KINGSTON, Jamaica— Ten youth groups have been selected to receive grants of US$10,000 each to implement their own citizen safety and security projects in crime and violence hotspots across Jamaica, with expert mentorship and oversight guaranteed.

The grants, amounting to a combined J$15.2 million equivalent are being awarded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Multi-Country Office in Jamaica under its Amplifying Youth Voice and Action (AYVA) project.

According to a statement from the UNDP, the 10 successful groups were chosen from a field of 70 applicants.

They are; I-SEEED; Youth Inspiring Positive Change Ja Ltd; Bully ProofKids International; National Police Youth Club Council Of Jamaica; Total Health Services; Norwood Community Development Benevolent Society; The Every Mikkle Foundation; Called to Lead Jamaica; LifeYard & Jahmeyka Project; Young Women/Men of Purpose.

Announcement of the awards was made by UNDP Resident Representative Denise E Antonio at the recent opening ceremony of Youth For Excellence’s regional Math Chattingz seminar series.

Noting that young people are disproportionately the targets and perpetrators of crime, she said the project was seeking to move youth inclusion beyond consultation and participation to also facilitating their innovation and leadership of solutions addressing safety and security.

Antonio explained that the youth groups will develop customised and demand-driven solutions aligned to local priorities under a mandatory incubator programme, mentored by a coalition of stakeholders from the Government, the international development community, civil society, academia and the private sector.

”As its contribution to the incubator programme, the UNESCO Cluster Office for the Caribbean  has engaged the ten youth groups in workshop sessions on the use of their Digital Project Planning tool, mentorship sessions and access to opportunities for networking and global fora such as UNESCO’s Global Youth Community or the UNESCO Youth Forum,” Antonio added. 

The Resident Representative said that an established Civil Society Organization will facilitate the on-granting process by supporting youth groups with implementation of their projects.  Expertise from UNDP and other members of the coalition will be leveraged throughout the design, implementation and monitoring of the microprojects innovated by the groups, Ms Antonio outlined. Five individuals from youth groups who complete the mandatory incubator programme or who successfully implement their grants, will be awarded internships at UNDP,” Antonio announced.

 In addition, UNDP said it will providing a US$ 29,000 grant to assess the extent to which Government and non-governmental entities have adopted youth-centric approaches to be implemented by UNESCO Caribbean.

The project will also develop knowledge products geared at improving mechanisms for youth participation in citizen safety and security decision-making processes with the participation of five young people from across the island.