U-Report recently polled young Jamaicans on their views about fears of a potential increase in domestic abuse due to stay-at-home conditions during COVID-19, and to ask their advice to inform a project for the Spotlight Initiative – a partnership between the United Nations, the European Union and the Government of Jamaica to reduce… Read more →←
Topic: Safety and justice
COVID-19 is an uncomfortable but opportune moment for us to confront serious and longstanding social issues in Jamaica, like violence against women and children. At Araba Scott Children’s Foundation we’ve been adapting our usual programme in St. Thomas, to help those in quarantine until we are able to gather properly again. Between… Read more →←
I do not come across negativity on my social media platforms. Reading that I’m sure you are asking why that happens and, I do also hope, ‘How can I do that, or show my children how?’ For those of you who may not follow me, I’m a voracious user of social media, especially on Instagram, Linkedin and on Twitter. Paying it… Read more →←
The reason I believe in talking to my children … beating doesn’t work! Sometimes when you beat them, you beat them with anger, you beat them with vengeance, and when you tell yourself that you’re licking them here on the arm, it might catch them in the eye – scrape them, leave bruises, welts, marks and all those things. Talking… Read more →←
“I share my story here today for every girl and every boy in Jamaica who is subjected to sexual violence, and they are everywhere. There are children who are keeping horrible secrets in Upper St. Andrew, in downtown Kingston, and all across rural Jamaica” As I listened to Shaneille speak, my eyes welled up with tears. Her voice,… Read more →←
“Mi waan dead di man who dead mi modda.” A two-year-old boy said that. Can you imagine? Children in Jamaica today have so much on their minds to deal with. And now, for the first time in Jamaican history our children will be getting their chance to stand up and speak in Parliament, for a Special Session on Violence against… Read more →←
Born and raised in Trench Town, I’ve seen that my community, more than anything, needs to be led on a path of peace and love, and it starts with the youths. Whether it’s my friends or other youth in the community, I try to teach them the beauty of virtuous living. I try to enlighten them about the things they may be participating… Read more →←
I am what they called ‘unattached youth’, and I can count on my fingers, toes and teeth the persons who have told me that I will never amount to anything. But it is because of my experiences that I have reached where I have. I joined Fight for Peace two years ago when I was 17 years-old. First, I was a part of the boxing and the book… Read more →←
I’ve been involved in badness since I was 11 years old, when I had my little ‘one pop’ (single shot gun). When the Peace Management Initiative (PMI) first approached me I never took it seriously, because I was making too much money on the streets leading a gang here in Denham Town. But just three of us are left from a crew of… Read more →←
People at school are always surprised when I tell them I do taekwondo with Fight for Peace. But now I have a green belt and I help coach! What I really like about it is learning self-defense. You can protect yourself on the road like a lot of times I have to use it at my school, Camperdown High School. Students that are bigger than me… Read more →←