Jamaicans in Ottawa for youth exchange

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

FIVE Jamaican youth are in Ottawa, Canada to participate in an international youth exchange programme "HIV/AIDS Awareness and the Caribbean Diaspora Project" undertaken with the financial support of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

Eight youth participants (four from Canada and four from Jamaica) and two journalism inters (one from Canada and one from Jamaica) were recruited to implement the project. The Jamaican delegation comprises Youth Ambassador Randy McLaren, UWI student Yannick Hemmings, UTech student Marlon Thompson, Youth Advocate Dwayne Brown and Journalism intern Keressa Arnold.

The goal of the project is to raise awareness about the impact of HIV and AIDS issues in the Caribbean through the production of two videos, which can be used as innovative and creative tools to engage the Caribbean Diaspora in Ottawa. The project targets Caribbean and Caribbean Diaspora youth between the ages of 19 and 26. Partner organizations involved in the project include the Interagency Coalition on AIDS and Development (ICAD) in Canada, the Somerset West Community Health Centre (SWCHC) in Canada, Caribbean Vulnerable Communities (CVC) in Jamaica and the African and Caribbean Council on HIV/AIDS in Ontario (ACCHO) in Canada.

The Canadians visited Jamaica in for four weeks in February and met with representatives from organisations such as CVC, Jamaica AIDS Support for Life, Eve for Life, Children First, Sistren and the Ministry of Health. The participants were also trained in video production at CPTC in Kingston.

The Jamaican delegation is presently in Ottawa for a one week workshop organized by the Interagency Coalition on AIDS and Development (ICAD) and the Somerset West Community Health Centre (SWCHC). The Government of Canada provides full funding for this initiative.