By Eden Palmer
May is recognized as Child Month in Jamaica, and in its honour – with a heartwarming display of community spirit – members of the Kiwanis Club of Young Pioneers Jamaica Online, and the Rotaract Club of Kingston joined hands and hearts to execute the “You Matter” project at the Rae Town Community Park in Kingston last Saturday.
Serving Vulnerable Children
The “You Matter” project was initiated by Carean Clarke, President of the Kiwanis Club of Young Pioneers Jamaica Online. The project’s mantra is to serve vulnerable children in any way possible to improve their quality of life. This initiative coincided with this year’s Child Month theme, to “Stand up, Speak Out! Protect our Children’s Rights.” This edition of “You Matter” took place in Rae Town as it was observed that the community was haunted by broken homes. In order to inspire change, the decision was made to inform the children of their rights as well as to inform the parents of their responsibilities and the rights of the kids.
Educator and guidance counselor Aaron Walters, who was the guest speaker at the event addressed this issue. Walters, who has worked with children for over 18 years through schools, juvenile centres and the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) observed during the parent sensitization session that fathers were noticeably absent. This piqued his interest as he asked, “where are the fathers?” The answers given highlighted the harsh reality of many families in the community where paternal absenteeism results from intentional neglect, blatant ignorance and even death.
This led Walters to share his expertise. He informed parents how to receive help, gave tips to deal with children as a single parent, and encouraged the mothers to do their best to support their children’s development, so they can in turn be the best they can be.
Service Clubs Appreciated
Over 50 children from Rae Town participated, and the presence of the service clubs was highly appreciated by the attendees who benefited from the activities. These included games, musical entertainment, grooming exercises- hairdressing for girls and barber services for boys, nail care (trimming and cleaning), as well as a morning snack and lunch.
The impact was noticeable as the children eagerly asked, “Miss, when unu a come back?” immediately following a plea of “Miss please come back, we like it” from one of the beneficiaries. Nataki, one of the caretakers, also expressed gratitude and highlighted the importance of giving back when she reminisced about the impact of similar service-led projects that benefited her over 20 years ago.
This successful collaboration for “You Matter” in Rae Town, exemplifies the power of community partnerships in making a positive impact. By combining resources, skills, and compassion, these clubs created a meaningful and memorable experience for the children, reinforcing the importance of community support and solidarity.
