Domestic abuse survivor: Young girls should take advice

YOUNG girls should heed the advice of others and learn through their challenges and mistakes so they will not have to endure similar hardships.

This from domestic abuse survivor Tricia St John who spoke on Wednesday at the Understanding Me, My Value, My Opportunity and My Potential student conference at the Central Bank Auditorium in Port of Spain.

After a ten-year relationship ended in 2004, St John was chopped at Third Avenue, Gajadhar Lands in Princes Town and left for dead.

“Sometimes adults, not only parents, talk to us and we do not listen because we think they are old or they are trying to stop us from living or tying us down. But it is important for you, at this point in your lives, to listen because apart from the experiences your parents would have, other adults would have these and other experiences as well which can prove beneficial to you.”

Natalie O’Brady Mc Dowell, counsellor at Douglas and Associates Ltd told the girls it is important to know who they are and to have a vision in order to fulfill their purpose. She said the first step in fulfilling purpose and rebuking odds starts with “knowing who you are.”

“If I were to ask you, ‘in five years’ time where would you be’, what would be your answer? You must realise it is important to have a vision. One of things guaranteed in life is that we are always going to have challenges,” Mc Dowell said.

O’Brady Mc Dowell told the girls the odds which are meant to cripple them in life are going to be their greatest assets. She said it is all up to responsible adults to help young people to recognise value in all life challenges.

“For some of us it is our family. We grow up in some kind of families. We don’t get to choose our parents unfortunately and we don’t get to choose our homes and it hurt. But, that experience helps to build character and that could be your very valuable assets in going where you supposed to be.

“For some of us, it might be, we are just different and don’t feel good fitting in. Everybody this way and I am somehow. It will help you be a stronger individual in life. What are your odds? My challenge to you today is, against all odds fulfill your purpose.”

Executive director of Junior Achievement, Errol Lewis, said the aim of the programme is to prepare young people to succeed in a global economy by providing students with knowledge, skills and meaningful exposure to mentors which would serve to re-enforce their desire success. “This year the student conference took the form of a round table discussion, where students had the opportunity to interact with positive role models. Prominent local/international businesswomen all encouraged students to make changes in life that could lead to success.”

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