#Jamaica, April 13, 2018 – Kingston – The National Child Month Committee (NCMC) is calling on citizens to provide a supportive and positive environment for the nation’s children as it prepares to observe Child Month in May under the theme ‘A.F.F.I.R.M Me!’.

Chairman of the NCMC, Dr. Pauline Mullings, explained that A.F.F.I.R.M is an acronym for “Acknowledge me, (Be) Friend Me, Favour Me, Influence me positively, Respect Me, and Motivate Me” and emerged out of calls by children for adults to recognise and validate their worth.

She said that “children need an environment that fosters love, care, friendship and appreciation, and they also desire from us as adults to be role models, who will impact their lives in a positive way”.

“We must, therefore, use the God-given opportunity afforded to us to shape the lives of our young ones through our words and actions. Words are powerful and actions are just as potent, and what we sow today, what we speak over them helps to shape their destiny and, by extension, the destiny of this nation,” she added.

Dr. Mullings was addressing the media launch of Child Month at GraceKennedy’s head office in downtown Kingston on April 11.

The calendar of activities for Child Month includes a national church service on Sunday, May 6 at the William Knibb Memorial Baptist Church in Falmouth, Trelawny, beginning at 9:30 a.m.

National Children’s Day will be observed on Friday, May 18 with special activities for children at Half-Way Tree, downtown Kingston, and Montego Bay; and a National Day of Prayer and Fasting will be held on Wednesday, May 30 at the May Pen New Testament Church of God from 10:00 a.m.to 2:00 p.m.

The observance will go beyond May, to include the Youth Outstanding Academic Achievement Awards Ceremony to recognise students from non-traditional high schools, which will be held on Wednesday, June 27 at The Knutsford Court Hotel, New Kingston.

A Youth Forum is scheduled for Friday, November 2 at the St. Andrew Parish Church Hall, 16 Ellesmere Road, Kingston 10 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

In addition to the activities organised by the committee, the entity will be partnering with the Jamaica Fire Brigade in its campaign ‘Jamaica’s Future is on Fire… Mek Wi Fix It’, which aims to get children to acknowledge fire safety practices and extend these to friends and families.

The NCMC has joined forces with the coordinators of the Family Expo and Special Resource Needs Fair, which will be held on Saturday, May 26.

The NCMC Chairman is imploring groups and individuals who are staging events during May to celebrate children, and to register with the committee so that there can be greater visibility of projects and activities.

“We are aiming to have a registry where we know exactly all of the persons who are involved, all the groups who are involved, what is it that you are doing for children,” Dr. Mullings said.

She is urging persons to contact Social Media Coordinator, Ruth Lawrence, at 466-6372, or email ncmcja@gmail.com for further details

Sponsors of Child Month include GraceKennedy Ltd., National Baking Company Ltd., Kingston Bookshop, RJRGLEANER Communications Group, National Health Fund, General Accident Insurance Company Ltd., Island Grill Ltd., Jamaica Producers Group Ltd., and Restaurants of Jamaica.

Release: JIS