... Next generation put on different PATH

ANOTHER PATH Youth Ambassador, Jamelia Jalaalwalikram, who is currently pursuing a master’s degree in economics after obtaining a first class bachelor’s degree in business administration, said, “PATH is arming us with the tool we need to lift ourselves out of vulnerability, and that tool is education.”

The PATH Youth Ambassador programme was launched in November and the first batch of 16 persons were selected to be Youth Ambassadors. The aim of the programme is to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty by reducing stigma and discrimination and to encourage students to stay in school and pursue academic excellence.

Under PATH’s Social Protection Project II, 38 student beneficiaries were recognised for their outstanding academic achievements in Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) and the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations at the programme’s Top Achievers Awards Ceremony held in November.

Minister of Labour and Social Security Shahine Robinson said the recognition of the students is a testimony that PATH is achieving its objective and is making a difference in the lives of many.

PARENTING WORKSHOPS

In addition, there are several components to the programme which help persons to be independent rather than being a long-term dependent. Under the PATH Parenting Programme, workshops were conducted in several parishes aimed at increasing parenting skills to ensure that children are healthy and prepared psychologically and socially to engage the education system at grade one. Through the Social and Economic Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities Project, 351 persons with disabilities completed skills training, 154 of whom participated in work experience and 32 gained part-time or permanent employment.

In addition, the Early Stimulation Programme provides assessment and an early intervention programme for children with disabilities from birth to six years old. Seventy-eight persons improved their readiness for school after receiving physiotherapy. One hundred and thirtynine parents of children with disabilities were trained to effectively respond to the needs of their children.

Through funding from the InterAmerican Development Bank, two stateof-the-art facilities at Hanover Street and Ostend Avenue in Kingston are being equipped to provide services for children with disabilities from PATH and other low-income households.

PATH is a conditional cash transfer programme funded by the Government of Jamaica and other external partners, aimed at delivering benefits through cash grants to the most needy and vulnerable in the society.