Shaping a better future
Booyah creating a pathway for youth
JUST over 20 weeks ago, eight teens were given the chance to turn their lives around and get off the path that led to them being entrenched in the juvenile justice system.
And thanks to Townsville’s Project Booyah program, those eight young men have now taken steps in the right direction.
James Sailor, 16, graduated from Project Booyah on Tuesday night after making what he hopes are life- long changes.
Project Booyah works with juvenile offenders and teens deemed at risk of disengaging from their family, school or engaging in other anti- social behaviours.
They are given the opportunity to develop life and social skills while bettering family relationships.
In his graduation speech, James said before the program he had been running from police, failing school and hanging around with the wrong crowd.
He said the program had helped him develop a level of self respect and see potential for a brighter future.
“My life before Booyah, it just wasn’t working for me. I tried to make changes but it just wasn’t working, it would not have happened without Booyah,” he said.
“I’ve learnt that I can do a lot of things. I don’t have to be scared … I’ve got a lot of confidence out of it.
“Last year I wasn’t enrolled ( in school) for half the year. I was wagging every day and this year I guess I’ve had to pull my head in. I’m passing five of six subjects, which I’m happy about.
“I now want to finish off with my schooling, find a parttime job for now and then figure out what I’m going to do with the rest of my life.”
Townsville Project Booyah co- ordinator Senior Constable Dee Prasser said positive success stories like James’s drove the program’s organisers.
“The outcomes are great, the employment and education results that are happening is what keeps us going,” she said.
“For some of these guys in our program, if they don’t have that support in their life, how do they succeed? How do they make changes?
“But we are just one piece of the puzzle. I think sometimes people assume because we are police we will just do everything, but we can only do our bit.
“Booyah is all about early intervention … it takes the whole community to help get these guys back on track, and I think if people knew and heard the stories about what these kids had been through, they would want to help them too.”