Dr Horace Chang, deputy prime minister and minister of national security, says strategies must be found to get at-risk youth to use their talents to develop their communities.

Chang, who was giving the closing remarks at the Positive Youth Transformation Project’awards ceremony, held at the Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Hotel on January 27, said there is little doubt that there are a lot of talented youngsters who reside in volatile communities who have shown that, given the chance, they can do something positive with their lives.

The minister said he was also aware that Government will have to do its part in creating the necessary infrastructure and opportunities, to show these youth that there is a better way than a life of crime.

“Jamaica continues to boast a relatively young population. However, a matter of significant concern and urgency for the Government is the high level of youth 12 to 14 years who come into conflict with the law,” he said.

“We have to find a way to reach these young people. Starting from childhood, we must guide their pathway and nurture their growth. We have to find a way to deliver where society has traditionally failed,” the minister added.

The national security minister stated that music (entertainment) is an underutilised tool in many of these at-risk communities, noting that there are many opportunities for young people to capitalise on and simply needed to be guided properly.

He cited the community of Flanker, St James, where he said his interaction with the young people in the community has led to some success stories, which clearly demonstrates that all is not lost, even within a climate of seeming despair.

Chang said it is against that background that the Government is seeking to reduce the involvement of youth in crime by taking an all-of-government approach, including strengthening public institutions and streamlining social intervention initiatives that will result in improved community-specific, relevant and transformative programmes.

He went on to note that the Government will also be seeking to reduce the involvement of youth in criminal activities by streamlining social intervention programmes, adding that an investment in human capital can bring about amazing results.

So far, the Government has developed and expanded Human Capital and Social Development Programmes that target at-risk youth.

The programmes, he said, include the Housing, Opportunity, Production and Employment (HOPE) Programme; the National Youth Service Corps; and the HEART/NSTA Trust.

Meanwhile, Country Representative to Jamaica for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Jason Fraser, said the United States is committed to helping the Government achieve its national developmental goals, adding that “we are very happy about our involvement in the Positive Youth Transformation Project and the positive impact it has been having on the various communities”.

“Our support for programmes like these remains strong and will not change,” he noted.

The Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) on August 28, 2020, signed a $38-million agreement with the USAID and FHI 360 Local Partner Development to support the Positive Youth Transformation Project, which is providing ongoing case management initiatives for nearly 100 youth in two St James communities.

The youngsters have already been participating in interventions that will improve their coping skills and support them to build sustainable livelihoods and direct themselves for lifelong learning.