Project STAR, a social and economic transformation initiative, is making a positive impact in the communities of East Downtown Kingston by using sports to engage and bring together young men from areas experiencing ongoing gang warfare.

According to Damion Hylton, senior technical project officer, the initiative has been able to successfully engage young people in the community through sports programmes, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic and ongoing violence.

“We have been able to engage young people in the community by just playing sports,” he said.

Through the sports strategy, 30 young men from the community were given the opportunity to tour and play games at Football Factory, Jamaica’s outdoor artificial turf football facility. This experience allowed them to leave their community and consider future employment opportunities.

Hylton noted that incorporating sports programmes is a tried and true strategy, as seen in the case of several prominent footballers who started by playing football on the streets. He emphasized that sports are not only a tool for exercise, but also for engagement and development.

Residents like Geraldean Nohar and Curtis Swyer have benefited from Project STAR’s work, with both being trained through the employment programme after being introduced to it through the sports programme. They are now on track to gain employment.