By Elizabeth Scerri
Sedqa Malta is a government agency created 26th June 1994 that offers services related to prevention and treatment of substance abuse and gambling, visiting web site for further info www.fsws.gov.mt
Every year, Sedqa Agency, in collaboration with the government schools, offers the B.A.B.E.S programme for free of charge. This is a primary prevention programme for year 3 students (8 year old). The purpose of the B.A.B.E.S programme is to enable children to learn and practice life skills and make positive early decisions about alcohol and other drugs.
At the moment, Sedqa has four trained facilitators to deliver the programme, which is comprised of six one-hour classroom sessions, once weekly. They use visual aids such as puppets, power point presentations and a relate six stories. Each story is intended to introduce a specific life skill, such as Self-image and Self-esteem, Peer Pressure and Decision-making, Coping Skills, Alcohol and Drugs, The Private Body and Getting Help
A part of the students sessions Sedqa Agency and the respective Head of School invite the parents/guardians for meeting to introduce what B.A.B.E.S about to support in our endeavour to guide children towards healthy life choices.
Whilst I thank you for this opportunity to share with you what B.A.B.E.S mean to us as prevention team with in Sedqa, hoping to keep me posted about B.A.B.E.S activities around the world especially in Europe.
Elizabeth Scerri
Primary Prevention Executive,
B.A.B.E.S , T.F.A.L.5, Skola Sajf & Parental Skills Co-ordinator
