JFLL Partners With NCDA and US Embassy
The Jamaican Foundation for Lifelong Learning has partnered with National Council on Drug Abuse with funding from the United States Embassy in Jamaica to benefit over two thousand five hundred young people attending institutions run by the JFLL and similar private institutions. Fifty six (56) institutions from all parishes are set to participate in the national programme.
Under the title READ PLUS, the NCDA has developed a behavior change programme that brings together the prevention of substance abuse and stigma & discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS supported by JFLL's literacy interventions and the opportunities for employment and risk education it offers. Michael Tucker, NCDA's Executive Director, explained, "Substance abuse and HIV/AIDS are a double whammy. The US grant boosted the efforts of the NCDA to develop another first class prevention programme that can be customized to meet the needs of different target groups. We have built a solid intervention around common themes that affect both substance abuse and HIV/AIDS. This is a most efficient use of prevention resources."
READ Plus uses a trainer of trainer methodology to achieve multiplier effect. One hundred and twenty tutors and peer leaders in various institutions are trained in Champion Training Sessions. This group will replicate the training across their institutions. The 2011 round of READ PLUs will end in November, Drug Awareness Month. The NCDA will mount a national poster competition titled "Pure Livity" to showcase the talent and information garnered by participants during the READ PLUS experience.
