Ministry of National Security

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Skills training programmes for 80 inner city residents from Matthews Lane and Brown's Town are being facilitated by the Community Security Initiative (CSI) of the Ministry of National Security, as part of an extensive training programme designed to enhance development in those areas.

Director of the CSI, Patricia Balls told JIS News that the training focused on areas such as food preparation, office administration, cosmetology and remedial lessons.

According to Ms. Balls, the response to the training initiative has "been very positive and we can see the change in persons because they are more sedate and calm and have developed some social skills." She noted that the residents are obviously impressed, "because the numbers keep on increasing."

The Director noted that some 12 Brown's Town residents would complete their Heart/NTA Level 1 training in food preparation at the end of May, from Jan's School of Catering, which is located on Derrymore Road in Kingston. Another 44 residents from Brown's Town and Matthews Lane will also complete their Heart/NTA Level 1 food preparation course in September this year.

Meanwhile, 24 participants began their training in cosmetology, food preparation and office administration in April and are expected to be certified at the end of October this year. This follows the 20 participants who completed their training at the end of April, having started the programme in October, 2007.

"Although it is called the Community Security Initiative, we want to give people an alternative to make them see that there is another way out, instead of being in the communities doing nothing and looking out for spoils," Ms. Balls explained.

"They are being empowered to earn and to participate in society in a meaningful way," she added.

As part of the training initiative, residents from both Matthews Lane and Brown's town are being prepared to sit Mathematics and English examinations in the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC).

"Last year we sent up 21 persons for CXC from Matthews Lane and four persons were successful in CXC English Language. We now have 19 persons who started training in September last year at the Undergrad College in Kingston and will do Mathematics and English later this month," Ms. Balls told JIS News, while noting that both communities have had positive changes with the implementation of the training programme.

"From what I have seen in the communities, there has been less crime because we also train these persons in conflict resolution and mediation and they are told that they should act like peace makers in their respective communities, so they are really change agents and it's working," the Director pointed out.

The CSI forms part of the government's anti-crime initiative, which reflects aspects of the National Crime Strategy dating back to 2005-2006. The Matthews Lane and Brown's Town communities were chosen by the security forces because they were the most marginalized due to the high levels of violence and gang warfare in those areas.

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