LASCO Chin Foundation tackles youth poverty and crime

LASCO Chin Foundation (LCF) began operations in June 2018 with the mission to encourage early intervention for Jamaica’s at-risk youths using the Sustainable Socio-Economic Intervention (SSI) Model©.

Within the first month, the LCF rolled out its two-phased SSI Entrepreneurship Programme that enables at-risk youths to earn income immediately while providing them a framework to create and sustain viable businesses over a five-to-10-year period.

Roland Griffiths, one of the beneficiaries of this programme from Majestic Gardens, sings high praises of the programme. He maintains that it has positively impacted his life: “Now a have no time to waste; my father even a look up to mi and mi now have more respect from people in de community. It has been a positive distraction away from certain tings a gwan round mi.”

Chief Executive Officer of the LASCO Chin Foundation, Professor Rosalea Hamilton, is convinced that: “To break the cycle of criminality we need individualised, long-term, comprehensive interventions that target and hand-hold the youth in troubled communities where they are most at risk of exposure to crime and the criminal justice system.”

“Our vision is to change the way Jamaica views and treats its most vulnerable young people, so that in the future all of Jamaica’s young people will be empowered and have access to high quality capacity-building solutions as well as skilled and caring adults who are willing and able to support their efforts to succeed in life generally and business in particular,” she added.  

The LCF has also embarked on a Schooling Support Programme that will target at-risk youths from as early as 10 years of age and partner with primary schools to identify students due to sit the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) who are unlikely to overcome the extreme risk factors affecting their school performance unless they receive assistance. Each student will be provided a consistent long-term, professional relationship for approximately 10 years focused on personal development goals, which will also support the youth in his/her school, home and community.

Since its establishment, the Foundation has been in dialogue with stakeholders in the Mountain View community who will be the first beneficiaries of the Schooling Support Programme.