MINISTER OF YOUTH, FAMILY AND SPORT Esther Byer-Suckoo said the role for family should not be Government's responsibility.

She made the remarks during the launch of the Kairos Academy Inc. Streetlight Community Theatre at the Valley Resource Centre,St George on Saturday evening.

"When our communities can come out and create their own activities,it means that it makes the role of Government a little easier because we just have to support those programmes. I think that while my ministry has the responsibility for family for example, that really should not be the role of Government," said Byer-Suckoo.

"Within our communities we can support our families, we can provide guidance and direction and emotional support for them. It is just that . . . Government needs to take up this responsibility right now. But it is something I believe in our communities we should be doing," she insisted.

Offer support

The Minister of Family said her ministry would put back the responsibility where it belongs, but she would continue to offer her support.

"I am saying to the churches, this is the role they used to have and now because that role is not as strong as it used to be then, we see what has been happening in our society. I fully intend that the Ministry of Family will over time put that responsibility back into the hands of the community . . . and back into the hands of the churches as well, because it is best for the communities to take care of their own," she added.

Director of the new Streetlight Community Theatre, Sherroll Inniss, said the new theatre was for all age groups and for people from all walks of life.

The essence of the community based programme"is to create a positive change".

"What we are hoping to do is create a forum where people can come and express their fears, struggles, dreams and hopes. We want to create a safe place for people to come and vent whatever they are feeling and then be able to channel them into positive actions," said Inniss.

She pointed out that it was her intention to create a theatre in every parish.

"As we work in a parish we will conduct some workshops to get people in that parish up and going with their own community theatre.

"We are not taking a home skill programme in the community to make a presentation to that community . . . as we go in we will try to network with groups so that they create their own theatre," she said as she called on churches to join in the quest for a more positive society. (MM)