Agenzija sedqa yesterday held a certificate-giving ceremony for over 200 school children who, this summer, attended and participated in sedqa’s classes held as part of SkolaSajf 2007, in collaboration with the Education Department.

Addressing the young participants during this event, held at the Zebbug Secondary School, Joe Gerada, chief executive officer of the Foundation for Social Welfare Service, said that education against drug and alcohol use has to form part of the wider value of healthy living and sedqa is gradually presenting programmes that address the lifestyle of young people rather than focusing strictly on abuse.

He said that sedqa facilitators and schoolteachers worked well together and this effective collaboration could be used to address other pressing issues such as violence in school and the problem of anti-social behaviour, thus reaching the children at an early stage. Mr Gerada emphasised the need to create networks and adapt a team approach to support young people to face the emerging challenges.

Present for this event, there were also Ray Camilleri, Director Curriculum Manager and Saviour Saliba, SkolaSajf organiser from the Ministry of Education. Sedqa was represented also by Albert Buttigieg, Division Coordinator of the Primary Prevention Services and Elizabeth Scerri, sedqa’s coordinator of SkolaSajf.

This is the seventh consecutive year in which sedqa is participating in SkolaSajf, this year focusing on the theme of healthy life choices. This programme was delivered in eight participating schools between July and August, targeting students in Years Four, Five and Six. This programme included six sessions of three hours each. Topics dealt were family, school, sports, friends, the beach and getting help. The participating primary schools were the state schools in Birkirkara, Marsascala, Qormi (St George), Naxxar, San Gwann, Fgura, Zebbug and Zurrieq.

These programmes were delivered by four of the 12 sedqa facilitators within the agency’s Primary Prevention Team who deliver educational prevention programmes in various schools throughout the year. Sedqa facilitators get specialised training and reach more than 4,000 students and 2,000 parents in primary schools per scholastic year. Such programmes are delivered simultaneously to other courses aimed towards parents, who together with educators, serve as role models for the children.

For more information on sedqa’s Primary Prevention programmes, one can contact the Primary Prevention Team on tel. 2124-4226 or by email to: [email protected].

Further details about Agenzija sedqa and its services are available from sedqa Helpline 151, www.sedqa.gov.

mt and www.mfss.gov.mt.