The Jamaica Constabulary Drive (JCF) is bringing pleasure, stability, and renewed hope to kids throughout western Jamaica this Christmas by means of its Youngsters’s Advocacy, Restoration and Empowerment (CARE) Initiative as communities proceed to recuperate from the impression of Hurricane Melissa.
Talking throughout a Jamaica Info Service (JIS) ‘Assume Tank’ on December 8, Head of the Constabulary Communications Community (CCN), Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dahlia Garrick, defined that the challenge was designed with an overarching give attention to addressing each the quick and long-term wants of kids.
The primary leg of the Christmas Village element of the CARE Initiative was launched on December 6 in St. Elizabeth, the place scores of kids have been handled to fun-filled video games and obtained further help providers.
SSP Garrick defined that the intervention started reaching kids within the quick aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, a Class 5 cyclone that made landfall on October 28. She famous that the JCF has since prolonged the programme into the Yuletide season.
“We all know that we’re very caught up in every thing and making an attempt to supply the fundamentals… however our kids, they too need assistance. The initiative, led by the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Little one Abuse (CISOCA) and the Group Security and Safety Department (CSSB), affords each emotional help and leisure actions for youngsters who’ve endured trauma brought on by the hurricane,” the senior officer mentioned.
“Counselling is offered for the kids. They’re taken by means of a strategy of simply being kids by video games and enjoyable and laughter,” she added.
The Christmas Village in St. Elizabeth provided kids a simulated group expertise, permitting them to ‘go to the financial institution’ to withdraw JCF bucks ({dollars}) earlier than ‘purchasing’ for gadgets of their alternative.
“Slightly woman mentioned she wished a pink Crocs; she had her JCF bucks and she or he went purchasing. It’s a dignified manner of presenting normalcy. So as an alternative of simply doing a handout, you come and you choose what you need,” SSP Garrick outlined.
The Village additionally featured refreshments, a bounce home, and conventional Jamaican video games, whereas offering alternatives for youngsters, dad and mom, and cops to bond in a spirit of group and celebration.
“We have been there taking part in Dandy Shandy and Chinese language Skip… it was the police, the dad and mom and the kids, everybody,” SSP Garrick mentioned.
Among the many most requested treats within the communities have been frozen bag juices – easy but pleasant gadgets that introduced immense pleasure to the kids.
“You wouldn’t think about what a troublesome bag juice means to somebody within the west. That was the hit of the day, even simply an igloo with ice makes a distinction” SSP Garrick shared.
“This provides us a chance to simply be with the folks we serve in a time once they want us, once they simply want a reassuring presence to say… ‘we will recuperate; we’re right here with you; we’ll by no means go away you alone’,” she added.
The CARE Christmas Village will proceed throughout a number of western parishes all through December.
On Wednesday, December 10, it’s going to head to Bethel City in Westmoreland, together with surrounding districts. On Saturday, December 13, it is going to be staged in Trelawny, Manchester, Clarendon, and St. Ann.
The initiative will then transfer to Hanover on Thursday, December 18, and conclude in St. James on Saturday, December 20.
SSP Garrick suggested that the JCF workforce is finalising the precise places and encourages members of the general public to observe the organisation’s social media platforms for additional updates.
