Gov’t Reaffirms Commitment to Project ‘STAR’ with New $200M Partnership

The Government has reaffirmed its commitment to Project STAR (Social Transformation and Renewal) through a new $200 million public private partnership spanning 24 months.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security and Peace, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, made the disclosure in a message delivered by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Warren Clarke, during a Project STAR donor breakfast, held at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in St. Andrew on Thursday (June 25).

Project STAR is a transformative social and economic development initiative led by the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ), in collaboration with the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and powered by local communities. Its mission is to drive societal change through targeted interventions that uplift under-resourced areas across Jamaica.

Dr. Chang noted that the renewed partnership will prioritise psychosocial and therapeutic support, youth mentorship and leadership development, family strengthening, community mobilisation, and behaviour change programmes — all aligned with the national Peace Agenda and the ‘Liv Gud’ Campaign.

He explained that the investment will extend across the communities of Parade Gardens, Rose Gardens, Savanna-la-Mar, May Pen West, and Salt Spring.

“These are not peripheral communities. They are focal points within Jamaica’s broader violence prevention and citizen security strategy,” the Minister said.

Dr. Chang emphasised that the Government’s investment in Project STAR represents more than a financial commitment.

“It is an investment in prevention, in partnership and, most importantly, in people. Together, we can continue building communities where peace, opportunity, and hope are not aspirations, but realities. Project STAR has entered year five. Let us make it count,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr. Chang commended the donors and partners, stressing that their investment is yielding returns of immeasurable value — outcomes that no balance sheet could ever fully capture.

“The children whose reading levels are rising year on year, the residents who accessed health services and civil documents for the first time, the entrepreneurs with Nano Grants and a business that is now theirs… these are the returns. To the full STAR team, to the JCF, and to every community champion: the Ministry of National Security and Peace sees your work. We are proud to stand with you,” he said.

In the meantime, Dr. Chang announced that the Ministry will establish a complementary partnership with the MultiCare Youth Foundation, valued $142 million over 24 months.

This collaboration will provide trauma-informed care, cognitive behavioural therapy, youth mentorship, and arts-based violence prevention initiatives.

“Together, these investments reflect Government’s commitment to scaling what works through capable non-government partners,” he said.