Happy faces at a Portmore Health Care Primary Development meet at G.C. Foster College recently. - Anthony Minott/freelance photographer

Possibilities abound!

If we go by pessimistic predictions about the future of boys in the Jamaican society, they are destined for the scrap heap.

If we believe the sceptics, the notion of development in this country is a sick joke which should be rejected - the people are worthless and the way to spell Jamaica is D-O-O-M.

But possibilities abound! The youth of the country, new entrepreneurs and young professionals shape the future of Jamaica. It spells H-O-P-E.

That is what the package produced by today's guest editors and their in-house team of reporters highlight.

BOYS MAY be most at risk on this island: at risk of becoming involved in gangs, dropping out of school, ending up in prison and of being killed by the gun.

But not all of them are going down the gutter, thanks to police youth clubs which, with little resources, make a change in the lives of their community members.

Not many Jamaicans know, but well-known persons, such as former National Security Minister Dr Peter Phillips, former Police Commissioner Francis Forbes, the executive director of the Broadcasting Commission, Cordel Green, and even Olympic champion Donald Quarrie are products of vibrant police youth clubs.

There are 500 of these clubs islandwide, totalling some 12,000 members. Unfortunately, not all are as active as they ought to be.

In fact, only 230 are seriously active, island supervisor for police youth clubs, Sheryl Brown, says. But the police are hoping to change that very soon.

"Since the start of the year, we have launched a Police Youth Club Council in which the young people will play a leading role," says Brown.

This council will act as a melting pot, bringing together youth clubs from the across various communities into central parish youth councils where they can exchange ideas, build networks and camaraderie.

It's already working in the 18-year-old Port Morant Police Youth Club, which has been assisting Phyllis Daley, better known in the community as Ms Phyllis.

Apart from her niece, Hyacinth Hunnigan, who is also now elderly, the former shop owner has no one to look after her. She lives alone in a one-room board structure at the back of Hunnigan's house.

"We wash for her, cook, wash her hair and sew," says Nodene Clarke, president of the club.

The police youth clubs have been the source of nourishment for healthy symbiotic relationships between communities and the police, Brown says. They have helped the police in their fight against crime in at-risk and volatile communities by helping to soften some of these tense communities. But at same time, they have been acting as a transformational ground for many youths, like Simon or as they used to call him 'Shyman' because of his reserved personality, the relationships he's formed with his peers have helped him to break out of his shell.

"You couldn't get me fi talk to people, but seeing other role models in the club, I now even begin to think of career choices," the aspiring chef says.

"The exposure helps to develop them as individuals. Some people say you need to have cash to care but it's not all 'bout that. We really have leaders and you must say hats off to some of them who are really creative in terms of holding the group together," Brown says.

But just ask somebody like Dr Peter Phillips and he'll tell you the club provided his first taste of civic duty.

The former national security minister admits that it's an arm that has been often underutilised in bringing healing to especially war-torn communities.

"It gives the youth an opportunity to see the human aspect of the police and gives many young men, in particular, a chance to form positive relationships with not only their peers, but with men who can act as role models," Phillips adds.

Vice-president of the Port Morant Police Youth Club, Mowayne Williams, offers a word of comfort to Phyllis Daley. The club often assists Daley with her chores as part of its service to the community. - Photo by Gareth Manning