PUMP beneficiaries work to break stigma about Jamaican young men
Published:Thursday | May 5, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Mikhail McKenzie hails from the parish of St Mary and is a graduate of PUMP. The former St Mary High School head boy was a member of the first group of graduates, and he is now studying for his bachelor's degree in industrial technology.
McKenzie says the marginalisation of men is a result of the breakdown in the family structure.
"Most of the families today do not have fathers to guide the young men. Majority of these young men are left to the guidance of their peers. I believe that we need fathers in the homes to guide our sons for them to become strong men," McKenzie said.
He said The Mico University College should be commended for giving them the opportunity to become not just teachers, but preparing them to transform the lives of the young men who will be under their steward.
"We, as teachers going out there, have a task to remove the stigma from the minds of our young men. We will have the responsibility to encourage the young men that we teach to let them see there is no boundary to success. That they can achieve as much as they think they can," McKenzie said.
Despite the lack of resources, McKenzie said he is determined to pursue his dreams.
"I have always had the drive to lead a successful life and to be of help to persons in society in the best way possible. So spending five years of my life to get a teacher's degree will help me to be better off to help others. So, I do not really see it as a long time; it's a good investment," he said.
failure an expectation
Sheldon Wilson is another participant in PUMP. He also believes that the Jamaican society expects men to fail.
"Society expects us as males not to surpass certain levels and because of that most males take on the title that society has given to them. They have come to believe that not much is expected, so they do not need to do much to achieve," Wilson said.
Wilson is from the Windward Road community in east Kingston, and is a former student of the Dunoon Technical.
Driven by the motivation to succeed, he enrolled in PUMP and, despite the challenges, is focused on starting a bachelor's degree in English.
"My motivation comes from my zeal for helping others, especially as it relates to my male counterpart. I believe that getting involved in the educational sector I can help, especially in the English area where I can help them to read. Five years to me isn't long, because it is a goal that I want to achieve," Wilson said.
Meanwhile, Michael Hemmings is aspiring to become a physical education instructor. He said by using real-life scenarios, he can work with the students, especially the boys.
"I am going to graduate as a success, and help to change the perceptions of the youths. I want to help to expose and lead them in the right way, and show them that there is a silver lining behind the dark cloud," Hemmings said.