Workshop on Gang culture and prevention with Allen Blue:
Friday afternoon, Hogares Sanos had the pleasure of having Allen Blue to come and speak on gang-violence prevention. This was a great chance for us to spend quality time with the woman of Hogares Sanos. The meeting was very successful, and Allen Blue was a terrific speaker (and Professor Post was a great interpreter!) with tons of energy that kept the crowd entertained and laughing. We hosted seven mothers at the event, and one child. The mothers listened while a few of us entertained the small boy with play dough and coloring books.
An important topic that was brought up during the discussion was about taking measures to prevent gang-violence starting early on in childhood. Mr. Blue made a great point by saying that children need to be able to make the right decisions, and that means preparing them early on. Parents have their children’s undivided attention from ages 1-6, and they need to be careful about forming a good bond, and making good impressions on them. Children are very impressionable during this stage, and once children hit about 10 or 12 the become more preoccupied with their friends. Mr. Blue went on to say how its important to pay attention to your child’s behavior and what they wear, giving examples of different symbolic clothing and fashion that could be signs of gang influence.
Afterward the attending members of Hogares Sanos and Allen Blue had the chance to share conversation over a healthy snack of fruit with cheese and crackers.
Now we plan to compile a list of instructions and contacts for the women and their families, in case they or their children ever need to talk to someone or need help avoiding this gang culture.
-Liam, Anna, Casey, & Erin
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94 gangs in Alamance County. Gangs for the Latino youth are on the rise. My eyes are open. We must be a part of the solution and I think this is going to be a perfect intersection for our work in Honduras and local community.