Feature of the Month

CREATING A LIFETIME OF MEMORIES AT

JSIF SUMMER CAMPS  2010.

 

Summer camps help children develop character, learn valuable life skills, make new friends and discover new interests.  Every summer hundreds of boys and girls, ages 7-15 have been building lifelong friendships and lasting memories at JSIF funded day and resident camps across the island. This year, most of the children and youths benefiting from these camps reside in high-risk communities in the parishes of Kingston and St Andrew, Clarendon, St Catherine and St James.

 

Campers at Camp for Hope receive a lesson in football.


In most project communities, many youth face a range of risk factors – individual, family and community - that hinder their personal development and successful integration in their communities and the wider society.  According to Mona Sue-Ho, JSIF’s Social Development Manager, “The JSIF implemented summer programme represents one of many demand –driven social interventions targeting youths from inner-city communities across Jamaica.”  


This year, eight (8) summer camps were approved to the tune of $25 million – funding sources included the Government of Jamaica, European Union, World Bank, Japanese Social Development Fund, local NGOs as well as Community Based organizations. The camps will provide just over 2000 participants (largely from the age group 6-25years) with a range of educational and recreational activities to unearth and develop skills and talents; provide exposure to healthy lifestyles that will enable greater appreciation for self, as well as offer a safe and loving environment where students who are affected by crime and violence in their communities are able to express themselves freely and bring a level of closure to their experiences.


While most of the camps were non-residential, two were residential camps funded by JSIF and its partners. One camp was run by the Tivoli Gardens Benevolent Society, a community-based organization, and targeted 50 children from Tivoli and Denham Town who were affected by the civil unrest in the community in May 2010. The other, Camp Hope, targeted children in the communities of Whitfield Town, Rose Town and Greenwich Farm, who were in need of rehabilitation from trauma. Both camps were held for two weeks in St Ann.


In addition to support from the various JSIF projects funded by the World Bank, the European Union and the Japanese government, communities are required to contribute at least 10 per cent of the cost of the camps, which can be in the form of cash or kind. Such contribution usually translates into the provision of food, transportation, space, labour, security, publicity, and electricity.   Partnership was also forged with the Jamaica Netball Association in staging camps to introduce youngsters to the game of netball and also to train mostly young men to become umpires and coaches of the game.


Parents are pleased about their children's growth experiences at the  camps and perceived statistically significant gains from pre camp to post camp in 10 youth development constructs with the highest effect sizes related to discipline, independence, making friends, positive identity, and peer relationships. Additionally, parents also described what their children learnt at camp and what changes they perceived occurred as a result of their child's camp experience.


Carol Hutchinson, whose 7 year-old son attended the day camp held in Passemore Town, stated “I have seen a lot of wonderful changes in Jordan. He is more settled now and better behaved”. Little Jordan (age 5) also received a prize for outstanding behaviour.


At the day camps, students were taught in the areas of reading, comprehension and communication skills. The summer schools which were designed to keep the children in the different communities actively engaged with their educational pursuits, albeit in a more fun and relaxing atmosphere, were facilitated by the staff and youth volunteers at the various Centres.


Arrangements were made to ensure that the summer camp sessions provide opportunities for each camper to strengthen inner courage, make new friends, and develop leadership skills through traditional camp programming. Camps are usually large enough to facilitate an exciting, dynamic program, yet they remain small enough in order to facilitate an intimate, friendly, family type atmosphere.

 

Children are kept actively engaged in their educational pursuits at the day camp in Greater Brown’s Town.

 

Camp councilors at Camp for Hope held at the York Castle High school in St. Ann stated that, “We get to know all of our campers and they get to know us. No child gets lost in the shuffle or overlooked. Each has the opportunity to excel.”


All summer schools were generally a success. In all instances, children were able to receive optimal benefit from the exercises and field activities. Most of the children were being exposed to some of the activities and field venues for the first time and displayed great appreciation for the effort being made by the Jamaica Social Investment Fund and the other participating organizers. The very positive feedback from the camps proves that the Inner City communities have welcomed the efforts made to enrich their summer experiences.