Denise Reid and Mark Beckford, Gleaner Writers

Kelly

Jamaica's youth delegate to the United Nations 60th General Assembly has pleaded for the teachers to do more to save the nation's youth, who are involved in numerous troubling incidents.

Kemeisha Kelly made the appeal during a function in Montego Bay, St James, on Tuesday, two days before the start of Child Month, which is recognised each May.

"Where the family has left off, they have laid it at the altar of schools," she told educators at The Gleaner's Teachers Awards Function at the Rose Hall Resort and Country Club.

"Many people have already called upon you (teachers) to take up the mantle and help our students," she said.

Students feud

Only last week, a feud between students of Kingston College and St George's College left some nursing stab wounds. Just a day later, students from two Corporate Area girls' schools were also involved in a public dispute.

Fingering boys as the main perpetrators of violence in the nation's schools, Kelly said this was perhaps due to the lack of positive role models in their lives.

Meanwhile, former child soldier in Sierra Leone, Ishmael Beah, believes the authorities should do more to ensure that the needs of Jamaican children are addressed.

He was speaking to The Gleaner after visiting the inner-city communities of Trench Town, Arnett Gardens, Federal Gardens and Dunkirk on Tuesday.

Concerns

"When I asked them (the children) what they wanted, they had a list of things: The price of food needs to go down; the Government needs not only to provide job opportunities for people who don't have, but those who actually have an education. Those are practical things that can be done," he said.

Beah, who is on his first visit to Jamaica, was involved in the Sierra Leone civil war of the 1990s as a child soldier, where he claims to have committed many atrocities.

Commenting on his impression of the communities he visited, he said there was boundless potential in the children living there, but they required encouragement.

Children's Advocate Mary Clarke, in her National Child Month message, emphasised the need for safe communities for children.

"The Office of the Children's Advocate would like to draw attention to the need for investing in safe communities for our children, where they have adequate play areas, access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation facilities, and a nurturing environment that is free from violence and abuse."

Quoting statistics from the Corporate Planning and Research Unit of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, Clarke said between April 1, 2007 and March 17, 2008 some 71 children were murdered, 35 in gang-related incidents.

She said this indicated an urgent need for communities to come together to discuss how they can reduce the impact of weapons on, and their availability to, children.

Beah

Child Month Activities

Church service, May Pen Methodist Church, Clarendon, May 4.

Action Day, May 16.

The National Child Month Committee essay and poster competition awards ceremony, May 30.

National fun day for children in care (date to be announced).

Other events will be held throughout the year, including:

The community service awards, September 26.

The annual children's treat, November 20.

Youth forum, November 28.