Octogenarian Ms. Enid Smith talks with seven-year-old Shanique Shand from the community of Tower Hill during the regular Thursday evening meetings of the Golden Age club at the community centre. -Winston SillA few years ago the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), in partnership with the World Bank, built a mini community centre on the land which houses the St. Paul's Anglican Church and basic school. The community centre was turned over to the Tower Hill Progressive League which uses the centre to host community meetings and to keep their regular treats.
Michael Shaw, the 47-year-old president of the Tower Hill Progressive League, says he is bent on keeping the community moving forward, and sees education as a definite way out for disenfranchised youth and children under the age of 10. With this end in mind, he has cultivated strong, working relationships with the teachers and principals of schools in the area -- Seaward Junior High School, Dupont Primary School and the Penwood Comprehensive High School.
"We realise that education is one of the ways where we can elevate the thinking of our residents and, more importantly, our kids. We have to make the change now," Mr. Shaw said.
"If a child is not going to school, we need to find out why. We have asked captains (leaders of various sections of the community) to inform the League, and from there, we source a solution to the problem by either going to the MP, Food for the Poor, or the churches."
Companies like Tankweld, in this area of West Central St. Andrew, have been supportive of the efforts of the League, said club members.
Some area residents, with the help of the League, have completed
courses in nursing, childcare, and other areas. One of their numbers is now a fully qualified social worker.
"We are setting up the environment where older persons can teach young ones who are willing to learn skills like needlework, handcraft, and even using banana trash to make bags. We even include senior citizens in our decision-making meetings. We give them a voice," noted Mr. Atkins who shaves and cuts the hair of elderly men.
However, lack of funding sometimes hampers some of the more ambitious projects of the League, even with the help of Member of Parliament Andrew Holness.
"There were plans to identify and paint homes of senior citizens, but that was discontinued because of a lack of funds, but we are not disheartened. We will find a way," Mr. Atkins said.
