IN a bid to transform local cultural talent into viable businesses and global opportunities, educator Karen Francis danced for 12 hours on Wednesday to raise $500,000 to launch a programme for youth in Trench Town, St Andrew.

As she put on her performance at the Trench Town Culture Yard, Francis shared that the money garnered from the event would go towards the launch of the Trench Town Community 4-H Youth Entrepreneurship Programme, which will operate from the community’s reading centre.

The dance marathon was also used to launch the Founding Supporter Circle, which invites 500 supporters worldwide to contribute $1,000 over one or two years to help reach the $500,000 goal.

People can choose to sponsor individual hours of the marathon or contribute to the youth initiative.

“I noticed that there was a reading centre that is closed, and apparently it had a sponsor. But the sponsor was not able to continue so it has been closed, and the children don’t have access to it.

“I thought it would be a good opportunity to utilise my skills and support the community by putting in place a youth programme — and it’s something I had done in the past, because I facilitated and hosted 4-H clubs for years,” said Francis in an interview with the Jamaica Observer on Wednesday.

According to Francis, the programme will provide young people in Trench Town with access to entrepreneurship education, cultural arts training, and business English instruction to help them connect with global markets.

“So they will not only be designing the crafts and materials to be sold in the gift store, here at the Culture Yard, but it is also for them to be able to engage in trade themselves, and to be able to negotiate and engage in commerce with other African nations and youth.

“And with 4-H being an international organisation it will enable them to now easily plug into a system that can create a circular sort of economy that already exists here,” said Francis as she declared that the Trench Town community is filled with talented people who just needed help to transform this talent into a stable source of income.

“I don’t have to leave Trench town to spend money. I stay here, I get my food here, and anything I want. I had some dresses that I needed altered and I could get that done right here. I met the man who makes clothes and uniforms for the kids and all that. Anything that you need, they have here. This is what black economy looks like, and it just needs to be properly structured and organised,” said Francis.

She told the Observer that the Trench Town programme will teach youth how to create and sell cultural products including handmade jewellery, crocheted items, paintings, pottery, and branded Trench Town merchandise, while learning how to market those products internationally.

Francis, who was born in Jamaica, now lives in the United States of America and has been a part of many youth-focused initiatives across the world.

She added that the programme will also invite alumni from the US State Department’s English Language Fellow Programme, and other international exchange initiatives, to participate as mentors, guest instructors, and supporters.

The educator emphasised the importance of being fluent in English as she pointed out that this is the business language of the world.

Francis told the Observer that while Jamaica’s official language is English, many living in Trench Town only communicate using patois. While she admitted that the dialect is beautiful and culturally relevant, Francis highlighted that being able to code-switch is equally important.

“It is refreshing to hear people speak in their patois, because that is the mother tongue here. I wouldn’t say English is the first language of Trench Town. I recognise that there is a need to teach English because it is important for all of us to be able to switch from patois and back into English. We need to use it to engage in trade, which is what all countries are pretty much engaged in,” she said.

Francis also noted that despite Trench Town’s global cultural influence by producing legendary reggae artistes such as Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer, many children in the community still lack structured opportunities for entrepreneurial endeavours.

She also noted that there is still a stigma attached to the community, which has been the scene of some violent incidents.

According to Francis, she wants to help change the perception of Trench Town through the advancement of youth.

“So the idea is, using the reading centre as a place to coordinate and host a youth programme from which, whatever is produced, will be sold to tourists, and they will also be able to support the community in this way. Rather than handouts, they are able to come and spend their money; we want them to see the value in their products.

“They are not begging; they assign the value to it and they exchange it that way so they learn the value of what they’re producing. And when they apply that they will develop a certain pride in themselves and become even more proud of their community,” declared Francis.

An enthusiastic Karen Francis sharing her determination to improve the future of youth from Trench Town. (Joseph Wellington)