Seven communities to benefit from UK-Jamaica Violence Prevention Partnership Programme

SEVEN VOLATILE communities across Jamaica are set to benefit from a six-year United Kingdom (UK)-Jamaica Violence Prevention Partnership Programme.

Grant funding from the UK government to the tune of £15 million will be used to support the programme.

Addressing Tuesday’s launch at Edward Seaga Primary School in Kingston, Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security, Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn, said the programme’s activities align with the objectives of Jamaica’s Citizen Security Plan, which supports the Inter-Ministerial School Support Strategy to combat student violence.

She reasoned that violence is not inevitable, as it thrives in environments of neglect, lack of opportunity and inadequate support.

The state minister underscored that it is only by addressing the root causes, particularly in schools and communities, that the cycle will be broken.

“We will simultaneously deliver psychosocial, case management, literacy and parenting interventions in seven volatile communities, all while improving the data infrastructure to drive evidence-based decision-making,” Cuthbert-Flynn said.

Meanwhile, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Latin America and the Caribbean in the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, Baroness Jennifer Chapman of Darlington, reiterated the UK’s commitment to support Jamaica in the fight against violence in schools and, by extension, communities.

She shared that youth violence is a hindrance to Jamaica’s development and it must be tackled with urgency.

“We are committed to providing you with the tools and support to help transform these communities, working closely with parents and students, giving them the help they need, so they can become actors of change,” Chapman stated.

The Ministry of Education and Youth, and the Ministry of Health and Wellness, along with the Planning Institute of Jamaica, are among the implementing partners.

For her part, Education Minister Fayval Williams expressed gratitude to the UK government.

“I am pleased to welcome this additional level of support from the British High Commission. It will involve 12 schools in different sections of the island. This initiative represents a significant step towards fostering a safer and more nurturing environment for our children and will provide them with the additional tools they need to resolve conflicts peacefully and to stand against violence in all its forms,” Williams said.