At-Risk Youth Trained in Ornamental Fish Farming

Ten young people from the communities of Majesty Gardens, Greenwich Farm and Caribbean Palms Estate in St. Andrew have benefited from training in ornamental fish farming.

The training was organised by Rakul Enterprises School of Education and Technology (RESET) in collaboration with the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) and the National Commercial Bank (NCB) Foundation.

The one-day session, held on September 2 at RESET offices at 13 Lower Sandringham Avenue, Kingston 10, was the second of a series aimed at equipping young people from vulnerable communities with skills to pursue profitable ventures.

“Ornamental aquaculture is a viable business that requires minimal start-up cost and would provide good returns for the youngsters,” said Programme Director and Owner of RESET, Dr. Raghavan Ramamoorthy.

He told JIS News that the one-day training comprised a classroom session where the participants were provided with basic information about the industry, including business and economic opportunities, and a visit to a fish farm in St. Catherine for hands-on exposure.

“The programme will allow the youngsters to raise, sell fish, make aquarium tanks and even make frozen foods for fishermen and the wider fishing industry,” he pointed   out.

“It is going to provide a platform for people who want to start up businesses in fish farming and aquaculture in general,” he said, adding that the long-term goal is to contribute to the growth of the economy.

Dr. Ramamoorthy informed that other training sessions will be held to empower youth in at-risk communities in Kingston and surrounding parishes.