The North East Native Advancing Society (NENAS) in Fort St. John has offered a variety of programs including youth, family, elders and employment and training for the past 30 years.
In 2021, thanks in part to a $10,000 BC Hydro GO Fund grant, NENAS established YES – Youth and Elders Sharing.
This program is aimed at helping elders stay connected to family and friends through a variety of activities including the use of social media, storytelling and gardening. Through this platform, youth assist in teaching elders how to use technological devices and about social media platforms. Elders and youth work together planting traditional herbs, vegetables and medicinal plants that are native to the area.
Funding is used to support programs that will enhance the lives of our elders to be able to connect youth to their local historical culture as well as enjoy the early and eager learnings of little ones.
The ultimate outcome of YES is to reduce the risk of self-isolation effects on the elders with the loss of communication and culture and to connect youth their culture and to help them deal with stress, anxiety and loneliness.
“This program helped the elders, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, with their mental health, and coupled the elders with youth who taught them how to stay connected with family and friends through social media, how to attend virtual medical appointments, access their CRA accounts online, and showed the elders online programs such as TikTok and Pinterest through their tablets/iPads and cell phones,” said Margrit Carter, quality assurance/program support with NENAS. “In turn, the elders share their wisdom on traditional medicine, healing plants, ceremonies and their history.”
