radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
National award recipient Dr Jerome Teelucksingh, who is the founder of International Men’s Day in T&T and the International Day of the Boy Child, says Caribbean men are continuing to face a crisis as it relates to relationships, stereotypes and emasculation.
In an interview days after he received the Hummingbird Medal (Gold) in the spheres of education and volunteerism, Teelucksingh admitted to feeling like a failure because some of the goals he had set 20 years ago to help men and boys have not yet been achieved.
With over 500 members on board, Teelucksingh said he had hoped to have specialised programmes and policies dedicated to helping men seek help for depression, suicide, infidelity, addiction, emasculation and bullying.
The Caribbean culture, he says, is one where men are not encouraged to seek help, as this is seen as a sign of weakness.
“When I founded the movement, I sought to change the way that men are stigmatised and stereotyped. But to be honest, sometimes I feel we have failed,” Teelucksingh said.
“We have gotten worse. I feel as if I’m hitting my head on a wall. When I see the annual murder rate for the past ten years, or when see the high rate of divorce and separation; when I see boys falling behind at CAPE, CSEC and UWI graduation, I sense that I am not doing enough work and my idea has not taken root as yet.”
He noted that partnerships were needed between the private sector and non-government organisations (NGOs) to support men and boys.
“Our men are in a crisis. We need collaboration. NGOs that have projects, like the YMCA, should be given support from the private sector. We have so many companies and banks making profits. Those projects that help men, like our outreach projects, need more support from the government and the private sector,” he said.
If men do not get the intervention now, Dr Teelucksingh said, more families will be ripped apart.
“The Government needs to allocate money every year in the budget for projects to help men who are at the crisis level,” he added.
However, he noted that it was not only men and boys who needed help.
“We need to develop programmes to help the children of our society. It breaks my heart to see parents begging for support to help children with medical conditions,” he said.
He said male perpetrators of crime need intervention as well.
Teelucksingh said he was willing to partner with any NGO, business association, Government ministry or educational institution that could facilitate programmes geared towards helping men and boys.
Anyone who wants to join Dr Teelucksingh in the fight can email to internationalmensdaytt@gmail.com or visit https://www.facebook.com/IMDTNT