The Tribune

By JEFFARAH GIBSON

Tribune Features Writer

jgibson@tribunemedia.net

REACHING out to inner-city children, Bahamian gospel artist DJ Counsellor is staging his first ‘Super Saturday’ event this weekend with the aim of bringing hope to the East Street community.

DJ Counsellor teamed up with the Pulse Youth Church to host the event to “inspire young people to dream big” and to highlight those who are making positive strides in their personal lives.
Super Saturday will feature special artists including Najie Dun, Gospel Boys, Ryan Jupp, Lyrically Blessed, and Sparkle the Mime. The speakers for the event include Ricardo Clarke, Crystal Lopez, DJ Counsellor and Nathan Wells, who will facilitate sessions on conflict resolution, how to be a winner and developing a good character.

DJ Counsellor said the purpose of Super Saturday is to spark hope in the lives of the children who have difficult home lives and reside in at-risk communities, and many who have lost their parents and relatives to violence or prison.
“The artists and athletes will share their journeys of success. The one thing I have realised in these urban communities is that there is no hope. Basically this area alone has had 50 murders in the last two years, so this is a hot spot. But as I have the sessions, kids from Bain Town, from East Street and the Centreville communities come out and participate.
“I look at my self as a hope dealer, set out to be a light, to be someone they can reach out and touch. This will be one of many events set out to reach and inspire our children and their communities,” he said.

The event will be held at Salem Union Baptist Church this Saturday beginning at 5pm.

Super Saturday will also feature a concert, a movie, games, dance contest and fashion show.
Recently, DJ Counsellor joined forces with the Pulse Youth Church to launch various activities in the East Street community, including a Girls and Boys Club and an after-school programme. He said initiatives of this nature are beneficial to the youth because they inspire them and give them a renewed sense of hope.

“Since becoming Salem Union Baptist Youth director my focus for 2014 was to assist the kids in the East Street area. So I have a boys and girls programme in the Woodcock Primary, Stephen Dillet and Sadie Curtis Schools. Crystal Lopez runs the Girls Club in Wood Cock Primary and Stephen Dillet,” he said.
“Since the launch of the Pulse Boys and Girls Club I have been working with over 250 kids every week for the past four months. The children kept asking me when I was going to have another lock-in or all-day event. So Crystal Lopez, a volunteer who has been assisting me with the programme, kept pushing me to kick this event off. So as the word got out, parents and children became excited.”

The event is free for the children in the East Street community and $6 for the general public.
“We are encouraging parents to send their children out to events like these because they are important to their child or children’s development,” DJ Counsellor said.