Parental workshop to assist with fighting crime
ALEXANDRIA, St Ann: AS A student at Aabuthnott Gallimore High School in Alexandria, St Ann, in 2008, Jelen-Ann Brown witnessed violence at its worst when a student stabbed another outside the school gate and the victim died at her feet.
In the ensuing years, Brown grew to become a volunteer, giving valuable time and effort to worthy causes.
Her last project was on International Women’s Day on March 8 when she organised a march against violence against women in St Ann.
Now Brown is planning a parental workshop, under the theme ‘Grooming Our Youth From Home, Helping to Build a Better Jamaica.’
“Earlier in March, we did the march against violence against women on International Women’s Day and we just don’t want to end it like that, as we want to do our part to build a better Jamaica. So we’re starting with a few schools in St Ann, being that I am the organiser. We’ll start in St Ann and then move into other parishes,” Brown told Rural Xpress.
Parents of students of the respective schools will be invited to workshops where it is hoped that persons from various organisations, such as the Child Development Agency, Jamaica Constabulary Force, Jamaica Defence Force, youth groups and other civic group organisation will participate.
VIOLENT BEHAVIOUR
“We’ll be inviting them to come and enlighten the parents about how to groom their children in the home in order to reduce the level of violence, because I think violent behaviour and tendencies start from a younger age. We need to target the younger ones in order to build a better Jamaica, in order to get the young people to respect their elders, get the parents to respect their children and to groom them the way they should be groomed.”
Brown said the emphasis is now being placed on parents because they have a very important role to play in many areas – in the home, in the community, in the Church and wider Jamaica.
“So we need to get the parents to know their role, what they’re supposed to do as a parent. We cannot depend on the teachers alone to groom our children, it starts from the home.”