Andrews

It is no news that Arnett Gardens is a 'crime plagued' community - and that some of its youth have a reputation for being 'irredeemable', as local Member of Parliament Dr. Omar Davies once said.

But among that generation, some are trying.

Within Dr. Davies's garrison constituency of South St. Andrew, there are a handful of would-be change-makers who have formed their own community-based organisations (CBOs).

Among them is Nesta Andrews, a 25-year-old resident who formed Club Renaissance to encourage local youths to adoptcreative arts. Andrews is from Federal Gardens, a community of over 2,000 people which is part of Trench Town, and as the Jamaica Social Investment Officer (JSIF) liaison for that community, is currently working on the World Bank Inner-City Basic Services Project (ICBSP) in that community, for which his employers are the implementing agency.

The ICBSP will see improvements to the physical infrastructure in 12 commu-nities islandwide.

"Growing up here has been an incredible learning experience," he says of the Trench Town/Arnett Gardens area. "You have to adjust your friend circle constantly. They become involved in crime or maybe not crime per se, but it's a "me nuh care" kind of system that we have right now, that drive towards material gain ... One thing that I advise kids is not to be afraid to be different and not just be pulled towards that kind of socialisation that exists - you can come into a lot of trouble."

The young social worker and his peers are hopeful that change can be made, if resources are put in their hands - people from the community, working on the ground. When they do have resources, the results have been tangible, believe CBOs.

Luke-George Cooke, 31, is the JSIF liaison officer for Jones Town where he was born and still lives; and like Andrews, he founded his own CBO, 'Operation Hope'.

"You can't lose hope," Cooke maintains. "I run a summer school and for the last couple of years, I have seen the untapped human energy that you can channel in the right way when you see the brightness in the children's eyes." He added: "At that time, people actually feel able to cross the community without fear, which shows that change can come, and when I listened to the children speak about their experiences, you realise that the adults are screwing up the society and as such, you have a responsibility."

Obstacles

Much of the challenge, he believes will be to reverse negative socialisation and for the community to open up about its problems so as to resolve them. This process could take about 10 working years, he estimates.

Obstacles remain, say CBOs. Violence is usually the first to be mentioned.

Residents are often reluctant to cross borderlines to meet or join in an activity. Club Renaissance, the name itself representing a desire for change, has seen its activities stalled by the violence. Recently, Andrew's brother's girlfriend, believed to have been involved in a dispute, was shot dead in his home; he has since moved from the community as a consequence.

CBOs often complain there is insufficient recognition by their political representatives, state and donor agencies.

There is also cynicism among the community the CBOs are intending to help, says Andrews: "People have seen a lot of projects and a lot of promises but people can also be territorial too and say 'This is my area' or, 'I was the first member."

Also people talk about change but those can be the same people who resist change."

Other residents have resigned themselves to current realities. Some parents, say Andrews, have told him that they have already put down money to prepare to bury their offspring who have already become involved in crime.

But ask the CBOs whether they should give up and the answer is a resounding "No!"

ross.sheil@gleanerjm.com