Pauline Etienne
31 July 2007
Port Louis — "Leadership training based on a service philosophy." This is how the British American Investment group describes its "Youth Engaged in Service" programme. Launched in May this year, the programme targets about 140 pupils aged 12 to 18 years old and aims at develo-ping a commitment in these young people that will last a lifetime and enable them to become responsible leaders in the future.
The YES programme is part of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities of BAInvestment. "We believe that our population is the greatest wealth of our country.The leadership of tomorrow is the youth of today and the training of these young leaders has to start now to bear its fruits later," says Nina Gopaul, in charge of the CSR department at BAI. This programme is expected to help them acquire and develop skills in order to achieve their potential. "This leadership approach will encourage collaboration, trust, foresight and listening as well as the ethical use of power and empowerment".
Pupils enrolled on voluntary basis
After BAI chose the four colleges to take part in the first edition of this programme - DAV College Port-Louis, Keats College Chemin-Grenier, Loreto College Port-Louis and Muslim Girls' College Port-Louis - pupils from those schools enrolled on a voluntary basis.
For four months, these pupils have to be free once a week between 2.30 and 4 pm. The sessions start at the end of the school day after a fifteen-minute break where sandwiches and drinks are provided.
Then the course starts. "Some of the modules are workshops like the team building and conflict management sessions. For effective public speaking for instance, the 'learn by doing' approach is used whilst for modules like healing and transforming the environment, it is more like a lecture," explains Nina Gopaul. BAI has arranged for a number of experts in various fields to come and give lectures to the pupils. Pierre Baissac, Dr Maigrot and Jacqueline Sauzier are among those who have accepted to give some of their time to the pupils.
But Nina Gopaul makes it clear that the most important thing is "action" for these pupils. "This will help them in remembering the skills acquired and developed when the programme is over," she asserts. This is why an outing is planned for next week where pupils will be able to see what they have been taught during their lectures.
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