Mr. Speaker, a couple of weeks ago in my riding I had the privilege of attending the graduation ceremony of 14 young Vietnamese men who found an alternative to their lives. Of these young men two-thirds were on drugs and three were in jail. They were all part of gangs, did not have families and were all on social assistance.
These young people participated in a project called New Directions. For a year they were coached, taught, put through school, and they are now all free from drugs. They all have become part of society and some are continuing with school. It was an uplifting experience. Fourteen lives were saved. There is an alternative to crime but we must be proactive.
Congratulations to immigrant services societies and the agencies involved and to the instructors and young people who had the courage to complete the program.