - Construction; Pastor Peter Paul - Religion; Mr. Melvin “Mellie” Hewlett - Culture, and Mr. Stachio Williams - Infor- mation Technology.
Special awards were also presented to Mr. Samuel Depusoir (recently deceased) as a Centenari- an, and Mr. Jose Rosa Santory, who Inspirational messages for men came from the fea- tured speaker, Father Dwayne Cassius, while the reigning Ca- lypso King ‘Jammers’ of Her Majesty’s Prison , entertained the audience with a tune of rising above his mistakes to become a better man.
Men’s Day Awardees Awardees receiving plaques Page 4 THE NEWSSTAND Volume 3, Issue 1 “We are happy…but will continue to lobby” says SKNAPD Last October, the Federation was greet- ed with the announcement that the Gov- ernment of St. Kitts-Nevis had ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, thereby protecting the rights and dignities for persons within that community.
Members of the Associ- ation were present at the announcement and are now giving feedback on the im- plementation of the key Convention.

President Anthony Mills and Youth Chair Shodella Taylor addition to a necessary update of the build- ing codes, he remarked that equal access to education, markets, housing, healthcare, and the law were examples of other areas that would have to be looked at.
“We say we all have equal access to the law, but technically we don’t…because if a deaf persons goes into the Court, there is no sign language interpreter” he said.

Speaking of himself, he continued: “I can’t get to the second floor of the High Court, because there is no elevator.

How is that equal access?” he questioned.


“We are happy that they signed and ratified it, and we as an Association intend to keep lobbying… We fully expect that they will now pass the necessary legislation to implement the articles in the Convention and keep us in- volved in the process”, said President of Association, Mr. Anthony Mills.
Underscoring the need for consultation with the community, Mr. Mills lamented the fact that well-intentioned measures are often put in place for the disabled community, but that these measures are often not effective, due to lack of en- often not effective, due to lack of engage- ment with those affected.

“If you are passing a law that affects us, you have to consult with us to know what works…Nothing for us, without us!” he said.
Mr. Mills noted that there was still a long way to go to achieve full equality and ac- cess, explaining that the Federation’s build- ing codes did not specify that accessibility features, such as ramps, be installed in newly constructed buildings, and that sev- eral edifices were being planned and built in Basseterre without these features.

In Ministry launches Facebook Page The Ministry has broadened outreach to the public, with the creation of a Facebook page.

related services.
related services.

Page Administrator, Mrs. Jeweleen Woodley, advised that the public, will be kept informed on the Ministry through regular updates on the social media site, including upcoming and current events, community notices, and Departmental happenings.
She noted that the Ministry’s main page will not The page, which was launched on February 27th, is now the ‘front window’ of the Ministry of Community Development, Gender Affairs and Social Services, provid- ing information on the Ministry as a whole, and featuring all of its Departments and Child Abuse Prevention... cont’d …(cont’d from.

pg.

1) children and relay information on matters concerning youth, as well as promote the work of the Department.
Centenarian’s Corner Una Duporte Cardin Home Age 104 Bridget Davis-Brazier Old Road Age 102 Congratulations!!

On Friday, Basseterre was draped in blue for “Wear Blue Day” to bring attention to the problem of Child Abuse, while the Department’s officers ‘hit the town’ to engage with the public on children’s issues and the need to continue nurturing the Federation’s youth.
Mr. Connor noted that the week was successful and a good platform for the Department to launch a full campaign to bring awareness to the issues affecting children in the Federation, for 2020.

In outlining other areas in which he would like to see improvement, the President men- tioned greater inclusion for disabled women and girls in community outreach and educa- tional efforts, and tax breaks for mobility and medical supplies, as well as other aids for persons in the community.
Mr. Mills offered tentative hope that the Convention’s ratification would bring about improvement for disabled persons who, he says, “experience challenges daily”.

replace other existing Departmental pages – those of the Departments of Gender Af- fairs, Social Services and Probation and Child Protection Services -which remain current and accessible to the public, and will be linked to the Ministry’s main page.

The Ministry’s Facebook page can be ac- cessed at https://www.facebook.com/ MCDGASS/.
Delegation travels ..cont’d (cont’d from pg.

3) “...community service and beautifi- cation projects, to engage the youth”.

Ms. Christopher added that the emphasis on teaching and rehabilitating young people gave them a lot to think about in planning for future diversion programmes in the Federation.
Coordination for the tour was done by UK consultant Ms. Lucy Dawes, who recently visited St. Kitts to facilitate workshops in juve- nile justice, while funding for the Study Tour was provided by UNICEF and the Ministry of Community Development, Gender Affairs and Social Services.
Volume 3, Issue 1 THE NEWSSTAND Page 5 STAFF MOVEMENTS Appointments Ms. Doreen Rouse Cleaner - New Horizons Ms. Celeste Ham Ms. Jenelle Henry Cook - New Horizons Cook - New Horizons Ms. Raven Bradshaw Probation & Child Protection (STEP attaché) Ms. Charissa Caesar Probation & Child Protection (STEP attaché) Retirement Ms. Laverne Richard Social Assistance Officer Big-ups to Mr. Naren Maynard on tying the knot!
Congratulations also to Ms. Lyncia Dore, as well as Ms. Azilla Clarke, on the birth of their babies!

Sympathies to the family of the late Kalvern Mike, and to Major Roxroy Campbell on the passing of his father.

Our prayers are with you!


February 1 - Joan Wharton February 2 - Esther Hodge February 4 - Jamie Quamina February 8 - Janice Bailey February 9 - Iotha Weaver February 12 - Alicia Collins February 20 - Merle Woodley February 21 - Francess Nadir February 23 - Shinnel Charles February 27 - Veronica Hendrickson February 28 - Melissa Phillip March 2 - Dwight Warde March 12 - Sonia Tyson March 13 - Richard Wattley March 14 - Anne Wigley March 22 - Nigel Langley March 31 - Roxroy Campbell HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
April 5 - Jacqueline Francis April 6 - Janet Hodge April 23 - Azilla Clarke April 28 - Delroy Prentice Page 6 WORKING SCENES Volume 3, Issue 1 Child Abuse Prevention Week 2019 Mrs. Sharon Warner of Gender Affairs presents the Country Report at the XIV Regional Conference on Women, in Chile Seniors and Social Services staff enjoy a Scenic Railway Tour for Month of the Elderly Volume 3, Issue 1 WORKING SCENES Page 7 Staff show strong support for Youth for Human Rights March Students from the Saddlers Area donate time, energy and resources to the Saddlers’ Home for the Elderly West Farm-Palmetto Point-Boyds Community Movie Night Staff and stakeholders in Juvenile Justice attend a workshop on the Therascribe software programme, at the ICT Centre Page 8 SCHOOL IN SESSION Volume 3, Issue 1 Name: Shinnel Charles Position: Senior Gender Field Officer Favourite colour: Baby Blue Favourite snack: Cheetos!
Favourite type of music: R&B Favourite hobbies: Making moringa soaps & Singing Favourite holiday/time of year and why: Christmas - “More sales in my moringa business!

Cha-ching!

:-D” with Getsafeonline.kn A new website has been launched, with the aim of helping residents of the Federation to Get Safe Online.
The website, Getsafeonline.kn, is part of a global thrust by UK-based non-profit organization Get Safe Online, which describes its mission as educating the young and the old on the risks of Internet interaction, and ways that they can protect themselves in the ‘online age’.
The site, GetSafeonline.kn, was established in April 2019 based on feedback from a regional tour conducted in March by the organization’s ambassadors Mr. Peter Davies and Ms. Eliska Peskova, to gain information from Caribbean residents of St. Kitts about their online needs.

The St.Kitts-Nevis site targets parents who wish to safeguard their children, as well as businesses and indi- viduals seeking to operate and socialize safely in the digital world.
It covers topics such as Safe Online Da- ting, Protecting Children from Pornography, Cyber-stalking, Conducting Financial Transactions, and Data Loss Prevention.

According to Mr. Peter Davies, the organization will be partnering with stakeholders in the Federation to promote the website up to March 2020, a thrust which will also include workshops with the Department of Information Technology.

Volume 3, Issue 1 SCHOOL IN SESSION Page 9 WHAT’S YOUR LOVE LANGUAGE?
In his book, The Five Love Languages (2009), Dr. Gary Chapman describes five ways in which people communicate love.

According to Dr. Chapman, people in intimate relationships usually have different love languages.

(Most people have one primary love language and one secondary love language).

Learning about one’s own and one’s partner’s love language can help couples do things that fill each partner’s “love tank,” which can create a closer, more harmonious rela- tionship.
The five love languages are listed below: Acts of Service — You feel loved when your partner does things to help you.

It could be doing the dishes, folding the laundry, watching the kids for an hour or two, washing your car, or any other task that eases your responsibilities.

Gifts - If your love language is gifts, you enjoy receiving thoughtful gifts, both on special occasions and, especially, for no particular rea- son.

The gift doesn’t need to be extravagant or expensive.
It is the thought and effort behind the gift that makes you feel loved.

Physical Touch -Affectionate pats, holding hands, kissing and hugging are all gestures that make you feel loved.

This may include sexual touch, but giving af- fectionate, nonsexual touches on a regular basis are an important way to show love and concern to the person whose love language is physical touch.

Quality Time- Spending time together and receiving your partner’s full, undivided attention makes you feel loved.
You feel cared for when your partner focuses only on you—no phone, computer, or TV—by taking a walk together, going out to din- ner (just the two of you), or just sitting and talking over a cup of tea or coffee.

Words of Affirmation—If your love language is ‘words of affirmation’, you feel valued and loved when your partner gives you unsolicited compliments, says “I love you”, tells you specific things he or she loves about you, or says other nice things, such as “Thank you for making such a great meal”.
Want to find out you or your partner’s love language?

Go to 5 lovelanguages.com.

Adapted from: http://extension.missouri.edu/bsf/communicating/Commun_handout8.pdf Page 10 ON DE PLAYGROUND Volume 3, Issue 1 A false friend and a shadow attend only while the sun shines.

― Benjamin Franklin SHOW ME YOUR SOUL Show me the most damaged parts of your soul, and I will show you how it still shines like gold.
______ Nikita Gill Volume 2, Issue 4 ON DE PLAYGROUND Page 11 You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.

– Buddha THE BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPE EVER Prep Time: 10 minutes; Bake Time: 8 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes; Servings: 24 cookies Instructions Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking pan with parch- ment paper and set aside.

In a separate bowl mix flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder.

Set aside.
Set aside.

Cream together butter and sugars until combined.

Beat in eggs and vanilla until fluffy.

Mix in the dry ingredients until combined.

Add 12 oz package of chocolate chips and mix well.


Ingredients        1 cup salted butter, softened 1 cup white (granulated) sugar 1 cup brown sugar, packed 2 tsp vanilla extract 2 large eggs 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda  1/2 tsp baking powder   1 tsp sea salt 2 cups chocolate chips (or chunks, or chopped chocolate) Roll 2-3 tablespoons (depending on how large you like your cookies) of dough at a time into balls and place them evenly spaced on your prepared cookie sheets.
(alternately, use a small cookie scoop to make your cookies)!

Bake in preheated oven for approximately 8-10 minutes.

Take them out when they are just BARELY starting to turn brown.

Let them sit on the baking pan for 2 minutes before removing to cooling rack.

Source: https://joyfoodsunshine.com/the-most-amazing-chocolate-chip-cookies/ Riddle It's raining, and you pass a bus stop.

There are three people there- your trustworthy friend, the love of your life, and a woman about to go into labour.
Your smart car only has two seats.

What do you do?

Answer: You first give your keys to your friend and let them take the woman to a hospital, then you wait for the bus with your love.
UPCOMING March 8 May 15 International Women’s Day International Day of Families The Ministry of Community Development, Gender Affairs and Social Services is dedicated to serving vulnerable populations through advocacy, education, empowerment and enhancement of individuals, families and communities through evidence-based and customer-oriented programmes that promote equity, growth and development, regardless of race and culture.
Vacancy Deputy House Parent—New Horizons Rehabilitation Centre CONTACT: The Ministry of Community Development, Gender Affairs and Social Services Victoria Road Basseterre St. Kitts Telephone number: (869) 467-1275/ Fax number: (869) 466-1552 Email: deptsdcga@yahoo.com Departments Administration - 467-1020 Social Services & Community Development - 467-1314 Probation & Child Protection Services (PCPS) - 467-1311 (PCPS hotline: 662-6833) Policy, Planning and Projects Unit (PPPU) - 467-1523 Gender Affairs - 467-1397/662-2035 (Domestic violence hotline: 662-5492) Finance - 467-1276 Counselling Centre - 465-5000 New Horizons Rehabilitation Centre - 662-5624 Community Corner is a publication of the Ministry of Community Development, Gender Affairs and Social Services.
It is compiled by the Policy, Planning and Projects Unit and will be circulated quarterly to staff and other stakeholders in social services.

To contribute, please contact Ms. Jeweleen Woodley at jeweleenwoodley.govkn@gmail.com