Life after lockdown brings enough trepidations without having to worry about making the jump from full time education to the real world.
A very nervous Josita Thirumalai joined the Foundation of Light’s National Citizenship Service (NCS) scheme in the hope of meeting new people and getting guidance on what path to pursue in her future.
The St Anthony’s Catholic Academy pupil was anxious about how she would cope reintegrating and socialising after being away from school life for over four months.
However, the 16-year-old embraced the experience and was determined to take all she could from the two weeks she spent with NCS:
“This was my first taste of reality and what normal is since lockdown,” she explained.
“I wanted to rebuild my confidence. It’s been such an eye-opening experience and it’s given me the opportunity to meet new people and try new things.”
The Foundation of Light’s NCS programme offers youngsters aged 16 and 17-year-old the opportunity to taste a little independence and pick up skills that will help future goals.
Josita and the youngsters in her group enjoyed addressing various social issues and how they could be tackled.
They created ‘how to videos’ to support those with learning disabilities as well as organising a bake sale to raise funds for Grace House respite facility.
“It was really interesting to meet people from different backgrounds and see how they deal with different problems.” Josita continued.
“I’m normally a shy kid who would never speak up or raise a hand in a group, but during the debate I took the chance to speak up and get out of my comfort zone.
“NCS has given me the platform to realise my thoughts and opinions do matter, as long as when I say what I want to say, I’m respectful of others and their beliefs.
“For me this is a very important life skill and it’s something that will be valuable to my future.”
Visit
https://wearencs.com for more information on the NCS programme, or email
craig.martin@foundationoflight.co.uk
