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By Bradley Downer
Seeta Dalloo, a Probation and Social Services officer attached to the Child Care and Protection Agency in Region 5, is empowering youths via her job and as a youth influencer.
Due to her passion for youth empowerment, Seeta launched the “Youth and Social Development Initiative”.
This initiative focuses on the Social Development of Youths; through academic enhancement, sports and wellness activities, as well as social and cultural exposure and finally Volunteerism.
From a tender age, Seeta’s parents taught her the importance of having a sound education.
She said, “Thanks to my parents I was also very actively involved in extracurricular activities which I believe allowed me to become a well-rounded individual and develop the confidence and the skills that I now have.”
Seeta Dalloo
She realised that opportunities were not available to most Guyanese children, specifically the children of her community (Blairmont) and her region (Region 5 – Mahaica/Berbice).
As such, she was motivated to use the knowledge and skills that she learned in ways that would benefit the children of this community and founded and launched The Youth and Social Development Initiative.
This initiative was founded in November 2020 in light of the academic and social challenges faced by children due to the restrictions of the pandemic.
The project offers children assistance in challenging academic areas in the community of Blairmont, West Bank Berbice.
She said, “The sessions and activities provided by this project equipped children with the knowledge and skills they’ll need to develop into well-rounded youths through extracurricular activities such as yoga, arts and craft, sports (cricket and volleyball)—just to name a few.”
Aside from moulding children, the project also committed to working with youths in offering them skills and knowledge to become self-sufficient.
Seeta said “by offering to share what I would’ve learned. I created a platform where other young people can develop confidence to share their knowledge and to become future leaders.”
Dalloo’s biggest challenge was coping with negative feedback she received. That led her to feel unsupported and unmotivated. She added, “I’m thankful for my support systems (family and friends), they assisted me immensely during those times and I overcame the feeling of doubt and remembered my end goal and why I must persevere.”
Dalloo was a recipient of the 2022 Ignite Caribbean & the Institute of Caribbean Studies – American Emerging Leaders Award. She was also inducted as a youth influencer under the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security (MOHSSS) Young Influencer Program.
“There is no limit to what you can accomplish, except the limits you place on your own thinking”, is a quote by Brian Tracy that keeps Seeta motivated.
She recently graduated from the University of Guyana Berbice Campus with a distinction in the Bachelor of Social Sciences: Social Work.
Dalloo also copped the University of Guyana Berbice Campus (UGBC) Director’s Award and was the best graduating student for the Bachelors of Social Work class of 2022.
Dallo’s advice to youth is, “remove the mental barriers that limits what you think, you can and cannot do, then nothing is really impossible.”
