KINGSTON, Jamaica — State Minister in the Ministry of National Security, Senator Pearnel Charles Jr, is calling on tertiary students to help curb the trend of violence among youth.

This, he expressed, can be done by not only continuing to do well in school, but also using their talents to help encourage and rehabilitate at-risk youth in Jamaica.

“We are inviting you to come on board with the We Transform Programme as we work to help make a change in the lives of some of our country’s most vulnerable and give them the tools they need to successfully reintegrate in their communities,” said Charles in his speech yesterday at the 4th staging of the Creating Awareness through Revolutionary Entertainment (CARE) concert/forum, which took place at the Philip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts on the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona campus.

The objective of the CARE programme is to help needy students in nearby communities of the UWI to access funding to continue their education, said the ministry in a release today.

Charles highlighted some of the issues affecting young Jamaicans as domestic violence, corruption, youth and crime, mental health and teenage pregnancy and noted that the Ministry of National Security’s decision to support the CARE initiative was an easy one, as such initiatives help to transform and empower the island’s youth.

“I decided to use the passion I have for the performing arts as a means to raise money for these students, to assist them with continuing their education, whether to sixth form or for a technical training course,” said founder of the CARE campaign, Mikiela Gonzales.

Over the past four years, CARE has assisted more than 40 students and has become a platform to help empower Jamaica’s youth through education, as well as an opportunity to highlight the various issues and challenges facing young Jamaicans on a daily basis.

To date, CARE has raised in excess of J$1 million through sponsorship from corporate Jamaica and its annual youth concert/forum.