It has changed my life positively – graduate

BARRINGTON BRYCE, project coordinator for the New Employment Opportunities for Youth (NEO) programme in Jamaica, said that local and overseas donors can contribute to the programme by visiting the

I Support Jamaica.com website, a crowdfunding platform, which is an initiative of The Jamaica National Group.

Phillip Lindsay, I Support Jamaica operations officer at The Jamaica National Group, said donating to the initiative via the platform is simple and secure. On the

ISupportJamaica.com platform, click on the NEO Jamaica Apprenticeship Programme project, and then click the ‘Fund Project’ button, he stated.

Donations can also be made via credit card through JN Live online banking; by visiting any JN branch or Money Shop; and through interbank transfers.

“If you care about challenges in Jamaica, you can provide financial support to microenterprises and not-for-profit entities, such as NEO Jamaica Apprenticeship Programme, through the platform,” Lindsay informed.

The Multicare Youth Foundation (MYF), the executing agency for NEO which trains and places youth in apprenticeships, is an amalgamation of the Multi-Care Foundation, Youth Upliftment Through Employment (YUTE), and Youth Opportunities Unlimited.

Emilio Walker, a graduate of MYF’s existing YUTE programme, said that it has changed his life positively.

“My experience in this programme was extraordinary. It uplifted me by improving my self-esteem, motivating me, and giving me the drive to go on through,” he said.

NEO is led by the Inter-American Development Bank, through the Multilateral Investment Fund and the Labour Market Unit, the International Youth Foundation and its strategic partners.