Keeping Me Safe (KMS) Program

Participants with Sr Jossie RGS, standing 5th right

SANDAKAN:  24 young participants attended the two-day Keeping Me Safe (KMS) Program on 1st and 2nd July at St. Mark’s Catholic Church, some 20 km from town. The program was facilitated by Sr. Jossie Sili (RGS), Mary Anne Baltazar, and Evelyn Doikin  of Alamesra Youth-Prep Centre (YPC) Kota Kinabalu which is a youth drop-in centre, providing a safe place for youths seeking  professional assistance and support.

(Top:  Sr Jossie RGS  Below: Mary Anne)

Basically, The Keeping Me Safe is a personal safety program. It empowers teenagers to take part in their own protection by enhancing their protective behaviors through information, skills, and self esteem within their own culture and belief. Personal Safety is built on the Core Life Skills of decision making, problem solving, creative thinking, critical thinking, effective communication, interpersonal relationship skills, self- awareness, empathy building, coping with emotions and coping with stress within the direct context of safety from physical, emotional, and sexual harm. Personal safety also equips teenagers with knowledge, for example, rights, as well as knowing how to assess risky situations that are dangerous to them. This will help them to recognize potentially abusive situations, and also to report abuse to caring adults.

Getting the youth into action 

At the end of the program they were:

• Aware of their rights and responsibilities
• Able to understand on how to manage and handle their emotions in  positive ways to help them keep safe
• Equipped with a strategy to handle potentially risky situations
• Able to identify their own support system  (family, church, school, community, friends)
• More aware about themselves
• Motivated to build self-esteem and assertiveness skills
• Able to understand the elements of  healthy relationships and the importance of effective communication
• Enhanced in problem-solving and decision-making skills

Jellferlyne Joseph, Program Officer SMCC Sandakan

Pusat Kebajikan Good Shepherd (PKGS)