Twenty five young males from Eleuthera piled into McDonald’s recently to be treated to happy meals and a hearty helping of lessons they say they’ll never forget — what goes wrong when you don’t go right. Together with Men of Faith, two leaders from Teen Challenge know what it is like to take the wrong path, to be homeless or sleep in an abandoned truck, to wake up in prison, challenged these young men to become tomorrow’s leaders.
The young men, eleven and twelfth graders of Central Eleuthera High in Governor’s Harbour, were brought to New Providence by the Men of Faith, a non-denominational group of volunteers. The one day trip to the capital started with a visit to Her Majesty’s Prison at Fox Hill where the young men got a glimpse of prison environment. Prisoners struck fear into the teens with stories of the hardships of incarceration and what led to it.
“After today I won’t be getting into trouble at all,” a student promised, “Jail was hard and scary.”
“I’m from Palmetto Point, Eleuthera,” said Earla Bethel, President of DanBrad Ltd. “So I can identify with these youngsters and what it’s like to come from a quiet Family Island, trying to find their way in life. I am delighted to partner with Men of Faith & Teen Challenge in giving these young men some lessons of Life. It brings me great pleasure to give back to my community.”
“We definitely want to be proactive in our approach. There are many young men in need of encouragement and support to harness their skills and gifts and the Men of Faith set aside time to ensure that they are provided that,” said Jason Thompson, President of Men of Faith. “We try to channel positivity into the lives of others in any way that we can, making a difference to our nation and the world, one life at a time,” explained Jason Thompson.
Bethel reminded the teens of the importance of believing in themselves no matter the odds stacked against them. “I was young, female, with no experience in the Fast Food Industry. There was so much working against me, but today I own my own business,” she told the boys, her passion for the development of Bahamian youth echoing through her words.
McDonald’s Worldwide has made a commitment to community development and as the head of McDonald’s Bahamas, Bethel partners with like-minded persons to ensure that McDonald’s Bahamas has the same influence as evident with the company teaming up with Men of Faith, a spiritual group comprised of businessmen and pastors who dedicate time for the sake of humanitarian aid to those that find themselves in difficult circumstances, such as the elderly, orphaned children and at risk teens.
The McDonald’s lunch was also served with a harsh reality check, words from the real life experiences of recovered drug addicts and now respected counsellors with Teen Challenge, Eric Fox and Andre Chappelle.
The teens showed fear and awe as Chappelle walked them through his life story, being born into a wealthy family, experimenting with drugs at a young age, becoming a vagabond who would do anything to supply his next drug fix and ultimately finding his way to becoming an inspiration for all. Eric struck a nerve when he told them, “I made some bad choices and suffered the consequences, paying a very high price. But I can’t blame anyone. I’m not bitter; I just wish I had made better choices. I don’t want you young men to go down the path I travelled.”
Both men stressed the importance of taking responsibility for their actions and believing that they can be the change that The Bahamas needs.
“If I could make a difference in the life of one of these young men, then I would feel fulfilled,” Mrs. Bethel said. “We need to get to the root of the negative issues that plague our society as early as possible, moulding one life as a time with the hope that each one will mould another.”
Submitted By Diane Phillips and Associates
Caption: Caption- They’re “lovin’ it”. After an eye-opening experience at Her Majesty’s Prison, students from Eleuthera students were more than glad to enjoy a special lunch at McDonald’s. (Photo by Vincent Vaughn.)
