Roslyn Reaches Out To Schools
‘Young people need to face up to and deal with the issues which are plaguing our society. They need direction and to be willing to learn life lessons through the experiences of others, thus avoiding or being better informed about some of the challenges they may face in life such as family dysfunction, drug use, anorexia, gang affiliated initiations, rape, arranged marriage and domestic violence.’ This is the view of Roslyn Blaize who has worked in social care for over 20 years and who has also been a private foster carer to vulnerable children in East London.
Roslyn has galvanised her work experience to create two self- help fiction books based around the lives of five young people from different cultural backgrounds who meet at fashion college and face difficulties.
She works with young people in schools and colleges and use her books as preventative measures and as an early self- help tool. Her intention is to empower and enable young people to explore their capabilities and give them the ability to make informed choices.
With the groups she has worked with so far, Roslyn has discussed scenarios with the children as a method of helping them consider what they or their friends might do in a given situation. She also encourages them to debate the dilemmas which the characters from the book find themselves in.
Whilst she initially wrote her books: - Truthingdom The Conception and Truthingdom The Revelation for young people aged 13-25, she has found that they touch adults too. ‘I now also run sessions with teachers, social workers and those training professionals in these fields, so that they can better understand the pressures that the young people they are working with may face. I believe that if they know more about some of the social problems which are prevalent they will be able to build more meaningful relationship with the young people. I’m also keen that parents understand more about the modern-day challenges for their kids too.’
Roslyn gives advice and examples from her working experience to support the discussions. She emphasises ‘that these issues aren’t just a problem in inner city areas either. The recent phenomena of ‘County Lines’ encapsulates the huge rise of urban drug dealing gangs expanding their activities into rural and coastal towns where there is a good potential customer base.’
In addition to worksheets and lesson plans, Roslyn is also a great believer in the use of drama to enhance the delivery of her messages. The youth arts director at Stratford Theatre Royal in London is currently converting the book in to a script for the stage
The five characters in Roslyn’s book are: - Aarti who is from a Rajasthan background and passionate about the right to exercise choice. Former gang member Tyresse who bases his decisions on the bond of family unity. Anorexic Tracey who has been impacted by a father who she describes as being like Jekyll and Hyde. Drug user Xavier who has views outside the norm and mixed-race Tia who has experienced child abuse.
First time writer 53 year old Roslyn has lived in Newham all her life. She was born in Forest Gate and now lives in Manor Park.
Roslyn explains, ‘It’s my work experience along with growing up amidst a melting pot of differing racial and cultural expressions, that has helped me to develop the five student’s personalities and backgrounds. It’s also given me the ability to write life like accounts of the things they go through in the books. I have observed such events and seen the pain that youngsters in these situations have gone through. I hope readers will identify with the experiences these five youngsters go through and the choices that have to make. I want readers to learn from what the characters endure, and I know that through these books I can help youngsters with their own issues.’
Roslyn had the idea for the books a long time ago, but it was her mother’s death which led to her writing prolifically. She explains, ‘My mother died nearly three years ago, and I was devastated but I understood that I lived on as an extension of her and had to extend and grow. So, I completed, Truthingdom.’
She intends to go on to write more books which have purpose and significance as well as running the practical sessions with groups of young people, professionals and parents.
EDITORS NOTES
Reviews of Truthingdom, The Conception
‘A thrilling read, compelling and insightful; true to life's experiences which grips your emotions and imagination.’
‘Truthingdom is a riveting story that forces you into a state of self -reflection. Whilst the laying out of each of the characters realities allows for a medley of cultural re-education. I couldn’t put it down.’
More about Roslyn
My parents were traditional West Indians who savoured their values, exercising good manners, order in the home, worked hard and maintained strong relations with their extended families with whom we are closely bonded.
Those values of family unity live on in our family, together we are united and support one another in times of sorrow and gladness.
I attended an inner- city comprehensive school, where we dreaded the cane, respected our elders and had double portions of jam roly poly for lunch.
You greeted your neighbour and had a strong sense of community.
My generation understood the value of education and respect towards one another. A gift given to us by or parents from a different cultural strain.
I grew up in a melting pot of different racial and cultural expression. I was to some extent by default of my experience a part of the rich tapestry of my environment, being urban London.
This fashioned my interaction and the way in which I related to others.
I have always had a caring nature person and qualified as a social worker in 1996.
I’ve had the privilege of working with many different professionals and young people of all ages, so much so, that I was able to combine those experiences; those similarities, yet unique scenarios, in order to give back by way of virtues, such as kindness, attentiveness, positive regard and respectfulness which was gratefully received by those who were experiencing vulnerability and hardship.
Observing these external struggles left me in a state of gratitude for all that I possessed and felt the need to be available, to enable, to empower others.
For More Information
For more information or to arrange to interview Roslyn, please contact Susan Brookes-Morris of Positive Publicity on 07890 051638 or susan@positivepublicity.biz