Rose Gardens residents hopeful of peace in their community

Over the past three years the community of Rose Gardens, a community in Central Kingston, has been rocked by violence with many residents in fear of their lives as they do their day-to-day business. But today, residents are hopeful that there is a change on the horizon as Project STAR, a social and economic transformation initiative created by the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) in partnership with the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) works with the community. Juliet Blackwood, a member of the Community Transformation Board in Rose Gardens is one such resident who believes that things will improve. “We have seen a positive impact in the programmes that have been implemented through Project STAR,” she said. These programmes include community sporting activities, an employment training and placement programme and a school feeding programme targeting four early childhood institutions.