Background: As part of the Education and Social Justice Project, in May 2023, undergraduate student Renee Mutare (SFS’24) interviewed a parent of Project HEAL, Ms. Maria Pena, at St. Martin de Porres (SMDP) in Belize City, Belize. In this interview, the parent discusses how the work of Project HEAL (PH) has impacted her family.
So, can you tell me a little bit about yourself?
I'm 35. Mother of twins. Single mother since they were 10 months old. Work at a restaurant for, like, 17 years. Oh, I guess that's pretty much my life. Just the kids and work.
Can you describe your relationship to Project HEAL? What do you do with Project HEAL? Are you a parent of a student that's in counseling, or are you in counseling yourself with Project HEAL?
No. Parent.
Okay... What do you think is most needed in the St. Martin’s community?
Well, I think, probably, communication, a lot of communication. You know, like the community itself, I think they need to look out for the kids more. Like, I feel like in this area, a lot of kids are neglected. So, I feel like parents and the community need to, like, look out for the kids there more because you see in other communities, you don't see the kids straying away, you know, especially with the gang activity. So, I think this area needs a lot of work with the kids to try to keep the kids safe. I think that we need to pay more attention to our kids, in general.
And how do you think the gang-related activities have affected the kids?
A lot. They have a lot of kids that sometimes don't want to go to school because at the school, they have, like, people who they don't have that kind of connection. They feel like they’re in danger, or they have a lot of kids that they just like to bully and stuff. Just on their way to school, they have a lot of people on the street who are going to call them out to get the attention of the kids and sometimes just do something to them. Sometimes, you're from an area, and you can be in the other area. I don't know, the fear, recently, in Belize—there’s a lot of crime, a lot of things just go missing, or you find people dead. You know, I think we need to do more, keep an eye out, you know, like if you see something or, like, somebody on the street that looks a certain kind of way, I think you should just try to come to their aid because there was this one time, I got the school bus and right in the bus they [kids] were fighting you know, they were among kids from other schools. It’s messed up that you can't come to school or get to school without feeling that somebody would attack you for no reason, you know, just because either you're not from that school, or you're not from the area. So, I think the gang really affects the kids from a young age. Yeah.
In what ways is Project HEAL responding to these needs that we see in the community? And are there ways that you think Project HEAL is not responding to the needs of the community?
I think counseling helps a lot of them. I think, probably, the school can do better. Probably by having different activities to keep the kids busy and active, keep their mind[s] working.
Do you think that it's your responsibility to help the people around you heal from traumatic experiences?
I mean, if you know you could help. I always think, as a community, when you see a child, I feel like it's not really your responsibility, but as humans, and, you know, as parents, you will look into it and try your best not to be interfering and just get in, but, you know, try to see how best [you can help]. Probably, you'll talk to the child. See how they can open up to you, and see how you could help that child.
You mentioned that you have two children. Are both of them in counseling?
One.
And what pushed you to encourage your child to get into counseling?
Really, his behavior. I thought he had some kind of disorder at first, also, but sometimes, I feel he is easily distracted, and everything distracts him. Like he just strays away so easily. Like, his behavior, his temper, you know, like, he was doing the little things that I don't know where he got them from, because not from home, and just little signs, and I just wanted that help to handle how I could help him, rather than lash him or punish him. I wanted a better understanding of what I can do to help him, or how I could handle him, so that is one of the reasons, because he's a very smart kid. He is smart. And, like I said, they don't live in a violent home, and they would just live in one room, just us, not like a crowded space, and I am not, like, a violent person. I lash them, yes, but they have to really do something out of hand, but mostly, I punish them, and his behavior, like, he just was getting extremely out of order to a point that he just, he would say, “Oh, I want to go, and I would live on the street,” and I test him, and, like, the whole time, and open the gate, and he actually did. He was going, so I said, “You know what I need, I need to see how we can help him.” And then he was starting to harm his sister, you know, like, attacking his sister, or sometimes, like, self-harm himself.
So, like, I just wanted to see what help I could get, and if it would help, you know, so that [is] the reason why I reach out to the school, because I reach out to human services, the government counseling, but then with the government counseling, like, it's a lot of running around, and it takes you so long. And then with the private therapy, so, it's expensive, and I can't afford it. So, I reached out to Ms. Encalada, and that's how we got him into this with Ms. Sheppard.
Okay. Have you seen any changes in his behavior since he started going for counseling?
Yeah. Little by little. But now his biggest [challenge] is his school work. He doesn't do school work. He doesn't do writing, and his grades are going down instead of [improving]. Like, his behavior at home is improved. He has improved, you know, but just with the schoolwork, like he doesn't concentrate. So, I honestly, sometimes, I don't know what else to do or how [to help], because it gets frustrating knowing that he can do it, knowing that he is capable. So, sometimes, I would be aggressive, like I would get frustrated and lash him because, I figure, I talk to him every day. I take away TV time, I take away toys, and I feel like if I say, “I will lash you if you don't do the work,” he will do it, and sometimes he doesn't do it. So, I honestly don't know, sometimes, how else to deal with him.
Have you received any help in how to work with him from Project HEAL, like through the counselors, or they're just directly working with him?
With him.
And how do you feel that? How has the counseling program influenced the overall well-being of students and families, not only for you but for the rest of the community?
I wouldn't know to tell you because, like I said, they work directly with him. They get him one day of the week, and you know, like we don't normally do group sessions. So, I don't know how many kids they counsel or if they have parents or, you know. So, I could see it from what I saw with my son. But other than that, I can't really say.
And do you have any specific examples that you have seen with your son of how he has changed? You mentioned that his behavior has changed. Are there any specific examples?
First, he would like, you know, he would take things into his own hands and deal with the situation. Now, he would stand it, and he'd come, and he would tell someone. Yeah. Like, first he would just take a chance with his own hands, but now he actually speaks out, and he would go to an adult and complain before he [does something]. And sometimes, when he tells the adult, and he feels like the adult doesn't do justice, then, like, he would go off on them.
Do you see his changes in behavior that translate into his sister as well? Is it not only changing his behavior but everyone else in the family?
Actually, no, his sister is jealous because they're twins. He is not the jealous type and, like, if something good would happen to his sister, he would be so happy for her. But his sister, on the other hand, she would be jealous, and she would not want him to be better than her, so right now her grades are dropping, and she wants to come into counseling because she feels like counseling is play time because they do activities, so she feels like that, and she want to get playtime. So I guess her behavior, it changed bad because of her jealousy towards that competition, so she wants be a part of the program.
Can you see any future plans that you want to see, or any activities that you want to see being done more, or even being done less within the program? Do you think there's any room for them to improve any of the services that they provide?
To be honest, I think I just know that they do the counseling. I don't know. I don't know of them doing anything apart from that. They get one day of this child at a certain time, they come for this child, and they spend that one time with the child. So, I don't know of them to do other activities other than just monitor the child and counsel the child when it’s the child's turn.
What I meant was, they are already providing counseling. Is there anything else that you think they should start providing?
Probably parent counseling. I think a lot of us as parents go through a lot and are going through a lot, and then we feel a lot of frustration. Sometimes, it could be that the kids act up because of our frustration. So, probably, I would think it would be good if they would consider that because the school offers it for the students. So I would think if you offered to both the parent and the student, it would have a better outcome because then, they're both working on both sides. So you can't just help the child alone if they're getting it from home, or the reason why they're acting up is because of the way they get treated at home, you know? So I feel like, in that way, probably, helping the adult better realize that maybe they're doing something wrong, and that this is being shown by the child...work together and change together, not just one person. Yeah, I feel like that would be good enough if put in consideration.
Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me. Is there anything that you would like to talk about that I didn't ask you yet?
I don't think so. I don't think so. Probably with just teachers and better communication with the parents.
Can you please elaborate more on that?
Like Austin, my child, for example, his behavior and stuff. He would act up in class. Instead of putting him out of class, I feel like you're not helping the child by doing that. Probably have him in sessions with teachers, and give them courses, hopefully, to deal with [such situations]. I understand the frustration when you have a bunch of kids, and then there’s that one child, but not all kids are at the same level, and some need more attention than the others, and I understand that you can't give that one child undivided attention, but if they don’t their work, I don't feel that putting them out of the classroom from distracting the class is helping the child either. I feel like that makes them more like, “Oh, if I do this, they will put me out,” and sometimes, they want to get out of the class. If you put them out, that's what they want, and they give them what they want instead of, you know, just have, probably, time them, and have different ways of getting them to get the work done or how to behave better in class.
Can you describe from your understanding how the teacher-student interactions go, especially if your child is maybe showing a bit of bad behavior? So, how does that work from what you have seen and what you have experienced as a parent?
Well, I would say, like, I understand the child gives trouble, but then the answer, I don't think the answer for it. From my experience, I don't like hearing that they put my son out of class because the thing that they're doing now is they send them to another class and have the other teacher deal with them, you know. So, I feel like that is better than just putting them outside of the classroom, like, in front door. Sending them to another classroom, like, for instance, my son, I think last week, or some weeks back, they put him out into like two classes lower than his, and they still gave him his work from his class. And he got it done.
Just send them down to a lower class, like what they did, because I know the teacher is trying different ways to work with my child. Not like before, like we have more communication than before, but now, I actually like the fact that she took him out and put him in a lower class. And he knows that he doesn't belong there. So he will get the work done, and he wants to go back because he asked me the other day, the following day, “...but mummy can I go back in my class?” And I asked him, “Will you do your work, and will you behave? Because if you don't, then you're gonna be stuck in the babies class, and you don't want to be older than all the other kids, you know.” So he said, “Yes.” So, I feel like doing that will make them think, and say, “Oh, if I don't do my work, they'll put me in a lower class, and I don't want the other kids to make fun of me,” so I feel like that, that was a good move that the teacher did. Like I said, I'm not sure, because, like with my son, he could do good today, and tomorrow, he would do nothing. He's just like that personality-wise. I think other teachers should, if the child doesn't perform or doesn't get their work done, probably change them to a lower class, and that would make them realize or say, well, I need to buckle up.
When you spoke to Ms. Encalada about your son being involved in the counseling sessions, did you first receive any information from the teacher to say he's not behaving properly?
No. It was somewhere actually not from school. And then, I didn't know what to do. I just wanted that help. I just wanted someone to talk to him and get to the bottom of it. Maybe, they're getting older, but I just want a professional person that knows how to get to the bottom of it, and take out information. Maybe, it's something bothering him that he doesn't want to tell me about. And that was the reason why, like I said, I reached out to the Human Services, as they do free counseling with the government, but they don't move as, and that's just the whole reason why Belizeans have a lot of mental breakdowns. People doing certain things in the country, you see it all over the news, but the reason why is they don't get the mental health help that they need in time. So, I feel like the government needs to buckle up because Belize has a lot of mental health issues and problems. And I feel like that the reason why a lot of people do the things they do is because they don't get the help that they need, because I reached out, and I am pretty sure other people reached out to them. I was so frustrated. And I don't want to keep lashing the child or punishing the child. And then, nothing is working out. So, I needed professional intervention. And I reached out to the vice principal in the summer, like I said, and, you know, and she said, “Oh yes, we actually do offer counseling to the students.’’ And she actually did a great job because she got in contact with Ms. Sheppard. And like I said, it was summer, no school, and she got Ms. Sheppard started talking to us even before the school opened, like 2 times before the school opened. She called him over the phone because she lives far away. You know, it's summer break, and it was nice of them to take time from their break and actually try to reach out and start to get going with us, from before the school year. And so when the school year started, he was already talking to Ms. Sheppard.
I'm glad that I reached out to her, and I'm glad that she offered that help, you know, like, she did her best almost right away from. And from then, I think we have one more month before school closes for the summer again. So it's almost a year since we started. They do the counseling and the important thing. It's not quick, but you have to really pay attention to see that they have been improving, little by little. But I believe they help, and eventually, you know, he will get there. So, the improvement is there, we could say, little by little, you know, we just need more work. But, I’m actually satisfied with the little result I get, so I am happy with the results.
That's lovely to hear, thank you so much for your time. Yeah. If you feel like, in the future, there's something that you wanted to say to me, but, you know, you forgot about it, or you couldn't, just reach out to me. But my number is also around here. Yeah, well, I can just give it to you. Yes, I'll be. Oh, yes. So, I'll be able to give you my number and then you can reach out to me. If you feel that there's more you wanted to say or, there’s something that you forgot. But thank you so much for taking some time. I understand that there's a lot that you might have to be doing, but this really means so much.
Yeah. I mean, everything takes work, and so far, I feel it. Like I said, it's been going for a year. He's just in Standard 2 now. He has, what, about five more years? Like, I feel if we keep him in the program, probably we don't need to go the five years, but then, I feel if he keeps in the program, he could straighten up and be the person I know he can be, because he's smart. Then he wants to be a soldier or a policeman; I tell him, "You need to study." They have rules, and if you can't follow the school rules, or your teacher’s rules, or mommy’s rules, how could you be a good soldier or policeman? So, I think we will get there.
