GAMING COMPANY Supreme Ventures Limited has teamed with the Ministry of National Security to launch a scholarship fund that will help at risk youth in the country.
Supreme Ventures Limited (SVL) will contribute $10.5 million over a three- year period to establish the scholarships which "will benefit children from less fortunate families in communities with the highest levels of crime," SVL's president Paul Hoo said.
Over the next three years, 315 students between ages 12-18 will receive scholarships valued at $30,000 each. Ninety will go to Kingston and St. Andrew, children, 75 to St. Catherine, 60 to St. James, Westmoreland, Hanover and Trelawny; 45 to St. Ann, St Thomas, St Mary and Portland and 45 to Clarendon Manchester and St. Elizabeth.
Mr. Hoo, at the scholarship's launch at the Ministry last week, pointed to studies carried out by the Ministry of Education Youth and Culture which linked poor academic performance or lack of educational opportunities to crime. He said that statistics have also shown that these children tend to be from low socio-economic, inner-city communities and have financial constraints which hinder their educational opportunities.
"Not having completed an education creates a permanent barrier to productive life," Mr. Hoo said. "This can lead to low self-esteem and coupled with lack of education, often leads to inappropriate or criminal behaviour."
It was for this reason that he said that SVL responded to government's call for private sector companies to partner with the public sector to make a difference in the safety of the nation.
Over the past 15 months the Ministry of National Security has been focusing on the development of crime prevention strategies for those youth who are most at risk of becoming engaged in criminal activity.
The Youth Crime Initiative programme launched last July, was established as concerns mounted over the vulnerability of young people to criminal influences. The objectives of the initiative are to reduce youth involvement in crime, promote and improve access to appropriate lifestyles as alternatives to engaging in criminal behaviour and improving the relationship between young people and the police.
The financial contributions should assist the more needy children, as well as build a more positive relationship with the community police. The programme will be administered through the Security Ministry in collaboration with the relevant schools that the applicants attend, as well as the community police where the applicants live.
The objectives, Mr. Hoo said, are to provide the children with financial assistance in order for their academic potential to be maximised; help to build a positive relationship with community police and the residents through direct involvement of the police with the education assistance programme and build safer and more stable communities.
"It is our hope that these children through education will have more opportunities to pursue productive choices that will provide them with a mechanism to build confidence in their abilities, reject violence, drugs and negative attitudes and to earn an honest living," he said.
For the scholarships, application forms will be distributed through the police community relations office in each region, or schools may directly contact the Ministry of National Security or the JCF community relations office in their parish. The youth advisory committee will consider the applications in collaboration with corporate donors. The scholarship is for one year and the recipient may reapply for the scholarship for another year subject to fulfilment of the appropriate criteria. Applicants should be 12-18 years, should be enrolled in a school in the selected area, demonstrate financial need and display potential and willingness to achieve in school. Recipients must maintain an approved average and maintain consistent attendance.
