Tubal Students Complete Course on Positive Outlook

Sometimes people get depressed based on the words that other people utter to them. Today, the Tubal Trade and Vocational Institute in Ladyville held a brief graduation ceremony for twenty-six students who have completed an eight-week course called Journey to a Life of Significance. It is designed for youths who experience low self-esteem based on what life has dealt them and the effect that other people’s words have on them. Now, having completed the course, the students say they believe they are at a better place in their lives. News Five’s Marion Ali was there when they received their certificates and filed this report.

Marion Ali, Reporting

The words of the song “Beautiful” by Christina Aguilera serve to uplift the spirit and lend a positive mindset to the listener. In the same way, an eight-week long course by Restore Ministries in Nashville Tennessee seeks to restore the hope that youths have lost, either by what they have endured in life or what others have subjected them to. Kenroy Young is the Belize Project Facilitator.

 

 

Kenroy Young, Facilitator, Program Director, Belize Project

The journey to a life of significance focuses on the individual self, how we perceive ourselves and how we look at ourselves in relation to this, the descriptions that we give to ourselves and the labels that we give to ourselves. And that’s why it says freedom from low self-esteem, because the book focuses on individuals who have been suffering from isolation, fear of rejection, shame and the levels of shame are very deep. It goes all the way into toxic shame. And when we suffer from toxic shame, these create thoughts in our minds that we’re not good enough.

We spoke with three students who enrolled in the course for various reasons, and they each had a positive outlook on their lives.

Abner Mai, Graduate, Graduate, Journey to a Life of Significance

Things weh yoh have a hole in your chest, weh yoh might never want nobody know then. The course mek yoh just talk about it, relax, and have a good lee time, and then, yeah, I mi really –

Marion Ali

So coming out of it, you feel how now?

Abner Mai

I feel a little bit better now because during the course, I had things weh mi hold me down, and after I talk about it ih just ease my mind and not really think about it again.

Alisha Rivers, Graduate, Journey to a Life of Significance

You should always bring out yourself, know that you are worthy.

Marion Ali

So eight weeks later, now, how do you feel about yourself?

Alishe Rivers

I feel good. I feel released. I feel gladness.

Tajan Grant, Graduate, Journey to a Life of Significance

It helps a lot with people who really need to be heard, and, like me, for instance, I don’t really take it so well being alone. I normally just talk to people online. That’s, how I cope with being alone.

 

 

Andrew August, Country Director, Restore Ministries

We worth, our worth doesn’t devalue. We might seem wrinkle up and mash up like this $100 because of the experience and trauma and things that we went through in our life, but we are still worth worthy.

Andrew August is the Country Director for Restore Ministries. He used the analogy of a crumpled hundred-dollar note to impart the message that we as humans also never lose our value.

Andrew August

God made us and he values us. And so we have to value ourself no matter where we go through. Just always remember that your life is valuable and people love you.

Kenroy Young used his own life experiences to show that it is possible to do anything with a shift in mindset.

Kenroy Young

Once upon a time in my life, I suffered from low self-esteem by looking at my sisters, both my sisters, having academic achievements before me in life, because I was distracted by my own personal waywardness while I was a youth. and my rebelliousness and while I was locked up in prison they were going for their dreams going for their goals they keep focused and motivated and inside that would really like hinder my mind it’s like I haven’t accomplished enough.

And I came back out here and I said, you know something, I’m going to let the achievements of my siblings be my strength; that I am happy that they are achieving great things. And because of that, that inspired me to come out of that isolated, low self esteem.

For Young, his belief in God is what pulled him through.

Kenroy Young

God opened my eye and said, you don’t need academic accolades. Look at what you’re doing around you. Look at the lives that you’re touching around you. And it’s not because of what I am doing. It’s because of what he’s doing through me.

Marion Ali for News Five.