MARIAN HOUSE – Home for Young Men

In August 1987, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago established a task force focusing on young street dwellers. At the request of this task force and the Government, Living Water Community agreed to set up Marian House providing that it would have active governmental support. This assurance came through the Ministry of Health and a state owned building was provided. This was located at the corner of New and Henry Streets, Port of Spain. On Christmas day, 1987, Marian House opened its doors with breakfast and carol singing to seventy-five young street dwellers.

Over the years, the Marian House programme has evolved into a developmental programme for adolescent males, and has successfully graduated a large number of confident, academically qualified, skilled and respectable young men, who were able to reintegrate and contribute positively into mainstream society.
In keeping with the vision of the national youth policy of The Ministry of Gender, Youth and Child Development, Marian House, Living Water Community subscribes to the following:
– To uphold and promote the universal rights and needs of every child, as well as the holistic development and empowerment of young people.
– To develop intervention strategies to protect voiceless and vulnerable groups, and adopt a team-based approach to our work on youth development.

Youth can be viewed ‘as change agents’ and we are required to implement new structures, strategies, programmes and initiatives intended to make youth development a more significant driving force in

Trinidad and Tobago’.

Marian House Living Water Community’s framework for intervention and upholding this vision to empower and protect the voiceless and vulnerable adolescent youth places great emphasis on a system’s approach and immense understanding of the developmental model, with particular reference to the ‘at risk’ adolescent males. The approach to intervention is based on the following guiding principles and philosophy:

1. Children are victims of circumstances and every child has an inherent right to an education, the development of maximum capability regardless of gender, ethnicity, economic, social and religious background.
2. No child should be left behind – Children who are at risk for school failure as a result of environmental influences such as poverty, homelessness, abuse can be excluded from the instructional material from the classroom and be at risk for academic failure.
3. The right for every youth to be heard – research suggests that the most effective ways of focusing on children is by listening to their voices since we do not share the same perceptions. (Cook Sather, 2002)
In keeping with these principles Marian House LWC continually introduces and adopts programmes for the development of the young men in their home.

Ongoing Development Programme for Young Men:

This provides an opportunity for second chances to spiritual development and learning. It avoids enabling a culture of dependency. The programme takes into consideration the chronological age as well as the developmental stage of each young man when making any decisions. It is expected that the young man will learn new skills understand his rights but also be responsible.

IDP: The Individual Developmental plan determines the kind of help the young man receives holistically. it is a plan created by the young man and the staff. It defines the young man dreams/desires to a second chance.
Psychometric Tests/ Career Coaching: This is a personalized kind of counselling and it has done wonders in the program. It allows every young man to do some deep introspection into self and their individual strengths as it relates to their career path and emotional intelligence.
IEP: The Individual Educational Plan is an instrument also created with the young man’s input. He clearly outlines his plans for studies/ schooling identifying areas of strengths and weaknesses. We facilitate through the provision of schools/ extra tutoring after school and high level of supervision

How We Measure Our Success:

Over the years we have measured our successes not only by the academic landmarks but also by the developmental milestones. We can identify when a young man came into the programme and did not understand self or had difficulty expressing self and today he is able to communicated with a high level of rational and understanding for self and others.

Some came to the programme with deep hatred for God and bitterness towards others because of their life circumstances. However, presently the same young men will offer to pray for you. Many have shared that they needed a second chance to an education because they were taken out of school at a very early age, and never thought that they will pass a subject at CSEC and we have had 90% success at this level. A young man came off the streets recently and said to us that all he needed was to go back to school and get his passes. This young man had many challenges with the law, spent some time at YTC, as well as, lived on the streets. However, he met someone who told him about Marian House and he came seeking help, he shared his challenges and dreams, worked his plan IDP and he was very successful. Today he is employed and a focused young man in society.

A total of 186 Coaching sessions have been delivered to the young men of Marian House from 25 November 2013 to 18 August 2014. This consisted of 103 sessions of Life Coaching and 83 sessions of Career Coaching, all delivered on a one-on-one basis at Marian House. The young men seem to enjoy the sessions, as well as the personal attention that they received during their sessions. This was evidenced by the improvement in their demeanor and body language and their willingness to engage even after the sessions were over.

At least two Psychometric assessments were administered to each young man, and in some cases three. The Vocational Style and Career Assessment for Students (VoSCA-St), as well as Emotional IQ and Concentration tests.

Additionally, young men were actively involved in a mediation program which they used as a catalyst to developing their own cell phone policy. Also programs such as “Addressing fatherhood wounds” was able to help young men explore their hurts in respect to the absence of their father’s love and begin the healing process.

We have had significant successes in the Education of our young men at CSEC and CAPE examinations two of our young men will be attending the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine September 2014 pursuing a degree in medicine and Environmental Management respectively. There is also one young man at UTT and CAPE final year both of whom have graduated from the Marian House program this year. Additionally, there is one young man who are presently working as a prison’s officer and two others will be going into the prison and coast guard soon as officers. Additionally, some of our young men who came to the program with various difficulties from the vicissitudes of life having grown to be successful and productive citizens of this country. Marian house continues to be a second chance family, a learning environment in the best interest of our nation’s young men.