Young Lives Transformed Through EU-Funded Bridge Project

The lives of more than 300 young Jamaicans have been transformed through the European Union (EU)-funded BRIDGE Project, which provided critical training, mentorship, and behavioural support to at-risk youth across several parishes.

Implemented by the MultiCare Youth Foundation (MYF) over a 34-month period, the initiative has resulted in measurable improvements in employability, life skills, and personal development among its participants.

The Building through Reintegration, Intervention, Development, Growth and Education (BRIDGE) Project, launched in January 2023, targeted young people aged 15 to 29 from communities in Kingston and St. Andrew, Clarendon, Westmoreland, and St. James.

Providing an overview at the Graduation and Close-Out Ceremony, held on Thursday (October 9) at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel, MYF Executive Director, Mitzian Turner, said the programme offered a suite of interventions designed to reduce risk factors associated with crime and violence, while promoting positive behavioural change and socio-economic independence.

“The project saw more than 280 participants being exposed to life and employability training through the internationally recognised Passport to Success® curriculum, with over 70 per cent reporting enhanced attitudes, confidence, and competencies. Eighty-five youth secured internship placements, while more than 50 were assisted in applying to the HEART/NSTA Trust to pursue vocational certification,” Mrs. Turner shared.

She added that 20 participants from the Rio Cobre Juvenile Correctional Centre for Boys benefited from ‘Transforming Our Perspective – Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TOP-CBT)’, with 75 per cent demonstrating improved impulse control and 65 per cent showing reduced aggression.

The project also used art and advocacy to inspire positive storytelling through its Hope Campaign, led by Crime Stop Jamaica, which engaged more than 50 youth in creative expression and community mural installations reflecting themes of hope, growth, and transformation.

Meanwhile, more than 50 community members were trained in dispute resolution to help sustain peace-building efforts within their communities.

The newly appointed Executive Director hailed the project’s achievements and its impact on the lives of the youth who participated.

“This celebration of the achievements of our youth participants and the steps they have made towards a better future is indeed a special one,” she said.

Mrs. Turner explained that the Foundation’s model is built on sustained, layered interventions that support long-term change, rather than one-off engagements.

“Our model does not subscribe to the touch-and-go approach. We believe in span and depth, offering multiple layers of intervention that ensure both transformation and sustainability,” she said.

In addition to youth training, the project focused on capacity building for the wider ecosystem of support.

This resulted in more than 300 youth workers, mentors, and community leaders being trained to continue guiding at-risk youth, including school administrators and teachers from four schools participating in the JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation’s ‘Conversations for Greatness’, a leadership programme aimed at fostering mindset change within schools.

Mrs. Turner expressed gratitude to the European Union for funding the initiative, and to key implementing partners for their support over the years.

“This project embodied the power of public-private partnership. Together, we have made measurable strides in youth empowerment and community resilience,” she said.

Mrs. Turner also commended the MYF team and project partners for their unwavering commitment to seeing the project through.

“To our partners and to the hard-working MYF team, a huge thank you. You did an outstanding job of staying the course, even amidst challenges. To our internship hosts, mentors, facilitators, and service providers, thank you for your continued partnership,” she said.

As the BRIDGE Project draws to a close, Mrs. Turner reaffirmed MYF’s commitment to continuing its work with youth through evidence-based and community-driven initiatives that promote empowerment, employability, and sustainable change.