During this mid-term break, the Youth Ambassadors for Mental Health hosted a student-led charity event to benefit Inclusion Cayman. 

On Saturday October 22^nd, 50 teens from across the island, all in costume, joined the Teen Halloween Charity event held at Lucky Slice in George Town. The students raised $250 for the charity and also presented prizes to the top Halloween costumes. 

Event organiser and Youth Ambassador leader Jhadari Lumley stressed the importance of events like these. “I believe it’s important to have events for the youth of Cayman in order to give them a healthy outlet and socialize with other young people. This helps teens build stronger networks and long lasting relationships. These types of events also give teens a break from the stresses in their lives.”

Teen Halloween also showcased the talents of the all-girls teen rock band, “Ask Her” who played a mix of Halloween-based songs and covers of a wide range of music while maintaining social distance. Jhadari added, “The biggest highlight from this Teen Halloween YAP event was the “Ask Her” band playing for us. They were talented and inspiring. They carried the night! I would love for them to play at our future events as well.”

The Youth Ambassador Programme (YAP) for mental health is part of the Alex Panton Foundation and aims to raise awareness regarding many issues. One of YAP’s major focuses this year is on inclusion. 

Isaiah Bodden, also a YAP leader and event organiser stressed the importance of inclusion in Cayman. “Unfortunately on our islands we tend to judge other people for what makes them different instead of embracing them for those differences that make us unique. 

Our islands still have much to learn about the differently-abled community and it is our hope that through campaigns, donations and future events we can continue to educate and raise awareness for organizations like Inclusion Cayman.”

Jhadari added, “Inclusion is such an important topic to address in the Cayman Islands because having people feel excluded for things they cannot control separates us as a society even more. This can create conflict and hostility. Inclusion is essential because it helps create a safe and secure environment for people to live and thrive in.”

Teens can easily become involved in the Youth Ambassador Programme by visiting their instagram page, @youth.ambs.ky, and following future events. They are also seeking the next group of Youth Ambassadors. Interested students can sign up for the upcoming induction event, which will be held on Saturday, November 13^th from 2pm to 4pm. The induction event educates new Youth Ambassadors on mental health issues, policies and solutions in an effort to help the next generation. 

The link for event registration is below: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdmBhPm6p0jnuCkxih3ELTox0-3ZYwlyq0rBxsfCTLv1QQz9w/viewform