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Tivoli Gardens Visionaries Creating Waves of Change

By: , February 5, 2014

The Key Point:

Tivoli Gardens Visionaries (TGV) was formed in the aftermath of the May 2010 upheaval in the West Kingston community.
Tivoli Gardens Visionaries Creating Waves of Change
Chief Ideator and Resultant Motivational Speaker, Dr. Leahcim Semaj, delivers the keynote address to students attending the Career Day expo organised by the Tivoli Gardens Visionaries on January 30, at Tivoli Gardens Community Centre. Member of Parliament for West Kingston, Desmond McKenzie, sits at the head table and looks on with approval.

The Facts

  • The community based group of university students is well respected and provides positive examples for youngsters.
  • Looking to the future, the group is envisioning a transformed Tivoli Gardens with qualified, gainfully employed citizens.

The Full Story

Tivoli Gardens Visionaries (TGV), a group formed in the aftermath of the May 2010 upheaval in the West Kingston community, is creating waves of change in their area.

The community based group of university students is well respected and provides positive examples for youngsters. The members stand by their motto, ‘Inspiring Change Through Leadership’.

“We are now a household name in Tivoli Gardens and it is great that they appreciate us and are mindful of us, because we are looking for a new form of leadership; hence the name Visionaries. We are young people with a vision,” says President Wade Brown.

Looking to the future, the group is envisioning a transformed Tivoli Gardens with qualified, gainfully employed citizens. With a number of the residents lacking educational qualifications, the TGV decided to host a Career Day on January 30 at the community centre to help them identify career options.

“We have a lot of young people in the community with idle hands. I wanted them to identify career options, even if they don’t want to go to school. With this goal in mind I went around, surveyed and contacted the organizations and schools that persons would be interested in getting further information about,” Project Manager, Monique McCalla informs JIS News.

Displays were mounted by members of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) and the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), who also provided information and accepted applications for entry.

Other entities participating in the Career Day were the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), The Human Employment and Resource Training Agency (Heart Trust NTA), Northern Caribbean University (NCU), representatives from Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) and the Theological Seminary.

“It was a tremendous success. We had several presentations, and students from more than five schools were present. It is just what we had envisioned. I am extremely proud of TVG,” shares Citizen Security and Justice Programme Assistant Community Action Officer for Tivoli Gardens, Claudette Samuels.

She also adds that several of the TVG members are beneficiaries of the Citizen Security and Justice Programme (CSJP) scholarship programme.

“These young people are the leaders in their community, they help to motivate other young people around them to take the route they have taken instead of turning to crime and violence,” she says.

With the West Kingston Career Day successfully staged, the Tivoli Gardens Visionaries are now considering a spelling bee competition for students, as well as a Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT), and Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC) marathon.

Last Updated: February 5, 2014

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