Montego Bay educator and volunteer social worker Mr Tyane Robinson deserves rich applause for reaching out to young people in Canterbury, Montego Bay, many of whom are low on confidence because of their disadvantaged socio-economic circumstances.

A theatre lover, Mr Robinson used drama and the arts to help community members — aged three years old to 20 — to express their own creativity and in the process build self-confidence during a recent week-long exercise.

Among the realities with which he had to contend was the inferiority complex flowing from the perception that that those living in inner-city communities are at risk of being disrespected, even held in contempt.

Instinctive scepticism, caused by how the young people believe they are viewed, meant it took two days for them to buy into and cooperate with the initiative, we are told.

Mr Robinson’s project, tagged ‘Theatre for Social Change – The Community Edition, in Canterbury’ was supported by the State-run Social Development Commission (SDC) and the social work-related agency, Sweetwater Blossom Foundation.

Mr Robinson tells us that he shed tears when he heard that one project participant deliberately misspelt the name of his community on his university application form.

“I cried because they are not supposed to be going through this… they are brilliant children,” he told the Sunday Observer.

According to Mr Robinson “…on the… form that I sent out only two people put Canterbury as their address. The rest of them listed their address as Upper King Street, Montego Bay. When I asked why, they said that if they want to be a part of something, and not be judged, they are not going to put Canterbury… because they know what everybody has to say about Canterbury”.

In the end, the project apparently went well with poetry and drama as exclamation marks.

According to Mr Robinson: “I used all that was discussed in the session and I wrote a poem, and we also did an improvisation on how to handle situations surrounding bullying. The community was there [on the final day] to help them solve the issue of bullying because of their address… We call that forum theatre.”

Our reporter tells us that Mr Robinson has vowed to continue working with youth in Canterbury and plans to extend his reach across Montego Bay.

His example is yet more evidence of the difference individuals and groups can make in trying to improve the lives of others.

In that respect, we take note that the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica’s (PSOJ’s) flagship social intervention initiative, Project STAR, which seeks to promote organised, empowered and safer communities, is urging more support for its initial public offering on the Jamaica Social Stock Exchange (JSSE).

The aim is to raise $650 million over a three-year period.

“This is not a charity project; this is an empowering project, so there’s no handout here. It’s about economic empowerment of our people, opening pathways and opportunities for people,” business leader Mr Keith Duncan, co-chair and project sponsor of Project STAR, is reported as saying.

All those with the capacity to reach out with a helping hand should do so. As we keep saying in this space, helping those who need help is enlightened self-interest.