THE Ministry of Social Protection has intensified its efforts to prevent suicide by taking the message to schools, communities and workplaces.

This past week, a suicide prevention conference for staff was hosted by Qualfon and facilitated by Diego Alphonso, Administrator, Men’s Affairs Bureau; and Adel Lilly, Gender Specialist within the Ministry.
The discussion also included gender-based violence and anger management.

Targeting youths, the Ministry supported Queen’s College for the launch of “Operation Safe and Sound”, a special project by four students that seeks to address suicide in the school system. The students — Angelina Boodhoo, Akarshini Singh, Shafeena Milton, Wei Jun Wong — said the project aims at educating fellow students on the signs and symptoms of suicide, finding positivity in life, and how to get help.

Under the theme, “I am a Survivor”, Operation Safe and Sound is introducing “The Elder’s Sibling Program”, where a responsible, mature upper school student poses as a ‘sibling’ and lends emotional support, advice and academic help to a student of any age.

Alphonso congratulated the students for their initiative, noting that it’s worthy of emulation in other schools.

An outreach was also conducted at the Buxton Secondary School as part of the ongoing collaboration with the Community Policing Group of C1 Division, East Coast Demerara.