Building Confidence of Recovering Youth Drug Addicts Preparing for Re Entry and Employment

Some people, for whatever reason become addicted to drugs and consequently have disastrous consequences on their lives. Thanks to Operation Dawn, a Christian organization devoted  to bringing these people from the brink of their lives and helping them to quit their addiction.

Without the use of drugs and not requiring the drug addicts paying hefty sums of money for the latest medical equipment and therapies,  Operation Dawn believes and relies on the power of the gospel , prayers and the love of Christ to give these desperate people a second chance in their lives.

I was privileged to have been invited to do a series of workshops with this group of marginalized people. The road to reclaim their new lives is a long one and requires tremendous support. A generous couple has donated their country house located on a three acres land in Stoufville,  a small community located about a 30 minute drive from Toronto.

I have never met the residents of Operation Dawn .The purpose of my first visit was to build trust with the group, helping them to be confident about applying for jobs upon graduating from this program.

We arrived at the house shortly after 1pm and  saw a few shirtless young men playing basketball and enjoying the sunny weather at the front yard.  I had my program all planned out with my PPT ready to go. However, as an educator, I am always mindful of the needs of my audiences. I changed the format of my presentation and decided to hold my presentation outside on the front lawn under the basketball hoop so that the young men could enjoy a nice sunny afternoon outside.

The workshop went as follows:

1. I started the workshop with an introduction about me, my family and background, with pictures on my power point in the classroom.

2. It was followed by an Icebreaker activity –  I took the group outside. I wanted to incorporate some fun into the workshop and discussions.  I asked each participant to dribble the basketball around the group standing in a circle, coming back to his place then say his own name and using the first letter of his name, come up with 2 positive adjectives to describe himself/herself.

Enjoying some outside activities with the participants of the workshop

3.  Attempting to build the confidence of the participants further, I asked the group to reflect and answer these questions in the following sequence:

What am I good at?  name 2 things

What do I like to do?

What kind of jobs would I be looking for ?

Think of a job that can connect my strengths and interests.

Am I ready for job hunting?

Importance of an entry level and first job

Where to look for an entry level position?

Before answering  each question, every participant was asked to dribble the basketball once around the group and perform a favorite basketball trick of his /her own. Then the person with the ball would answer the question before throwing it to the next person.

The group seemed to enjoy this activity, the fine weather, watching others’ tricks and listening to each others ideas. It was a fun hour for me and my husband as well.

I shared with the group some special government programs targeting young people seeking employment. We had very positive feedback from the group as well as the two instructors.

It was a productive afternoon and we were glad that we could share our experience and testimonies with them.  I pray that God would use and bless the Operation Dawn ministry and help these young men to rebuild their lives and lead them to Jesus!

R.T.

Stoufville, Ontario