Entertainer urges corporate companies to help boys

Programmes such as MenTOUR, an initiative started The Gleaner's Youthlink, and Ah Loaf of Bread charity, are projects in which Jamaica should lend more of its support to, according to local entertainer Kevin Blair, of the popular dancehall group Voicemail.

"These students support many of these corporate companies by buying their beverages and snacks, so it would be great to see dem give back to the youths as well. The youth dem need help and encouragement, and everybody plays a role," he said.

The MenTOUR workshop caters to at-risk, high-school boys, who need extra motivation and the right guidance to help steer them away from self destruction.

After having to pause from the first staging last year due to restrictions from COVID-19, the MenTOUR workshop returned at the Kingston High School in downtown Kingston.

The workshop incorporates innovative pep talks by professional males in the business and entertainment worlds.

Blair, whose music group has been a mainstay in local entertainment since it rose to prominence in 2003, told THE WEEKEND STAR that he was pleased to be given the opportunity to inspire the youth who are facing difficulties in their lives.

"The youth dem need somebody to tell dem that it is possible, especially when they can see that it is someone from a similar background to them," he said, moments after delivering his 10-minute pep talk.

Jamaica has already surpassed 200 murders in 2021, and boys, some as young as eight years old, are reportedly joining criminal gangs that are constantly recruiting youngsters to do their bidding.

Shockingly, the St Catherine North Police Division recently revealed that a 16-year-old who was arrested, is believed to be leader of the Bed Bug Gang that is wreaking havoc in the parish.

It is for these reasons that the former Calabar High School graduate believes more support should be offered to social reform programmes such as MenTOUR, in order to reduce the probability of Jamaican boys being recruited into criminality. He said the level of support for these programmes is insufficient, "especially when you look at what is happening in society right now. Everybody needs to come on board. The MenTOUR programme is one of many out there that can potentially save our youth from crime and violence," he said.

The entertainer, who fathers two children, also had words for his colleagues who are contributing to the social decay with what is often described as 'murder music'.

"You cannot only take credit for starting a wave in society if it is something positive, but say it is not your fault when the music is causing a negative impact. Be real with the youth dem, tell dem di situation as how it is, and don't try mislead dem. Support dem in the same way that you want dem to support you," he said.