The building of self-esteem in young persons is especially crucial in the promotion of abstinence in the school environment, according to Youth Challenge Guyana’s (YCG) Community Outreach Coordinator, Shameza David.David, during an interview with this newspaper, yesterday, said that the Non-Governmental Organisation was prompted to engage an In-School Abstinence programme, titled ‘Stepping it up with better choices’ in five target schools in the quest to have students delay their first sexual experience.The programme, which is also geared at HIV/AIDS prevention, was initialised two years ago,Wholesale NFL Jerseys, but a second phase commenced at the start of the current academic year in five schools—Caramel and Houston Community Highs, Central High School, Leonora and Uitvlugt Secondary Schools.According to Ms David,China Jerseys, the programme entails 14 weeks of abstinence sessions in each school among third form students.And there is no option promoted during the one-hour-a-week sessions other than abstinence, David said.“Thus far we have seen results…This is our second year doing this programme and compared to the previous year we are seeing greater results because (the children) are evidently very enthused about it. If we, for any reason, have to miss a session they insist that we have to have make-up sessions. Their teachers are also boasting of how they (students) upbraid each other in school.”David attributed the enthusiasm of the students to the fact that the abstinence-based sessions are in fact participatory, allowing students to air their views and discuss issues of concern in-depth.She highlighted the notion that simply urging students to abstain would not be effective, adding that there is also the need to equip them with relevant life skills they need to aid such a practice.“You can’t just tell them to abstain…So we start off with self esteem because it is very important. If their self-esteem is not at the level where they can stand up for themselves and their beliefs, no amount of information will prevent them from making the wrong decisions in life.”The sessions also zero in on the importance of goal setting and decision-making skills,China Jerseys, David added. She said that with such skills they will be better able to make the right choice to abstain.According to David, while YCG has over the years had a presence in school through various programmes,Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping, the current initiative came into being through NGO’s collaboration with the now ended,Cheap NFL Jerseys, Guyana HIV/AIDS Reduction and Prevention Project, which had provided funding.She said that it was the intent of GHARP to have the school programmes become standardised thus the creation of a manual. The results of a Behaviour Surveillance Survey conducted in 2005-2006,Cheap NFL Jerseys, which showed that in-school youths were part of the at-risk-population because they are engaging in sexual activities, was also a basis on which the abstinence programme was initiated.