VPA-Sandals Foundation Program Delivers Jobs, Safer Schools in St. Ann

Three-year, J$21 million community intervention supports youth employment, entrepreneurship, parenting, peace gardens and positive masculinity programming in Steer Town and Chalky Hill

ST. ANN, Jamaica — A three-year, J$21 million community violence prevention initiative led by the Violence Prevention Alliance and the Sandals Foundation has helped create jobs, launch small businesses and strengthen school and family support systems in Steer Town and Chalky Hill. This is according to a newly released end-of-project report.

Implemented from July 2023 to June 2026, the program combined psychosocial support and resilience building. It also included economic empowerment, community engagement, and positive masculinity training.

The report says 42 young people completed job-readiness training. It adds that 11 secured employment. Eight residents received entrepreneurship training. Six have launched businesses. For example, Fam’s Printery and More was founded by Tallecia Murphy. She is the first person in her family to formally register a company.

Positive Masculinity Workshop Series

The initiative also engaged more than 50 men and boys through Big Man Ting, a positive masculinity workshop series, established Peace Gardens at Steer Town and Chalky Hill primary schools and supported 31 parents through parenting workshops connected to a Child Resiliency Program.

“I see them thinking before they act now — especially one child who would usually storm out of class,” said Joan Brown, a participating teacher whose name has been changed to protect her identity.

Peace Garden Activities

Organizers designed the programs to reinforce one another. Children receiving psychosocial support also participated in Peace Garden activities. Youth moved from job-readiness training into entrepreneurship support or job placements, and schools and families remained engaged throughout the project. When Hurricane Melissa struck, the project expanded psychosocial support while keeping other components on track.

Karen Zacca, director of operations at Sandals Foundation and project manager, said the program’s success was built on consistent presence and trust.

“Real change in a community takes time and trust,” Zacca said. “Three years in, we’re seeing it in the classroom, in the development of these new businesses and in the way our men are showing up for their families.”

“We wanted to invest in something that would still be standing after we left — not just an event, but a system of support the community could carry forward,” Zacca said. “Three years later, that’s exactly what we’re seeing.”

Jonelle Llewellyn, VPA project coordinator, said one of the program’s major successes was the shift in how men understood their roles in their families and communities.

“Through Big Man Ting, men were encouraged to look honestly at how they communicate, respond to conflict, show up in their families and consider the kind of role models they want to be in their communities,” Llewellyn said.

“Positive masculinity is not about telling men how they should behave; it is about creating a safe space where they can reflect, challenge behaviours and beliefs they may have grown up with and recognise that there is always an opportunity for growth. That kind of self-reflection is an important part of preventing violence and building healthier relationships.”

Myles, a Big Man Ting participant whose name has been changed, said the program helped him rethink strength and vulnerability.

“For a long time, I measured my worth by my silence,” he said. “I learnt that true strength isn’t the ability to withstand pressure without changing; it’s the resilience to adapt, to be vulnerable and to be honest about where I am.”

With schools maintaining Peace Gardens, the work will continue, organizers said. Teachers are using trauma-informed practices. Former participants are running businesses and building careers. It is expected to last beyond the formal project period.

“I never even knew how to start looking for a job. Now I have a plan, I have confidence, and I have work,” said Dwayne, a Job Readiness Program participant whose name has been changed. “Three years ago, I couldn’t have told you that.”

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