Creating positive pathways for at-risk youth
Sandals Foundation, USAID launch $38.5m programme in three St James communities
Published:Friday | March 3, 2023 | 1:25 AMJanet Silvera/Senior Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
The Sandals Foundation, in collaboration with USAID, will pump J$38.5 million into at-risk youths in the vulnerable communities of Flankers, Norwood and Salt Spring in St James over the next 12 months in a project aimed at creating positive pathways.
The three communities have earned the reputation as communities prone to outbreaks of violence.
Some 240 youths between the ages of 10 to 24 will benefit from the initiative.
The programme, tagged ‘Supporting Youth Development through Youth Engagements’, was officially launched Thursday at the Robert Daddy Stone Conference Centre at Sandals Montego Bay in the presence of Minister of National Security Dr Horace Chang, who is also the member of parliament St James North Western, where the three beneficiary communities lie.
Pointing out that these areas were important to the Montego Bay economy, which underlines the importance of supporting at-risk youth to find positive paths for their communities’ own development, chief of party at the USAID-supported Positive Pathways, Paul Teeple, said it was a widely accepted position that connection and engagement in social systems promote positive youth development.
“This is a powerful protective factor that significantly reduces their risk of involvement in crime and violence,” stated Teeple.
The project will use non-traditional but highly effective modalities such as art and sport to address social and behavioural issues as well as pursue traditional methods of workforce development, training, and community and family support, he added.
Throughout the next year, Sandals Foundation will work closely with Youth Crime Watch, the implementation organisation, which will engage many local institutions, including the community development committees, the Social Development Commission, the national security, justice and education ministries, in addition to the HEART/NSTA Trust, schools and the police.
Sandals Resorts, which has a long-standing history of youth and community development, is deeply involved in the project.
TRANSFORMATIVE MOVE
Addressing attendees at the launch, Heidi Clarke, executive director of Sandals Foundation, described the transformative move by her organisation as the beginning of a new journey – “a journey that will reach within the chambers of three communities, building relationships, earning trust, understanding the passion and interests that drive our young people and supporting the infrastructure that can help them pursue and achieve their goals”.
She noted that there was power in youth development.
Reminiscing on the work carried out by the company’s late founder and chairman, Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart, Clarke said that he understood the power that could be harnessed when young men and women had the opportunity to be trained, certified and supported in their pursuits.
“Young people need avenues for expression. They need support systems and the belief that there is hope,” Clarke added.
Chang noted that this was an excellent programme, which must contribute to transformation in Flankers, Norwood and Salt Spring.
He admitted that the three areas had significant levels of violence, adding that he was very optimistic that this intervention would make a difference.
The programme will target parents, while increasing the use of psychosocial support and mentorship, enhanced youth livelihood opportunities, and the creation of youth-led Hope Campaign to entrench a culture of lawfulness.
“Strengthening the capacities of families and communities to support behaviour change,” is a critical component of the project, Youth Crime Watch’s Kerry-Ann Walker told the gathering.
According to her, the project is organised around five district components: high achievers, workforce-development training, change through arts, sports for life, and strengthening the capacity of families.