In a push to reverse rising rates of delinquency and violent behavior among young males across the island nation, Barbados is preparing to launch a groundbreaking intergenerational mentorship initiative in the coming weeks: the Grandfather Programme. The project, announced Friday by Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs Adrian Forde during a media briefing at the Warrens Office Complex, pairs experienced senior men with at-risk young males in local communities, filling a critical gap in positive guidance and role modeling for the country’s youth.
Forde emphasized that the targeted focus on young men stems from widespread, visible challenges the population is currently facing, issues that play out regularly in the country’s court systems and community spaces. Spearheaded by the Division of Elder Affairs, the core mission of the programme is to leverage the decades of lived wisdom and practical knowledge held by older generations, equipping impressionable young men with the foundational values and coping skills they need to navigate life’s obstacles.
“This initiative is designed to build the intergenerational connections that our communities desperately need right now,” Forde explained, noting that widespread social shifts have left many young people without consistent, positive male guidance. Unlike centralized mentorship schemes that require participants to travel outside their neighborhoods, the Grandfather Programme is structured around local community roots. Volunteers will work directly with young people in their own residential areas, creating comfort and trust through familiar surroundings. For example, a senior man living in the parish of St Andrew will have the flexibility to mentor local youth within that same community, a structure organizers say will help foster long-term, meaningful relationships.
Forde expressed strong optimism about the programme’s potential to drive durable, positive change if it receives broad buy-in from communities across Barbados. “When fully realized, this project will deliver the intergenerational shift our society needs to support our young people,” he said. To date, a number of senior volunteers have already stepped forward to participate through existing men’s organizations across the island. Even with this early momentum, organizers are still actively recruiting additional volunteers who feel they have the experience and commitment to make a lasting difference in the lives of local youth. The appeal is open to all eligible senior men across Barbados, with organizers emphasizing that even small contributions of time and guidance can strengthen communities and curb cycles of violence and delinquency.