Members of Clarion Ministries, a non-denominational church in East End, lead a praise and worship session during an event that raised awareness about child sexual abuse in the Virgin Islands. Photo: REEKA CAMPBELL

“As a child I was sexually abused, I was physically abused, and it just sent my life in a direction that I know it wasn’t supposed to go,” Jael Hodge said Saturday. “It wasn’t the direction the Lord had for me.”

Members of Clarion Ministries, a non-denominational church in East End, lead a praise and worship session during an event that raised awareness about child sexual abuse in the Virgin Islands. Photo: REEKA CAMPBELL
Her experience was the catalyst for starting the Good, Bad, Secret Touch Outreach community programme through the Clarion Ministries church in East End to raise awareness about child sexual abuse in the territory.

Saturday’s presentation was the second community outreach event organised this year by Ms. Hodge, who hopes to hold similar events twice a year in the future. The non-denominational church also makes presentations at schools in the territory.

The Saturday event kicked off with a praise-and-worship session, which was attended by about 20 people, many of whom were members of Clarion Ministries.

Later, children participated in races and games, ate refreshments, or relaxed in the shade. Others painted posters with the help of four student volunteers from the Elmore Stoutt High School.

 

See the July 10, 2014 edition for full coverage.

 

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