RHTY&SC launches Say No to Suicide posters with Aurora Gold Mines sponsorship

The 10 cricket teams of Guyana’s leading youth and sports organisation, the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, MS, are forging ahead with their campaign to get youths to embrace the beauty of life.

The teams, with sponsorship from Aurora Gold Mines, have published hundreds of Say Yes to Life, No to Suicide posters as part of its Berbice-wide Say No/Say Yes campaign. Under the campaign, the cricket teams seek to advise youths to Say No to Drugs, Suicide, Alcohol, Tobacco, Crime, Pre-Marital Sex and Yes to Education, Sports, Life, Religion and Culture.
Club Secretary/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Hilbert Foster, MS, stated that the 11-inch by 18-inch posters would be placed in every school in Berbice. The RHTY&SC, he stated, is very concerned over the high rate of suicide among youths in Berbice and the loss of Guyana’s most valuable asset – its youths. Noting that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary crisis or problem, the veteran youth leader, who is also the President of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB), stated that youths have to understand that suicide was not an option.
The poster features the photos of five outstanding youth leaders from the Ancient County, who the club are promoting as positive role models. They are education advocate Mahendra Phagwah, Ms Exquisitely Conscious 2019 Denica Henry, Youth ambassador and columnist Marissa Foster, Ms World Guyana 2019 Joylyn Conway and medical student Shazam Somwar.
The poster advises youths to have hope, to place their faith in the God they believe in, to seek advice from trusted friends and not to keep problems to themselves. Assistant RHTY&SC Secretary/CEO Simon Naidu disclosed that distribution of the posters would commence shortly as the objective is to have one in every classroom across Berbice. The publication of the posters is the second part of a three-way programme sponsorship from Aurora Gold Mines.
Under the sponsorship, the 10 cricket teams assisted 10 less fortunate students with bicycles in an effort to get them to attend school regularly. The final aspect of the joint programme would be the hosting of a one-day youth inspiration forum involving 200 schoolchildren from Region Six. The RHTY&SC, Naidu stated, has recommitted itself to expanding its Say No to Suicide programme after its Secretary/CEO observed first-hand the effect that suicide has had on the family of victims during recent visits to the Port Mourant Hospital. He expressed gratitude to the management and staff of Aurora Gold Mines, especially Miranda La Rose and Mr Brathwaite, for their support. The 10 cricket teams of the RHTY&SC are Poonai Pharmacy Under-12 and 13, Farfan and Mendes Under-15, Bakewell Under-17 and Second Division, Pepsi Under-19 and Intermediate, Metro females, Thunderbolt Flour Under-21 and First Division.