Rose Garden Parenting Club making strides in community support

The Rose Garden Parenting Club has been a beacon of hope and support for the local community since its inception last year. The club was established by the community with the support of Project STAR.

The project team has helped with establishing a structure and setting up executive bodies for each club with a president and other officers.

Club president, Tanecia Cole, said, “The parenting club is important to us as it facilitates parents coming together as a group. We are able to sit and relate the types of problems we are experiencing and seek guidance and assistance from outside resources. Even having a social worker assist parents in better guiding their kids is invaluable.”She said that despite challenges, the club is steadily growing. “We have around 20 persons now in the parenting club,” Cole noted. The community’s response has also been positive, with more parents seeking advice and support.

Karen McGlashin, social worker at Project STAR, said the club was established in the space following a “reasoning session” with the community members, in which they shared that parenting skills needed to be strengthened as a matter of priority.

She said members of the clubs are exposed to parenting sessions organised by Project STAR. Residents, she said, are informed of the different parenting styles and through discussions are educated on the best parenting styles and best practices to help raise well-adjusted children.

The programme also offers counselling sessions to help parents manage anger even as they are assisted to develop better parenting skills.

Raheim Robinson, a member, highlighted the importance of the sessions. “It educates young mothers and fathers, helping them to raise their children the right way,” Robinson said.

Secretary Nikona Chinyu, highlighted the club’s efforts in organising community events and providing support to families in need. “We’ve been organising treats for kids and events like bingo for fundraising,” Chinyu said. The club has also provided baby necessities to parents in need, which has been a significant help. “We’re also focused on supporting the elderly with necessities,” Chinyu said.

Project STAR is a five-year social and economic transformation project that targets under-resourced, under-served communities experiencing high levels of crime or violence. Through a comprehensive consultation process, communities assist in determining their own needs, which are further supported by extensive data and analysis.