KINGSTON, Jamaica — Community-based organisations operating in some of Kingston and St Andrew’s most vulnerable communities are receiving critical support under the Rise & Thrive Initiative, a six-month project funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and implemented by the Council of Voluntary Social Services (CVSS).

The initiative targets four zones of special operations (ZOSOs) communities, Parade Gardens, Greenwich Town, Denham Town and August Town, with a focus on strengthening governance, accountability and leadership at the community level. The project aims to empower community-based organisations (CBOs) to deliver community-led interventions that prevent violence, support youth development and foster social resilience, while strengthening Jamaica’s civil society sector.

According to Damion Hylton, project manager at Rise & Thrive, the initiative responds to gaps that have emerged following the initial phases of the ZOSO framework.

“The first two phases of the ZOSOs focused on clearing and holding, but the third phase, the build phase, should prioritise social and infrastructure development,” he explained. “Where governance is weak at the community level, the sustainability of that build phase is impaired.”

The Rise & Thrive Initiative therefore places strong emphasis on building the institutional capacity of Community Development Committees (CDCs) and other community-based organisations, in close collaboration with the Social Development Commission (SDC), the government agency responsible for community development.

Rather than introducing new programmes, the project is designed to strengthen and expand existing community-led efforts.

“The Council of Voluntary Social Services is not intent on taking the space of community-based groups,” Hylton said. “We are facilitators. We want these organisations to be able to write their own proposals, access their own funding, implement their own programmes, evaluate their success and report to their communities, stakeholders and funders.”

Following rapid capacity assessments, participating organisations are benefiting from targeted training in governance, project planning and implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and accountability. A major focus is also being placed on youth leadership development, addressing an identified gap in youth participation in community governance structures.

“Young people are both the most impacted by crime and, statistically, the group most involved in it,” he noted. “We are prioritising them as the next tier of community leadership and strengthening their role in community decision-making.”

“This project is not about reinventing the wheel,” Hylton stressed. “It’s about supporting communities in what they are already doing and helping them do it better.”

Executive Director of the Council of Voluntary Social Services, Nancy Pinchas, said the initiative reflects CVSS’s long-standing commitment to strengthening civil society organisations across Jamaica.

“Community-based organisations are critical to the structure and functioning of communities across Jamaica, whether urban or rural,”  Pinchas said. “Through the Rise & Thrive Initiative, we are supporting these groups to put in place governance, financial management and safeguarding systems that enable them to transition from less formal community groups into strong civil society organisations capable of successfully accessing and implementing grant funding, allowing them to focus on what they do best in their communities.”

For participants, particularly young people, the initiative is already having a personal and practical impact.

Jada Brown, a 20-year-old university student from Bedward Gardens in August Town, said the leadership training has empowered her to see herself as an agent of change.

“We’ve learnt what it really takes to be a leader: being observant, trustworthy and building strong relationships so people can rely on you,” Brown said. “Being selected as a leader for change has made me feel empowered. I believe I can use what I’ve learnt to inspire other young people and show that we are more than the negative labels placed on our community.”

Brown, who is studying banking and finance at the University of the West Indies, said she hopes to use her role to help young people better understand their community’s history and access opportunities for education and development.

“I want to help give people hope and show that we can be better than the stigma,” she added. “There is talent, culture and potential in our community, and programmes like this help us to see that and build on it.”

Hopeton Robinson of Parade Gardens is enthusiastic about being selected to lead his community under the initiative. He expressed a strong commitment to youth development, noting, “I like to see people do well. There are many young people in the community who have the potential to become something great, and I am working with them to help them achieve that.”

Robinson has been advancing this mission through a football programme that has successfully brought together youths from previously warring communities. The initiative is grounded in the understanding that strong, inclusive community governance is essential to violence prevention and long-term resilience.

“When people feel they have a stake in their community and a voice in its development, we delegitimise structures that are anti-development, such as gangs,” Hylton explained. “Strengthened community-based organisations can act as first responders to disputes before they escalate into serious violence.”

Looking beyond crime reduction, the project also addresses domestic violence, sexual abuse and conflict through peacebuilding, restorative justice and violence interruption approaches.

By the end of the six-month period, Hylton said communities are expected to see more active and visible CDCs, increased collaboration among civil society groups, and stronger partnerships with ministries, departments and agencies. Planned “community conversations” will bring together NGOs, faith-based organisations and State agencies to assess community needs, reduce duplication of efforts and coordinate development planning.