asked in 2005
answered by Patricia Mosca

1. What are the challenges facing young people in the Caribbean today?

For those in poverty situations who fall out or are not successful in the formal educational system at ages 16-19 years, there is no hope for employment or further training/education. There are the problems of alienation, restless searching and addictiveness, which lead to self-inflected or other inflicted violence.


2. Have your concepts been applied elsewhere in the world?

Servol’s Adolescent Development Programme (for 16-19 yrs) is established in the Bahamas, Dublin (Ireland), Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, King Williams Town (South Africa), St Lucia and Dominica.
Servol’s Early Childhood Programme (for 3-5 yrs) is established in 15 countries across the Caribbean.


3. Do you see your work mainly as charitable or also as political?

Definitely only charitable.


4. What is the cause for the positive changed attitude observed in the young people who participate in the Adolescent Development Programme?

This 3,5 months programme is designed to prepare young people for subsequent training by allowing them to understand themselves and to open themselves up to caring, sharing and loving. There are talks on self-understanding, self-awareness and spirituality, they are helped to overcome complexes, prejudices and to discover how they are trapped in a cycle of violence which is born out of repressed anger.


5. What is the key to Servol’s success?

There is the development approach based on a philosophy of ignorance, not assuming but rather asking the people what their needs are and how Servol can help. Servol listens attentively to their answers and intervenes respectfully in a spirit of mutual benefit.


6. What effect has the RLA had on your work?

When Servol was awarded the RLA in 1994, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago acknowledged the organisation shortly thereafter (in 1995) by honouring our chairman Fr Gerard Pantin with the highest national award, the Trinity Cross; this is an annual award.