Life could have been different for Chris-Ann Grason and Damion Laylor who now serve as volunteers at RISE (Reaching Individuals through Skills and Education) Life Management Services – a non-government organisation whose programmes seek to benefit at-risk youth in inner-city communities.

Beneficiaries of the programmes themselves, Granson and Laylor told theJamaica Observer that their development is mostly due to their involvement with the organisation, which charted a path they would not have dreamed of.

“Di norm fi me before RISE was to come home, hang out pan di road, me an di res a girls dem will war. We nah tink nutten bout no education, jus war an cuss,” Grason recalled.

At that point, she noted that she would be incapable of speaking in public or with an adult.

“Only time me do public speaking a when me a cuss; other from dat me cya stan up in front of a adult an talk to a adult face to face like now. So like now RISE put all a dem ting deh up front fi me,” the Drewsland resident explained.

Laylor, who is from Allman Town, remembered he was always ambitious but was unable to capitalise on his abilities.

“Me usually deh pan di ends a hustle it. I was more of a… I don’t really want to say hustler but you know me really did a push myself an try cause me did want make some money by myself so me do weh me haffi do fi make some money. An den going about it pon a regular weh you say me a go sell dis an try make a one money,” he stated.

“When you go through RISE now di whole training dat you get now have you open to more business aspects,” he continued.

Both 27, they said that because of RISE they have become respected persons admired throughout the community. They noted that RISE has positively impacted their lives as well as the community.

“Di next ting wid RISE now, knowing dat RISE in a di inna city you know majority inna city people they are uneducated, unemployed but being a part a RISE now eventually you see one a RISE member an talking to dat person yuh would a tink dat person book smart because a di different training RISE would a put dem through. So talking to dat person you would a tink dem have nuff subject while when yuh check him background him nuh have none,” she boasted.

“The youth club now decrease crime and violence an pregnancy in di community. It might not decrease by nuff but it do because di time you know most club in di community would a start like in di evening hours an di time weh dem would a have fi dem street time instead of di street time we have dem in a di youth club so a less youths pan di road cause we have dem time occupied,” said Grason, who serves as the Vice President of the youth club in her community.

But convincing the youth to get involved in the programmes can be a challenge. This, according to Laylor, is “because majority of the guys, especially in the inner city, are on the corner smoking. Most guys unemployed which is a big deal in Jamaica; teenage pregnancy is another one of the issues strong in the area and they are mainly within the youth.”

He added: “You find out that getting young people to divert from certain behaviour is kind of hard, you have to really hit a strong nail on a certain spot to get them focused again an you have a one or two person who can champion the mission an they really can get the respect of another person cause it’s all about respect in di garrison.”

Laylor also noted that there are many opportunities offered to them through the organisation. Making reference to an instance when he represented Jamaica at the 41st Next Generation Leader’s Forum – where he received an inspirational award despite his team not placing first in the competition – in Ontario, Canada, he said his accomplishments stemmed from his involvement in the organisation.

“Achievement wise, it always push us to gain more, to go forward, to be more involved an sometimes men in di garrison will say if yuh a do something fi somebody yuh mus a look something out a it an most man a tink money wise. But when you get a one money from a one ting weh you do fi a day yuh money a go spen maybe di next three minutes or so a di end a di day yuh lose it as yuh get it. Once yuh get exposure from RISE an di impact it has given yuh is a more lifetime ting yuh can actually use it more dan one time, so is like recycling,” he reasoned.

Grason and Laylor have been a part of the initiative for 10 and seven years respectively. They love volunteering – something they would never do before – and intend to continue to be “a beacon of light for others”.