A boy plays with colourful plastic blocks while another boy views a book on counting at the UNICEF-supported Denham Town Basic School in the Denham Town community in the parish of Kingston and St. Andrew. Many poor families cannot afford pre-school fees, books or uniforms, so their children do not attend school regularly.
In May 2008 in Jamaica, children continue to suffer hardships wrought by a fragile economy, pervasive violence and poverty. Violence in the home, in schools and in communities continues to affect children, who comprise more than 37 per cent of the population of 2.7 million. Girls are vulnerable to sexual abuse, while boys are often the victims of assault. In 2007, more than 1,500 people were murdered (equal to more than four people a day), including an estimated 100 children. In a recent national survey, 60 per cent of 9 to 17-year-old children reported that a family member had been a victim of violence and 37 percent has a family member who had been killed. Only 28 per cent of children thought their community was safe. Gang activity has increased, with gang members enlisting children to conceal their weapons. Childrens rights to education and leisure activities have been compromised by unrelenting levels of crime, forcing school closures due to civil disturbances. UNICEF supports violence prevention, reduction and mitigation programmes and other integrated care and protection services for vulnerable children and young people, including: child-friendly safe spaces in violence-prone communities; mediation, conflict management, peace promotion and life-skills training for adolescents in inner-city communities; improved access to psychosocial services for children and families; remedial education; skills development and counselling; income-generating activities; and rehabilitation and reintegration programmes for out of school children, including those living or working on the streets. UNICEF also supports quality education and early childhood development. The latter programme also aims to improve the quality and accessibility of health services for younger children and their mothers.
