Earlier today, there was a moment of celebration and transformation at the Department of Youth Services in Belize City. Sixteen men proudly received certificates after completing the ‘Journey to Freedom’, a program designed to uplift, rehabilitate, and reintegrate young people through spiritual guidance and community support. It’s a powerful step forward for these individuals, and a reminder of the impact second chances can have. News Five’s Britney Gordon was there for the ceremony and brings us the story.
There’s a positive shift in motion and it’s happening in the Old Capital. After ten weeks of hard work, reflection, and growth, sixteen men have officially graduated from the ‘Journey to Freedom’ program. Beyond a certificate, it’s a step toward healing and hope. Designed to help vulnerable members of our society, the program focuses on emotional growth, spiritual guidance, and building stronger connections within the community. It’s about turning the page and starting a new chapter, and today, these men did just that.
Kenroy Young, National Youth Director, Restore Small Groups Belize
“We’ve been partnering around the world with many organizations, restore small groups to bring healing and hope and happiness into the lives of many people who face challenges in their lives, be it from grief, loss, from addiction from low self-esteem. From having their different fears. So ten weeks ago we started this program in partnership with the Leadership Intervention Unit, and we started with approximately twenty-four men, and today we have sixteen of them who successfully completed the program over the course of the past ten weeks.”
The Journey to Freedom is a thirty-six-day-long a rehabilitation initiative written by American spiritual coach, Scott Reall. It is focused on personal growth and positive change, encouraging participants to explore their emotions and address issues like self-worth, conflict resolution, and anger management. Tyrone Broaster shares what he’s picked up during this experience.
Tyrone Broaster, Graduate
“You have lot of people been through stuff and ney hold it in right? And ney exile ney self from people. And that da wa thing weh affect you when yo di hold in stuff. So the program mek yo get inna small groups and then you open up, so everybody open up. You get comfortable der and like what you said, journey to freedom. Give you like you take da load offa yo back and you can start over fresh. So da wa spiritual thing to like have to do with God and the Bible, but, and then da something weh beneficial to the community with the young youths ney growing up. You lead ney pan the righteous path right?”
Kenroy Young
“More seeds of hope and healing being spread across more communities in Belize. To see Belizeans become more generate a more holistic approach. In helping each other, being there for each other and supporting each other, and strengthening your neighbors and building solid spiritual Christian communities and values that reflect the good standing of everyday Belizean people who want peace, who want a reality where we don’t have a life of. Too many crime and we have domestic abuse and other various crimes affecting our communities and in our culture today.”
Tyrone Broaster
“Most people want to be known, right? You da want people know yo, but some people fear that if you open up, you might get rejected. If you open up, you probably have things weh they eat you, things weh you probably do inna the past weh no really to good. And you feel like yes, you da want people but then you got wa fear dat if you da open up, people will reject you. You call it like shame, right? Like shame. But the cure for that. People fear exposure, but the cure that, that is exposure. You have open up. Only so you could start over a new chapter in life.”
The Belize Project believes that by planting seeds of healing and hope, growth can be spread to other youths in their communities, nurturing a safer, kinder tomorrow.
Britney Gordon for News Five.