SDC Seeks to Empower Youth in Gregory Park

The Social Development Commission (SDC) is working to break the stigma in Gregory Park, in Portmore, St. Catherine, by empowering young people in the community through its Youth Entrepreneurship Skills Symposium (YESS).

The second iteration of the initiative was held on Friday (August 29) at the Worldwide Church of God in Christian Gardens, Portmore, in the parish.

Parish Manager for the SDC in Portmore, Ishiwawa Hope, told JIS News that Gregory Park has been a focus for the agency to get youth involved in constructive activities, as they reside in a community that has struggled over the years with issues of gun violence and gang activities.

“Generally, in Portmore, Gregory Park is one of our communities that we go extra hard to get young people positively engaged. We know about what’s happening with crime and violence, gun warfare, and you name it, so we know that Gregory Park has what we call a stigma sometimes,” she explained.

During the symposium, the agency trained almost 50 young residents in various entrepreneurial skills, including welding, candle-making, bouquet and gift basket creation, lash extension techniques and photography.

The participants were also informed about the various grants and programmes offered through the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information and HEART/NSTA Trust.

Additional support is available through the SDC’s Local Economic Development Support Programme (LEDSP), which offers financial assistance, grants, market access and promotion, mentorship and networking, as well as advisory and counselling services.

“We are transforming the youth so that they can be positive within the community, doing things that can actually make them earn money on their own,” Ms. Hope said.

She pointed out that the initiative presents other options to the young people in the community, who may not have the qualifications to work at a call centre, or in the public or private sectors.

“But what they can do is start their little business and let it mushroom into a productive, successful business with the help of the Social Development Commission,” the Parish Manager said.

During the workshop, participants were receptive to the information provided and were enthused about learning the different skills on offer.

One participant, 29-year-old Tahiesha Thompson, told JIS News that she was there to learn and establish a second stream of income to supplement her 9-5 job.

She saw the workshop as a way to generate new ideas, while receiving training, but also to learn how to start a new business.

“There are a lot of us out there who know how to acquire information, we know how to inquire about the information, but we don’t know how to implement it. So when we learn stuff we know how to tell you how to get it done, but to actually get it to work, that’s where we fall short so that’s why I am here today to refresh my mind,” Ms. Thompson said.

She disclosed that she found the workshop beneficial, a sentiment echoed by 18-year-old Joel Brown, who indicated that he is a recent high school graduate and was looking for the next step to take.

“I came so I can get to know a skill so I can better myself and take the next step, go to the next level and reach my goal,” Mr. Brown said.

The tips on how to manage a business, and the mindset that an entrepreneur needs to have to be successful were among the lessons that stood out to the young man.

The workshop is an expansion of the SDC’s ‘Portmore Say Yes I’ project, which is a youth, economic and sports initiative aimed at engaging young people across the municipality to get them involved in governance and decision making that impacts their communities.