December 2017---Growing through a thick foundation of concrete, in the middle of the Trench Town community in Kingston, Jamaica, stands a 15-foot-wide almond tree.
To the unknowing bystander this is merely a source of shade. However, to a select group of men it represents the birthplace of Fathers United for Change, an important movement for change within their community.
Trench Town, home to more than 10,000 residents, is currently listed as one of Jamaica’s most volatile and vulnerable communities due to a history of crime and violence, as well as socio-economic stagnation.
“Growing up as a child I witnessed a lot of crime and violence,” said 43-year old Trevor Edmondson, one of the founding members for Fathers United for Change. “I myself have been a victim, being shot three times. And it is because of my experience and the world that we live in — my reality — that I do not want the same for my children and the children in our community.”
Starting in 2004, about a dozen men would simply sit and meet, informally discussing issues going on within the community. Edmondson says it was “just us, a group of older men trying to make a positive difference in the ghetto.” Since then, the gathering has become more structured and productive.
Fathers on a Mission
In 2012 Edmondson was invited to go to a parenting workshop, which he unwillingly agreed to attend. “To this day, every time I think about that moment, I cry,” says the father of three.
The workshop reshaped his views and role as a father. Exercising patience and talking through issues with his children as a disciplinary action was a foreign concept for Edmondson. He admitted that in the past he was short tempered and refused to listen to them when they misbehaved.
Equipped with newfound knowledge, Edmondson shared his experience with fellow fathers and began implementing the workshop’s lessons at home. To his surprise, he saw progress.
Spurred by this success, and determined to make a difference, the group decided to form Fathers United for Change. Through the organization, young fathers and men at-risk of becoming victims or perpetrators of crime have the support they need to assume roles of breadwinners and leaders within their families and society at large.
They also began mentoring fatherless youth; hosting an after school homework corner under the almond tree; conducting career counseling within schools; and helping youth groups form their own empowerment clubs. Parents who were having difficulty with their children began seeking their advice.
“When I was in high school I used to be involved in a gang,” said 19-year-old Dominic Dayvers. “I would do all sorts of badness but because of Fathers United, and the support I received from them I am now out of it [the gang] and help the group with their activities.”
Keeping up with Demand
While the group was making significant strides within their community, challenges remained. They were struggling to make their organizational structure sustainable, and needed to generate more revenue to support their outreach activities.
Recognizing this challenge, in 2015 USAID partnered with the organization under its Community Empowerment and Transformation Project (COMET II) to help strengthen its business model and train group members in good governance practices, financial management and project management. USAID also awarded a grant to the group to establish a wholesale business. The goal: assist the group to support its ongoing outreach activities.
“Through COMET II, USAID is promoting community-driven change,” says Maura Barry-Boyle, USAID’s mission director in Jamaica. “USAID, in partnership with the Government of Jamaica, is applying a grassroots approach that brings citizens to the table.”
Following construction of the wholesale business in January 2017, the group’s business has tripled its supply of goods, expanded its physical space and recruited six young men to assist with daily operations. The wholesale grocery shop now sells to more than 100 community members daily.
“I buy from the shop every day, because it is so near, I do not have to travel far to get what I need and the prices are low,” said Aleka Bowen, a nearby resident of the community.
Hope for the Next Generation
Across the country, other communities see the group’s work and have requested mentorship. The men now conduct mentorship programs, career and peer counseling, and an after-school homework program. Approximately 150 young men and women participate monthly in these programs. The group also wants to build a community youth center to better facilitate outreach activities.
While Edmondson is pleased with the organization’s growth, for him, the best success is one that cannot be measured. “Success for me is to see two young men in particular we worked with under the program, where the community had lost hope in them, who gave up on them because they were so bad. To see them reformed and now working respectable jobs, and know that they did not turn to illegal activities: that is my success. And it all started under this almond tree with them.”
About the Author
Kimberley Weller is the Development Outreach and Communications Specialist for USAID’s Mission in Jamaica.
KWeller USAID/Jamaica