GFLF encourages unity among children from diversified culture, ethnicity and race.
Gift for Life Foundation (GFLF) fosters a safe and positive environment in which groups of children from eleven (11) different homes can achieve personal growth. Children have been intrigued by sand for many generations, especially the white, ‘anti-aging’, sand from Nylon Pool. One of the main objectives of GFLF’s Annual Tobago Outing at the Pigeon Point Heritage Park for underprivileged children is the urge to explore the imagination inherent in young children. On Tuesday 28th July, 2015 at 6.30am, GFLF members and children from various Children’s Homes were excitedly sailing their way to Tobago via TNT Spirit.
Children from the following homes were present:
Angel Michael Hostel for Boys & Girls, Egypt Trace Ext, Enterprise
Dar – Ul Aman Freeport Children’s Home, Freeport
Angel on Earth Foundation, Lange Park
Florence Wesleyan Foundation Children’s Home, Chickland
Ezekiel Children’s Home, Preysal
Swaha Children’s Home, Penal
Ferndean’s Children’s Home, Point Fortin
Happy Home For Children, La Brea
Margaret Kistow Children’s Home, Malabar
Raffa Boys Children’s Home, Curepe
Raffa Girls Children’s Home, Malabar
The Buccoo Reef and the Nylon Pool took the spotlight of the day. The glass bottom boat was the fantastic way for these children to witness the natural feeding ground for a huge variety of brilliantly colored tropical fish. Chaperones, caregivers and the children bathed in the meter deep Nylon pool in the middle of the ocean where they felt like paradise.
GFLF used this opportunity and event to further enhance the development of the minds and bodies of these children. No matter the age or development level of the child, the sand offered an opportunity to explore and experiment in a safe and inviting environment. It stretched the imagination of the children. The Youth Arm members of GFLF explained to the children about sand. As children began to more fully understand the physical properties of sand, they had the opportunity to also expand their creativity and imaginations. Playing in the sand promoted Physical Development among these underprivileged children. Muscle skills in the arms and upper bodies of children were further developed through sand play.
This outdoor event encouraged Interpersonal Skills, being one of the main aims of GFLF. When children play together in a common sandbox or at a sand table, they are often faced with problems involving sharing tools, negotiating for play space, and compromising about what will be built in the sand. It promoted Cognitive Development where children learn the inherent physical properties of sand by playing with it and by comparing wet and dry sand. They learnt more vocabulary words that fit specifically to sand play/Buccoo Reef/ Nylon Pool, as well as, from chatting with other children from the various Children’s Homes and living like a big family regardless of race, gender and ethnicity. GFLF’s Annual Tobago Outing allowed the outcome of children incorporating Artistic Expression. Children were encouraged to draw pictures in the sand, develop elaborate sand castles, and create interesting molds from household objects in addition to buckets.
More than just having a fun filled day at Pigeon Point and Nylon Pool, Youth Arm members also conducted a Brief Mental Awareness Campaign. Members, such as Miss Gift For Life 2015- Tamika Bynoe, Sarah Andrew, Kavita Andrew, Celeste Benny and Shaun Shahid, were very instrumental in teaching stress management and coping skills to more than 300 children on the boat. This hard work of this Mental Awareness Campaign during the sailing to and from Tobago was directed and managed by Arielle Sarran, past pupil of Bishops East and currently a 2nd year student of The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine. Arielle Sarran addressed the issue of children’s mental health. She explained that “in addition to the simple fact that mental health problems cause significant distress to a child, family, and community, mental health problems in children often lead to lifelong impairment, which has tremendous negative social and economic consequences.”
GFLF executive member Ms. Lakshmi Ragoonanan added that “these issues make the development and implementation of child mental health initiatives imperative. A successful initiative should include the elements of awareness promotion, intervention methods, and preventive measures. The logical starting point is to begin with awareness promotion, through a Child Mental Health Awareness Campaign, given the fundamental assumption that increased awareness of mental health issues will also work to increase awareness of the need for better prevention and intervention mechanisms.”
Lastly, the executive of the GFLF sincerely wishes to thank all sponsors for making this day possible for underprivileged children. A HUGE THANK YOU to Pizza Boys Group of Companies, especially Church’s Chicken, for providing dinner for the children, and Subway Trinidad for providing ‘6’ inches subway for the vegetarian children. These companies were approached at the 11th hour – more precisely, a mere 2 days before sailing; yet they did not turn away GFLF.
The public is again invited to join in our Sports & Family Day on Sunday 23rd August, 2015 @ Pierre Road Recreational Ground, Charlieville from 10:00am.
