On the Path to Success!

How the USAID “Family Matters” intervention program helped a young teen in Guyana turn his life around

“I want to be a mechanical engineer!” That enthusiastic declaration comes from 15-year-old Shemar Thomas, who lives in the community of Lodge in Georgetown, Guyana.

Shemar wasn’t always so focused on the future. In his early teens, Shemar struggled as change entered his life. He spent the majority of his time living with his grandparents to ensure he had proper supervision while his mother, Marilyn, worked 12-hour shifts as a security guard to provide income for the family.

Despite that, Shemar’s behavior was out of control, with him prone to violent outbursts and turning in poor quality school work. His grandparents and mother believed if they didn’t solicit additional help soon, he wouldn’t be able to reverse course and turn his life around before the consequences of his actions became serious or before he fell in with bad company.

In parts of the Caribbean, this risk is all too real.

Many families face the prospect of being economically and socially marginalized, making their youth more at risk for involvement in delinquent behavior that leads to crime and violence. With youth unemployment ranging from 20 to 40 percent — compounded with concerning levels of illiteracy and increased drug trafficking — youth are at a higher risk for involvement in crime and violence. So reducing crime and violence is a high priority for citizens and governments in the Eastern and Southern Caribbean.

Enrolling in USAID’s Family Matters program not only improved Shemar’s behavior and school performance, but helped improve his relationship with his family, including his mother Marilyn (right) and his grandparents (left). / USAID

To help get Shemar back on the right path, Marilyn decided to enroll him in the USAID-funded Family Matters project, which aims to target at-risk youth in St. Lucia, Guyana and St. Kitts and Nevis.

Once enrolled in the year-long program, families participate in a series of scheduled home visits with certified Community, Family and Youth Resilience Program (CYFR) family counselors to change risky behaviors, strengthen families, and build greater family cohesion, youth self esteem and better coping skills. After six months, youth risk levels are reassessed to evaluate progress, and treatment is tailored to best benefit the child and family.

After joining the program and with encouragement from his grandfather, Shemar’s behavior and performance in school began to improve drastically. He became more engaged with his schoolwork, especially marine biology, a natural fit with Guyana’s diverse marine life. Like many teenagers, Shemar’s interests soon shifted to a new love: engineering.

“I’m doing a lot better in school, thanks to the program. I really want to be a mechanical engineer now, so I am studying the subjects that will allow me to become an engineer,” explained Shemar.

While the program has helped Shemar focus on his schoolwork, it has also provided him opportunities to try activities he wouldn’t normally have access to, such as playing a musical instrument.

“The one thing that I really loved about the program was learning to play the steel pan… I love it,” Shemar said. In 2019, Shemar played the steel pan during a visit from the U.S. Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch. / USAID

“The one thing that I really loved about the program was learning to play the steel pan… I love it,” Shemar said. He also was proud to have the opportunity to play a piece on the steel pan for U.S. Ambassador to Guyana Sarah-Ann Lynch when she visited a CFYR-sponsored summer program.

“The Family Matters program was very great and I am grateful for USAID for it. I have learned to better control my anger and deal with my emotions when things aren’t going my way,” Shemar added.

Shemar is not the only member of the family who benefitted. His mom, Marilyn, said it helped her improve her parenting.

“It really was a good program,” she said. “It helped me to control myself when I had to deal with Shemar. They taught us activities that pulled us closer together as a family, and to resolve any differences. It helped my entire family, and I am so happy that Shemar is on a better path now.”

Thanks to Shemar’s success, Marilyn also enrolled one of Shemar’s brothers in the Family Matters program and has noted significant improvements in his schoolwork and overall behavior. Marilyn noted that she is especially thankful to their family counselor who assisted the entire family with anger management, conflict resolution, and ultimately helped them build a happier and stronger family.

While the program concluded in November 2020, long-term sustainability was a critical component of the USAID project. Today in Guyana and St. Kitts government ministries continue to provide Family Matters counseling to at-risk youth and their families.

Regional Representative of USAID Eastern and Southern Caribbean Clinton White said: “We are thrilled that the Family Matters program had a positive impact on the Thomas family as well as so many others in Guyana. High levels of crime and violence endanger citizens’ lives and lead to instability that hinders societies’ ability to thrive.

“USAID is proud to partner with the people of the Caribbean to move education, health, economic development, and prosperity forward, so they are able to have opportunities to better their lives and to promote more vibrant communities. When we build stronger and more vibrant societies, we provide more opportunities that allow both people and communities to flourish.”

And Shemar is doing just that.

About the Author

Ayesha Lett is the Development Outreach and Communications Specialist at USAID Eastern and Southern Caribbean located in Barbados.