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Queen’s Health Outreach contributing to Guyana over 30 years
A group of students from Queen’s University in Canada has been coming to Guyana since 1989. The student-run volunteer organization conducts interactive sessions with youths to promote the values of health and
Some members of the Queen’s Health Outreach programme, Manny De Jesus, Rebecca McElroy Shannon Rowe, Haylee Denooge and Shannon Pappas.
education.
Queen’s Health Outreach (QHO) visits Guyana for seven weeks every spring. Each year a batch of students visits Kingston, Ontario, communities in Northern Canada, Kenya, Belize and Guyana. Guyana was chosen years ago due to a study on developing nations, Rebecca McElroy, the Programme Director explained.
The group focuses mainly on the three sub-disciplines of health (physical, mental, and sexual). There are 40 peer educators in the QHO. Those currently here are Rebecca McElroy, Manny De Jesus, Shannon Rowe, Shannon Pappas, Haylee Denooge, Kate O’Brien, Megan Elliot, Megan Butter, Robbie Gillies, Cora Nitert-Brown.
The peer educators conduct the interactive sessions that range from psychology, to global development, to life sciences. The QHO has weekly educational sessions all year around to train the volunteers.
Some topics discussed in the interactive sessions are abuse, suicide, depression, peer pressure, anatomy, healthy relationships, drugs and alcohol.
There is a question box at every session, “thoughts and things they (youths) would hope to learn” are placed in the box, Pappas noted. “We have had overwhelming positive experiences in the schools and youth spaces” the team said.
They plan to work with Christ Church Secondary School, St. John’s College, North Georgetown Primary school, Saint Rose’s Secondary, Adult Education Association, Reyaz Business Institute, and Sophia Training Centre.
Chase’s Academic Foundation, the Business School and Ruimveldt Children’s Aid Centre were some places that the QHO worked with.
The Organization is fully sponsored through fund raiser initiatives and in the past Scotia Bank has aided in sponsorship.
Pappas explained that the team has been quite impressed with the Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA). QHO plans to conduct training sessions with the youth volunteers in hopes of creating a Guyanese educational peer based programme.
While in Guyana, members of the QHO also participated in television and radio programmes. (By Zanneel Williams)
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