With the help of the Yes Program, I am able to do what I’m passionate about and that is to work with children.
I am Chanté Ross, aged 26, a mother of two daughters and reside in Mitchell’s Plain. I was raised by a single mother and my passion is to be a teacher and change the lives of children as I believe they are the future.
Before the Yes Program, I had worked at a call centre, I enjoyed it but always felt that I needed to do more, so I decided to study and then joined the Yes Program, where I had the opportunity to work at West End Primary School in Mitchell’s Plain where I now work as a Grade R Teacher’s Assistant. There I gained the confidence to speak to crowds, learned to handle work-related situations, grow, and mature day by day. My supervisor is amazing at going the extra mile to make sure there’s growth within me and helping me to become an excellent teacher to the little children.
I am enjoying her experience as I get to meet amazing people and interact with the children. There’s this one boy in class and every day he’d bring a dry slice of toasted bread for one of the teachers and I had my chance one day and he stood there until I finished the bread. Those are the little things that I will always remember.
But I experienced some challenges on how to relate to the children at first but then I soon realized that the key was to make sure that the children felt safe, secure, and establish a sense of trust. I’ve grown to have patience and with the help of my supervisor, I always found a solution to problems that would arise.
For this past few months, I’ve been helping the teacher in the Grade R class and because she’s the head of all Grade R’s she’s always busy so she allows me to learn more like helping with activities that the children need to do and that helps me to grow because that way I’m gaining more experience.
The Yes 4 Youth apps are beneficial to me because it has taught me many things like how to save money, how to change my mindset regarding life, it also helps me reflect on myself as to where I’m at and where I want to be in a few years.
Ever since starting with the Yes Program, I feel much more determined to reach my goals and to make my dreams become a reality. When I listened to Marlon Parker’s story I realized that nothing is impossible.
I’m more determined to motivate young people and make them see that nothing in this world is impossible. No matter where you come from, you should not allow your current circumstances to determine where you are going in the future. All you need to do is believe in yourself and go the extra mile, the sky is the limit.
My advice to the unemployed people out there is that they should never give up. Don’t stop searching somewhere out there. There is a great opportunity waiting for you, all you need to do is believe and remain positive at all times
I am truly thankful to be part of the Yes Program as I get to support my family and provide for my daughters. I now hope to complete my studies, become successful, and continue to inspire youth to believe in themselves and help them become who they want to be.
