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The Youth At Risk (YAR) project began in 1996 with three week camps. Youths aged 14-25 were taken out of their regular environment to think alone without peer pressure. Today YAR also includes a diversion project, a young mothers project,a prison project, victim offender conferencing project as well as the parent and community workshops.
Life Skills Camps
The purpose of the 3-Week Life Skills Camp is to educate and teach out of work, out of school youth in life skills through a holistic program of lessons and activities in an intensive three-week camp setting where they are not influenced by the problems and troublesome environment of their communities. While at camp, campers learn about Diversity, Communication, Goal Setting, Job Preparation, Conflict Resolution as well as other topics during morning and afternoon sessions.
The success of the Youth At Risk project has been amazing. Since 1996 over 40 camps with over 1500 participants gaining skills that will change their life’s forever. More than 160 have volunteered their services to Conquest For Life and 100 have worked full time for the organisation (meet the staff at CFL). 50% of ex participants attended Conquest For Life’s Computer classes prior to or after attending the Youth At Risk Project. We have an 80% success rate in keeping the youth from returning to gangs or criminal activity.
Learning to work as a team
Playing for peace...
Mentorhip Programme
Central to the success of our camps is our mentorship programme. Upon completion of a camp, each youth is assigned a mentor who is usually a respected member of the local community. Mentors are trained to develop supportive relationships with ex-campers through interaction taking place at least once a month. This could take the form of a shared meal, telephone call or meeting. The basis of the relationship will be to reinforce what has been learnt at camp and apply this to daily life. Each mentor will have up to 4 youths. Contact would be maintained for at least one year after the camp.
A day out for sport activities
Diversion Project
Youths at risk may be sent to us via the Refer, Asses and Rehabilitation (RAR) centre or the local courts. They enter a lifeskills programme at CFL and progress is monitored throughout. The project runs on weekday afternoons and is split into two segments. Topics covered include communication skills, conflict management and resolution, positive self image and attitude etc. and youth work in groups. At the end of the programme, CFL staff send a report to the court for feedback on progress.
Kids from the Diversion Project
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