Kingston & Portland, Jamaica - Ms. Georgia Pearson and members of the Portland, Jamaica Religious Youth Service club took part in an international service program in cooperation with youth from the Special Task Force-USA November 1-22. Local club members joined the international team as they worked in Kingston, the capital, giving schools a facelift and taking part in a campaign to prevent dengue.

This ambitious group participated in an interfaith seminar and did service work in Kingston, partnering with the Sir Howard Cooke's Thursday Group, Best Care Foundation, and the Ministry of Health in order to organize the “Yute X” conference.

The "Yute X" conference in Kingston November 24-26 offered young opportunities to put forward their ideas for addressing violence, risky sexual behaviour and other major issues. The biennial conference is youth-friendly platform for youth to express themselves, dialogue with each other and develop recommendations for decision-makers on relevant policies and programs.

All of the service groups joined together in Portland, on the northeast coast, where they were involved in a community service day with the Buff Bay Health and Fitness Committee under the theme “Dengue Clear Out.” Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease common in many tropical areas. The work done in the Buff Bay Community on November 12, the National Volunteers Day, was organized by Ms. Desiree Gutzmore, the manager of the Buff Bay Health and Fitness Committee, and the Social Development Commission. This project included helping to clean the community as a preventative measure in response to the recent dengue outbreaks in parts of Jamaica. After the work activity, the group performed at a community concert and later attended the after-work party hosted by the Social Development Commission in Buff Bay Valley.

The group also gave Avocat Primary and Junior High School in Portland a face-lift. The exterior of the school was painted, leaving the school with a brand-new look. The group also created two gardens – one for flowers and the other for herbs and spices. Finally, the participants painted a very memorable mural for the school entitled “One Family Under God.”

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