Youngsters who have fallen on bad days can be comfortably rehabilitated into the mainstream society and made to be productive and useful, a successful businesswoman of Indian origin has said.
Odelia D’Souza, Managing Director of the Kalamazoo Group, stated to be the largest privately owned printing enterprise in the country, keeps a busy schedule at work but finds time for community work, which she says is more meaningful and satisfying.
“The importance of family and proper care of children cannot be overemphasised in any society. But unfortunately, circumstances wreak havoc in the lives of some young men and women. They need attention and care,” she said.
Ms D’Souza is involved with a number of charity projects connected with her Christian faith, but when she heard about ‘Conscious Program International’ based in Auckland, she decided to find out more to explore possibilities of constructive engagement for improving the lot of people in trouble.
She learnt that as well as offering counselling, CPI conducted career workshops and several other structured programmes of proven value.
Counselling service
About five months ago, she approached the organisation, volunteering to offer her services and help people in need of counselling.
CPI is fortunate to have people like her who have chosen a candidate each, with who they talk, discuss and analyse problems and seek the best solutions.
Among such volunteers are company executives, entrepreneurs, teachers and others, who register themselves with the organisation and agree to devote their time and effort to offer help and assistance to people.
Ms D’Souza chose a young mother and agreed to offer $350 as sponsorship fee.
Let us call her Ms X, since one of the primary requirements of CPI is strict adherence to privacy and confidentiality.
“In terms of the set norms, I have agreed to counsel this young woman over six sessions over as many months, with each 90-minute session devoted to discussion and action. When I met Ms X for the first time, I realised how some of our youngsters are affected by circumstances and relationships within the family. My involvement and interaction with her began with an attempt to understand the person and her situation,” Mrs D’Souza said.
Probing issues
Questions such as ‘What, Where, How and Why’ certain events occurred in their lives help counsellors to understand these social victims so that effective and lasting solutions can be found.
There are many like Ms X who long for love and care from parents who have abandoned them. They look for affection and understanding but find only emptiness staring at them.
It is easy for such youngsters to drop out of schools, lose confidence, remain apathetic towards employment, and develop hatred towards the society. They also counter teenage pregnancy, single parenthood and alcohol and drug addiction, with a tendency to fall out of the social system.
Mrs D’Souza said that Ms X longed to meet and be with her parents.
She showed the sure signs of depression, despondency and desperation. Like many youngsters in trouble, she differed in her attitude towards employment, the community and the society,” she said.
Successful return
Ms X has come a long way since Mrs D’Souza met her a few months ago.
Counselling has helped her to see the brighter side of life.
Like many other who seek help from CPI, Ms X has understood the values in life.
“Everyone makes mistakes in life but everyone needs an opportunity to correct themselves and move on,” Mrs D’Souza said.
“I have always believed in the importance of family and the need to offer care and protection to our children. Ms X badly needed her parents. From a state of helplessness and despair, she has now gained self-confident with a ‘can do’ approach,” she added.
Mrs D’Souza said that everyone has something to offer to the society and the world, and all of us must learn to take the good that is resident in each person.
“Keeping a family together and looking after the wellbeing of children are the two most important aspects in life.
“When families are together with people caring for each other with love and affection, people like Ms X would not be in trouble,” she said.
