Shelton Project stymied by COVID-19 pandemic

As concerns mount about the increase in sexual-abuse cases among young children in Jamaica, one Portland-based charity is pressing for more attention on the issue, even as it redoubles its own efforts to educate more persons about how to treat with victims and their families, despite the COVID-19 setback.

The Shelton Project is a programme of the Healthy Lifestyle Network and was set up by Jamaica-born South Carolina resident Lorna Shelton Beck in 2001.

Then, the general idea was to provide an annual health mission to help community members manage chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension. “Our doctors worked with a local doctor, Daniella Speck, spending two days in her practice and half-day each at two local schools, Port Antonio High and Titchfield. During those two days, we would see patients non-stop from early morning to late evening,” Shelton Beck said. In addition, the Shelton Project would also donate books to the Port Antonio Infant School.

MORE DONATIONS

Over time, the donations expanded to include football at the Port Antonio Infant School, along with other schools. In all, about 10 infant and basic schools were pulled in. “We were the first project to have organised football at that level in the parish, and we hosted the first tournament in 2010,” said Shelton Beck.

Shelton Beck, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator, said that the Shelton Project established a four-pronged programme of outreach within the infant and basic schools to engage the students in reading, football, healthy eating, and the environment by planting trees, flowers, vegetables, and fruits. “We worked with RADA (the Rural Agricultural Development Authority) and the 4-H to provide a stimulating, exciting time for the students. We also conducted a summer camp for youth ages four years to adult women, where we taught vocational skills to both teens and women, for example, quilt making,” she said.

SEXUAL ABUSE

For the last three years, however, the Shelton Project has refocused its efforts on a main push to help end child sexual abuse.

“We recognised that there is a special need for this and have established the Stand Up for Children Weekend, where we host a girls’ conference, a Stewards of Children Training for the adults, a health fair for the community, and a 5k run/walk.

“Our first conference was held for both women and girls. It was through sessions like these where we realised that often, persons did not know how to address this or were themselves dealing with the effects of abuse. We wanted to be able to help persons, especially the children, in this way. We felt that we needed to get the adults to create an environment where the child can trust them enough to tell when this is happening and to teach the adults how to recognise the signs and how to react if they are told,” she said.

The Shelton Project depends heavily on funding from events hosted in South Carolina.

This year’s fundraising events took a major hit because of the coronavirus pandemic. Charleston Carifest was scaled back to virtual attendance only, and the Jamaica Day celebrations hosted by Caribbean Rootz has been cancelled. The 5k road race planned for November in Portland could also be put on hold.

“We are really just in limbo,” Shelton Beck said.

Still, the fervour to keep the Shelton Project going is strong.

“Especially now that Jamaica has made it mandatory to report, we need to keep pushing so that it is easier for persons to access the help and care they need. This may mean making the numbers readily available so persons can call to report and getting the information across in various ways so that persons know exactly what to do or where to go. We need to get persons to constantly advocate to the Government,” she said.

There are also plans to introduce robotics teaching and outfit the Port Antonio Primary School with a computer suite.