The Tribune

By ALESHA CADET

Tribune Features Reporter

IN THE midst of planning a launch for the new "Roaming Fathers Program", the ACM Anglican Church Men is hosting a pre-father's day Grill and Chill event Saturday.

Held at the St Gregory's Anglican Church grounds on Carmichael Road, the event will run from 11 am to 7 pm.

ACM President, Hebert Styles told Tribune Religion, the event is in aid of purchasing a mini passenger van for the Roaming Fathers Programme, which caters to young men between the ages of ten and eighteen years old, in an effort to guide them down a better path. Mr Styles said the purchase of the mini van will be used to transport young men to and from the programme.

He said the four components of the program consist of mentorship and socialization, spiritual grounding and Christian principles, uniting sons with fathers who they have never met and criminal activities and gang violence.

When talking about the component of uniting sons with fathers, Mr Styles said: " I had an experience of talking to a young man one time ago, whose father is a prominent figure in the community. And this young man went to visit his father's office and in turn, his father told him to never show his face at the office again because it is going to cause embarrassment on his part. He said his father's wife, nor any of his other siblings knew about him. He told him if he needed money or something, he would have someone drop it off to him."

Mr Styles said this took a great toll on the son because even today, 20 years later, he still doesn't have a real relationship with his father.

He said he also had the opportunity of talking to many young Bahamian men in the community, going through the same situation of having a failed relationship with their fathers.

"I talk to the single mothers as well and sometimes they get angry when asked about their situation. A lot of people don't want to talk about it, but they don't know the hurt it brings."

He said there are some fathers who would like to extend their hands after a while, but the mother still has that anger built inside. There is nothing more important than communication, he said.

Speaking about the criminal activities and gang violence component, he said: "Through my research, I found out that in a lot of schools, young men are being pressured into joining gangs. A lot of these men are in households where there is only the mother, so they come and go as they please."

He said he sees the programme bringing change in terms of the ACM members helping by going into these homes to talk to families and bring closure to some of the ills that exist.

"If the mother is having a problem with her son, we can go in and talk to them. Some of the children don't even have bibles, I sometimes provide them, just to instill some Christian values. We are prepared to take them to church as well. The launching of the programme is very timely because Father's Day is this Sunday and this is a family event. We would like for people to come out with their fathers," said Mr Styles.