Yesterday, Youth Opportunities Unlimited wrapped up a project with the Environment Foundation of Jamaica. We had a lovely ceremony during which we presented certificates of completion as well as some materials for the community of Rockfort, which is vulnerable to both violence and natural disasters. Here is a story I wrote about the event:

Dozens of Rockfort residents are now trained for any type of disaster or emergency, thanks to a unique partnership project between Youth Opportunities Unlimited and the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica. These organizations, as well as Rockfort residents celebrated a successful completion of the project at a ceremony on May 27, 2014 at the headquarters of the Rockfort Development Council. And while residents received certificates of completion and celebrated their accomplishments, leaders insisted that the real hard work has just begun.

“The community of Rockfort has come a long way,” said YOU’s executive director Mrs. Georgia Lewis Scott. “So much was accomplished in this training, but now we have to lay the gauntlet down that you not take it for granted and ensure your responders continue to get training.”
Rockfort residents received training to be first responders in an emergency such as a flood, hurricane, fire or other event such as an industrial accident. They learned actions such as first aid, CPR, how to extinguish a fire, how to establish and co-ordinate a meeting place and how to clear storm drains to prevent flooding.

“In the event of a disaster, Rockfort residents can now help each other,” said EFJ * president Charmaine Webber. “This is also an opportunity for ‘each one, teach one,’” she added, explaining that for every person trained, they now have the ability to share the training and knowledge they received with additional people.

The Environmental Foundation of Jamaica, which worked with YOU for over a year, has a mandate of facilitating “the promotion and implementation of activities which will conserve and manage the natural resources and environment of Jamaica and improve and positively impact child development.”

In the past, Rockfort has been susceptible to natural disasters, as well as violence, and YOU’s program, in addition to practical training, urged participants to take a leadership role in their communities and to set an example for their fellows.

YOU is the largest mentoring agency in the Caribbean region and mentors at-risk, unattached youth, and has also created a range of holistic programming to address problems of unemployment and violence in underserved communities.

Stacey Wilson, 29, said she learned a lot through the training. “We learned CPR and how to treat different cuts and punctures. It was educational. Now I know that when I see someone in trouble, I know the right procedures.”

In general, disaster preparedness refers to the measures taken by the community to prepare for and mitigate the effects of disasters on vulnerable populations. For YOU’s project, in addition to training, activities included information sessions in the community, business training for disaster preparedness, and tree planting in Trelawny.

Rockfort Council Development leader Samuel Buchanan stated that the joint YOU-EFJ project was very beneficial to the community. “The communities are now taking responsibility for not only mitigating, but disaster response. There are so many things that we have learned and we thank you for the opportunity for supporting and selecting our community.”

Just about every weekday morning, I run by the gully in which a group of homeless youth live. It is a storm drain below ground in the shadow of a handful of Jamaica’s corporate buildings. People stream by here everyday, most ignoring these youth (who have been kicked out of their homes and communities, attacked and marginalized, for who they are), some throwing rocks or cursing them.

My heart breaks EVERY SINGLE DAY. Especially when I see them sleeping on a piece of cardboard, arms wrapped around each other, trying to protect one another and catch some sleep. There are several efforts underway to try to get them employment training and housing. (Visit these links here and here to learn more and to donate.)

About a month ago, I was running by and saw two men walking by the gully with a camera. I stopped to talk to them and found out that they were from the U.K., filming a documentary on these youth. I was immediately suspicious as there was an incident awhile ago where someone apparently promised the youth a trip to “foreign” if they would appear on camera. There is also the issue of safety and protecting their identity in a hostile environment. After talking to the men for a few more minutes, I was reassured that they would create a respectful product. And they have. Check out this documentary by reporter Ade Adepitan from 4od. This is media at its best, raising awareness in a respectful manner. Hopefully it can help to catalyze an international reaction.

Yesterday under a cloudy sky I visited the Ujima Farmer’s Market. A group of farmers from the Eastern parish of St. Thomas bring their fresh produce, along with some breads, butters, clothing, honey and other treats to sell to people in Kingston. Everything is organic and delicious. I bought some vegetables and fruits and was tempted by some pumpkin butter. We also spoke to a woman who makes gorgeous pots from concrete and stains them to look like clay. She sells plants and trees as well. It is always interesting to talk to small business owners and farmers in Jamaica as they are essentially on their own in terms of government support, at least this is what they say. In any case, this farmer’s market seems to be taking off. Enjoy your Sunday.

It is Labour Day. Everyone is undertaking projects around their neighbourhoods today. This is one of my favourite pictures from an improvement project we did with YOU last year in Mountain View. Enjoy your day.

On the second leg of my journey to work, I catch a route taxi, which means I wait in a yard while the driver gathers four people to carry. This yard is full of route taxis, vendors, people passing through. So of course, there is always a ton of activity and a lot of random, nonsense conversations and debates. The wait is usually between five to 15 minutes, so one is privy to a lot of loud chatting and vociferous back-and-forthing.

For whatever reason, a popular topic of debate is music. The other day, two drivers were having a fierce argument about the source of the sentiment ‘you can fool some people some of the time, but you can’t fool all the people all of the time.’ One fellow swore it is the Bible, another was certain it was Bob Marley. One driver had to leave before they concluded the debate, so it was never resolved.

Today, two older gentlemen were debating who sings the popular song “Write your name across my heart”. It is by Kenny Rogers, who is absolutely beloved here in Jamaica, but one of the participants in the debate argued that the singer is one Marty Rogers.

In any case, here is the song, which is probably played at least once a day in Jamaica. I’m sure the debate will be ongoing all day.

A gift of pumpkins yesterday at the office. My favourite vegetable now, Jamaican pumpkins are delicious! Enjoy your day and Happy Birthday to my beautiful mother. I wish I were cooking pumpkin for you today.

The legitimacy of patois is a constant debate in Jamaica. The country’s educational institutions, including the University of the West Indies, have invested plenty of money in researching and documenting the language (some people even wonder whether it is a language) and the government struggles to provide accessible services (including education) because of the unofficial yet overwhelming presence of patois.

This existential issue has now extended to Toronto, where 170,000 Jamaicans live. A recent National Post story indicates that there is a shortage of patois interpreters and this is having real consequences in terms of the justice system. In other words, there are not enough people to translate what Jamaicans are saying when they are engaged in criminal trials. Here is the judge speaking about a particular case involving two Jamaican men accused of smuggling drugs:

In his decision, Justice Conlan expressed hope that unofficially accredited interpreters could be brought in for future proceedings and regretted that “the pace of change appears to be moving at the speed of molasses.”

“Perhaps we can look forward to some speedier progress in the days ahead, otherwise, justice will be sacrificed,” he wrote.

Meanwhile the accused are free, but they can’t work or leave Canada.

Here in Jamaica, the University of the West Indies has invested millions of JA dollars in researching patois and some scholars even recently completed a patois bible. However, all official activities are conducted in standard English, including instruction at schools. This makes for a difficult situation for most children, who learn in English but live life using patois.

Check out a couple of good articles by Dionne Jackson Miller here and the University of the West Indies’ professor Dr. Carolyn Cooper here. And let’s hope that even as the debate continues to rage, Canada’s justice system will find some more patois speakers to aid in carrying out justice.

Tomorrow. May 22nd, marks five years since the horrific fire at Armadale. Seven girls died in the state institution, which was supposed to be a place of safety for youth who were there for various reasons. A new initiative has launched, Step Up 4 Armadale, and it is aimed at providing mentorship and training for the girls so that they can develop some skills and reach a state of independence in their lives. From the story:

“We have been hearing your plight, and we want to help to do great things to overcome your challenges,” said Marie Sparkes, initiator of the Step Up 4 Armadale project.

“I was approached a year ago by six of the survivors seeking help to move forward, and today represents one of the steps we are taking to ensure that you are able to do something positive with your lives,” added Sparkes, who is the founder of Pure Potential, which is leading the initiative.

The girls are still young and still suffering from the trauma of the horrible fire, which saw them trapped in the institution while a fire raged. They also saw their peers die. How one recovers from such a trauma, I don’t know, but many of the girls have demonstrated resiliency and a dedication to forging their own path.

Last week, I had the pleasure of catching up with Candene, one of the survivors at the graduation ceremony for WMW, who also recently appeared on Talk Up Yout to discuss the topic of youth in state care. This is the clip above, please watch it, it is very powerful.

Some of the girls are in the process of negotiation for compensation from the government, but many do not know this process is ongoing. Check out a story I did on this here.

Delicious, homemade cassava, breadfruit and sweet potato cake, a gift from a friend. Enjoy your day.