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Zemelyah Shaw/Contributor

“Economic growth without investment in human development is unsustainable and unethical.” – Amartya Sen

The future development and greatness of Jamaica is dependent on today’s youth. Not just a few, but all.

With many being given the opportunity to pursue different paths, whether it be their academics, creativity or sports, it is safe to say that there is promise for a better tomorrow.

But..

A chain is as strong as its weakest link and in every society there are those who are blessed with the resources, circumstances and/or opportunities that provide them with a chance to do well for themselves, their families and even their country, as well as those who are not. Excellence has a positive effect, both on a small and large scale in the same way that stagnancy’s negative effect does.

QUALITY OF LIFE

Poverty is a vicious cycle that gives birth to the barriers and challenges that flow effortlessly from one generation to the next. It affects the person, their household and ultimately the progression of the society in which they live.

In Jamaica, those who live in the lower-class are many times met with interparental conflicts, negative child outcomes, bad health, poor mental health/well-being and so on. It is not to say that these problems are not experienced by people of all classes however there is a direct correlation of these issues to poverty. That is to say, with stretching a helping hand out to those less privileged, the quality of life can be significantly increased for many Jamaicans.

In turn, this will initiate economic growth for existing and future citizens.

So, how do we create a better future? By creating initiatives to help strengthen all aspects of our society but especially the ones that are not as strong on their own.

Project STAR, founded by Keith Duncan, the president of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ), is one of these needed initiatives that are going into various communities to prepare people for jobs by providing job and coaching opportunities, internships, traineeships, medical checks and application for birth certificates.

Community walk and talks are done where the concerns of the people are heard and catered to.

Melissa Anderson, board director of the Human Resource Management Association of Jamaica (HRMAJ), expressed her belief in the importance of getting to know the demographics in order to customise what they offer.

Saffrey Brown, project director for Project STAR, said the HRMAJ partnership has provided the initiative with a significant number of Jamaica’s most significant hiring professionals.

Project STAR has partnered with the PSOJ, Jamaica Constabulary Force and the HRMAJ to offer
interventions that include job placement and certification, education, sports and entrepreneurship in under-resourced areas of Jamaica with 100 of Jamaica’s top hiring professionals and 50 corporate firms that will help immensely in the building of both soft and hard skills in the youth programmes along with maximise the effectiveness of the initiative which is to be a job readiness tool.

BIRTHED IN JULY 2022

The project’s ethics are rooted in being led by the community, prioritising feedback in order to learn and improve where necessary.

The project’s success is expressed to be in its ability to remain transparent, collaborate and engage in consultations.

The initiative, birthed in July this year, has already begun to see notable benefits in a few of the many target communities such as Rose Gardens and Parade Gardens and Breezy Castle. Persons young, old or even disabled have shown up to receive assistance through the interventions on offer.

A recent community link up had many different benefits that stretched over the different demographics so as to provide something everyone could profit from.

Children engaged in art sessions, adults receive medical checkups and much more.

Many youths and families in Jamaica are being stifled by their socio-economic circumstance which are often out of their control.

Initiatives such as Project STAR are making moves to eradicate the barriers that hinder the progress of a people.

The more you give to those that lack, the more you strengthen their dependency, give them an opportunity to incite a lasting improvement in not only their lives but in the lives of their families as well as develop their country. Project STAR has only just begun and the progress of this initiative is needed for the development of Jamaica’s communities.

“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” – Helen Kelle