 The mentorship component of the Our Boys Matter program has advanced. June 2021 saw the pairing of beneficiaries with their mentors. In a brief ceremony for the pairing, the St. Lucia Social Development Fund, SSDF, facilitating agency for the program says they will initially challenge with finding male figures to mentor the secondary school boys. Thankfully, members of a Christian Sec, the brotherhood of St. Andrew, availed themselves. What has helped the SSDF meet its mentor quota for the program? There is no shortage of willing ladies to mentor, you know. There is no shortage of that, but there's a shortage of males. And we have, my personal belief is that because a lot of these boys have not been exposed to positive role models that I think it is critical and I've battled a little bit with Ms. Edwin and Ms. Anthony and, you know, in terms of whether we should bring on board female mentors. And finally I said, look, if we cannot get males, let's do females because some sort of mentorship is better than none. So I was very happy when the brotherhood stepped forward and, you know, and willing to assist us with that. But make no mistake about it. These boys and young ladies, by the matter, need the presence of positive male models in their life, role models. And it's for that reason that we're very happy that you are here. Chief Education Officer Dr. Fiona Philip Meyer charged the young men to make the most of the mentorship program. They have decided it is important enough to spend their time with you. So here's what I need you to do, boys. I need you to make some very clear choices as to how you're going to be respectful of their time, you're going to show gratitude for their time, you're going to engage in activities that is for your benefit, not necessarily for them because the benefactor, the beneficiaries are you. The responsibility that they've decided they want to shoulder is that of the society, that of your parents, more so your fathers. And if somebody decides it's important enough for me to spend time with you, respect that individual. The mentorship drive eventually attracted 45 mentors, exceeding the 23 needed for the ceremony's pairing session. The Our Boys Matter program is an ongoing initiative of the SSDF that offers resource support and mentorship for at-risk males at the secondary school level.