Children to Benefit from Project of Jamaica Festival Queen 2022 Runner-Up

First runner-up, Miss Jamaica Festival Queen 2022, Sheri-Gaye Johnson, has embarked on her community project dubbed, ‘Operation Safe Space’, dealing with the mental health and physical well-being of children, while connecting them with support services.

The undertaking is in keeping with one stipulation of the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), organiser of the Miss Jamaica Festival Queen Competition, that contestants engage in activities focused on community development.

Operation Safe Space was launched in April 2023 at the Wembley Centre of Excellence in Hayes, Clarendon, with organisations such as the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) and the police, addressing students about their rights, and providing contact details on how to seek help or support.

Key among the objectives is educating young people to make informed choices about their mental health and physical well-being and empowering them to seek support. It also aims to expand youth access to physical and mental wellness supportive services.

Operation Safe Space will stage several activities, including an information exposition, school tours, youth leadership training seminars and conflict resolution training seminars.

The project also aims to promote open dialogue among 100 youth or more, develop partnership with more than 10 child-help organisations, and to increase volunteers.

“I am really passionate about children, and as a youth leader from primary school onwards I realised a lot of children and young adults were facing different situations, whether abuse, depression or mental health issues, but didn’t have the support that was needed, and that was how my project came about,” Miss Johnson said, during an interview with JIS News.

Miss Johnson, who also won Miss Clarendon 2022, said the project is intended for students 10 to 19 years of age, who are vulnerable and more receptive to this information.

“These are the children who are afraid to speak up because they are afraid of the consequences they may face,” she added.

“Since I have been crowned queen, I have had the privilege of being able to do a lot of social development work and attend civic events, which have been a part of the highlight of the experience for me,” she said.

Miss Johnson, who is a student at the University of the West Indies (UWI), said that among the challenges faced with executing her project is the lack of sponsors, noting that assistance will be needed to secure items for the participants as well as to arrange school tours.

“I had only one sponsor with me, and because of that I had to downsize the exposition to just one venue where I invited 10 students from different schools,” she noted.

She said that if the project is funded by local and international partners it could move to other parishes.

“The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Office of the Children’s Advocate (OCA) are organisations I am really interested in partnering with to get their attention and bring awareness to the children,” Miss Johnson said.

“One of the things I’ve come to understand is that tapping into your best potential means you have to put yourself out there and get engaged in as many positive things as possible. When you put yourself in a position to work, other opportunities will follow,” she added.

Miss Johnson said she aims to be a role model in everything she does, and it is a privilege to be considered one.

“I also aim to leave a positive impact on the life of everyone I’ve come across, not for recognition but out of the kindness of my heart,” she noted.

Miss Johnson said that if her project can save one young person and present the person to an organisation like CPFSA for help, then she is happy with that.

She will visit Budapest, Hungary, this month to participate in the ‘Get Engaged, Student Action and Youth Leadership Conference’, involving students from more than 60 countries and 20 institutions.

She noted that the conference is geared towards the civic activities they do to improve the space in their country.

While in Hungary, she will be attending workshops and making presentations on her Safe Space project.

“It is also a conference that will give us more tips on how to maximise our potential as youth leaders and also get funds for the various projects we are doing,” Miss Johnson said.

For more information about ‘Operation Safe Space’, persons can contact the JCDC Head office or Miss Johnson’s Instagram page @sheri.gaye.