Inner-city youths in Spanish Town seeing better days

Breaking away from a mindset of hopelessness that oftentimes characterised stigmatised inner-city communities was not a difficult process for a number of young people in Spanish Town and surrounding communities in St Catherine Central, once they are afforded the opportunity.

Monique Baker and 20-year-old Kalifa Wright of Gordon Pen, a community that has seen its fair share of violence in the past, and Anne Kay Cambridge of Spanish Town, among others, have taken up the challenge to better their lives by acquiring functional skills and exploring university educational opportunities.

The opportunity came through the vision of the member of parliament (MP) for St Catherine Central, Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange, who sees youth development as a vehicle to transform lives in the inner-city communities in her constituency, by implementing a programme of empowerment through skills training and educational advancement.

“I was a simple bartender without the resources to go any further, but was able to upgrade myself because of the programme put in place by the MP. I am now a certified mixologist and caterer,” disclosed Monique Baker.

SHORT-TERM GOAL

“I am at another level, I now do weddings and parties. It is a great experience when you are certified in certain fields, I can get employment even overseas,” Baker continued, adding that her short-term goal is to establish her business in food and beverage.

Wright, who experienced a setback in early 2020 when her house was destroyed by fire, did not fathom that she could bounce back, not knowing where help would come from. The second-year student at The University of the West Indies (UWI) studying actuarial science got a lifeline when Grange visited her family after a fire at her house.

“Really and truly the fire helps me because I met the MP who came to our assistance and everything went well from that moment. Benefiting from her educational programme, I was able to bounce back and pass my CAPE (Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination),” Wright stated.

She added: “We lost all our belongings, including my laptop, but the MP gave us the assurance that everything would work out and it did. In addition to the assistance with my tuition, she even gave me a summer job at her office to assist me further.”

Wright said she currently gives of her time in the community by tutoring children, which also benefit her because it puts her in a space where she is encouraged and motivated to work harder.

EDUCATIONAL ADVANCEMENT

While Cambridge, a second-year student of economics at The University of the West Indies, has had challenges growing up in Spanish Town, her introduction to Grange and her focus on educational advancement has made a big difference in her life.

“Passing GSAT (Grade Six Achievement Test) for Immaculate, my parents could not afford all the expenses that came with it, but the minister, through her initiative, stepped in and took care of my tuition and book expenses every year. She also advised me on the subjects that I should take, and when I got accepted at UWI, she was there for me again.” Cambridge told The Gleaner.

She said she is big on youth development and plans to be involved in developing policies at the community level, formulating community projects to help unattached youths.

Grange, in the meantime, said her vision of engaging the young people in productive enterprises is changing the social fabric of the communities.

“The young people in my constituency are very industrious and most of them want to improve their lives, so this initiative is designed to help them with certification, and to assist those who are destined for higher learning with offsetting the expenses associated with it,” Grange stated, pointing out that she collaborated with HEART NSTA to provide the certification.

She said there is a remarkable reduction in crimes in the Gordon Pen community that had lasted for many years because the young people are now seeing their self-worth.