Programme helps young to be focused

By KESSIE TADAP
THE Voice Inc held its annual awards on Friday night with a celebration of achievements by young wards through testimonies, contemporary dance and song.
In sharing her testimony of how going through the dream programme had changed her outlook on life, Eva Ortloaf said she came to realise there was more to living and going to school to get a good job.
Ortloaf said because of the lack of direction by many people, especially young people, there was a disconnection between young people and the issues being faced in the country.
She said if people knew their purpose, they would feel more obligated and responsible to help others.
The chief guest of the night was Richard Kassman, the former chairman of Transparency International.
Kassman told the young people a true leader had the people’s best interest at heart and would be willing to pay the price of not being popular as he or she would be motivated by loving concern for the people.
The Voice executives named the first The Voice ambassador to one of its long-term supporters Maliwai Sasingian.
In addition there were the excellence and innovation awards, which were given to two members for demonstrating excellence and innovation under the programme.
The Voice is an non-profit organisation that was incorporated in April, 2010, and was launched in July last year.
Its vision is to see young people driven by purpose and confident in the value of their contribution to their communities, the country and the world.
Its programmes come under four main categories – the University Dream programme, the Community Dream programme, the High School Dream programme and the Dream projects, which all come under the organisation’s Dream initiative to find purpose and cultivate confidence while enabling young people to contribute wherever they can to the communities and people around them.