A half a million dollar donation from a philanthropist intent on helping the western city’s street boys reclaim their lives has spurred the Montego Bay chapter of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association into action.

The local JHTA’s civic committee has formed the Save the Boys Foundation and is now seeking donations, in cash and kind, from its members. Its goal is to have $1-million in the fund by December.

And although the Good Samaritan who donated the initial funds did not wish to be named, her generous donation has triggered positive reactions from tourism interests in the West.

For example, the JHTA said the funds raised through the foundation will be used to provide education and skills training for the vulnerable youths, many of whom can be seen begging along the streets of the tourist resort.

“The Foundation has as its objective the betterment of street boys, primarily through education and skills training,” said chairperson of the JHTA’s civic committee, Raquel Ingram in a release. “The donation will fuel a project designed to provide financial assistance for those boys enlisted to re-enter the school system.”

Ingram added that the skills training component would cater to street boys between 16 and 19 years old who are literate but without any means of earning a livelihood. This will be achieved through apprenticeship programmes at facilities operated by local JHTA members.

To date, there are four boys in the programme, two of whom are enrolled in the apprenticeship project.

“What we’re asking the JHTA chapter members to do is for those who are not in a position to give cash, to augment what we have, they can offer training to the boys,” Ingram told the Observer. “I don’t know what the limit is going to be but we want to take it as far as we can, as long as we get the support. As for the apprenticeship programme, I don’t see why we can’t have over 20 boys, we have so many hotels in Montego Bay and most of them are part of the JHTA’s local chapter. And it’s a way to reach out to the community.”

She added that most JHTA members had expressed an interested in participating in the outreach programme, especially the apprenticeship aspect.

The Foundation will work closely with another institution that helps street children in Montego Bay, Westhelp, but will remain true to its focus on boys. This is in keeping with the mandate given by the donor who got the project going.

According to Ingram, the donor has expressed fear that some organisations that try to help abused women are not really getting to the root of the problem but were just supplying a band-aid. The donor’s take on the issue is that the real problem lies with society’s “misguided boys” who may grow up to become abusive mates.

She has challenged the civic committee to enlist the help of male role models in their attempt to rescue the street boys.