Problem: What problem is this project trying to address?
Economic Conditions, Political Structures, Norms and Values
Jamaica’s economic situation is worrying. Because of the steady decline of national growth and unemployment ration over the last 5 years Jamaica has had to seek assistance from the IMF. Currently the unemployment rate stands at 12.90%, which is 3.64% increase over the last year and a 13.16% increase over the last five years. As a result of this poverty has increased and many youths turn to illegal means to support themselves. The current political structure is democratic and operates under a West Minister system. The current party in power is the Jamaica labour government which came into power in late 2007. The majority of the older persons are highly nationalistic even though most persons tend to believe that economic prosperity will only come if they migrate to work overseas and then return later, which is what many persons have done. The younger population who are not currently employed is not as nationalistic and tend to have a get rich quick mindset. Those who may have gone unto higher education though do tend to have a high work ethic.
History
Jamaica received its independence from Briton in 1962 and has had two major ruling parties since then who has had successive turns at governance. During the 1980s it experienced an age of civil unrest because of the political and economic conditions. In 1999 there was a riot as a result of increasing gas prizes. In May 2010, there was a localized civil on rest in the inner city community of Tivolli in West Kingston. The Country has been relatively stable since then and over time in general.
Demographic Trends
Population
2,868,380 (2011 est.), 2,804,334 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure
0–14 years: 12.5 % (male 464,297/female 449,181)
15–64 years: 59.6% (male 808,718/female 835,394)
65 years and over: 7.3% (male 90,100/female 110,434) (2006 est.)
Population growth rate
0.7% (2006 est.)
Birth rate
20.82 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) There were a total of 45,600 births in 2007. (46,300 in 2006 and 47,000 in 2005 resulting in a birth rate of 17.0 per 1000 in 2007.
Death rate
6.55 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)[Note: Birth-Death+Net mig=Pop increase --> 20.82-X-6.27=8 --> X=6.55]
Net migration rate
-6.27 migrant(s)/1,000 populations (2006 est.)
Sex ratio
practical: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total population: 15.98 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 16.66 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 15.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 73.24 years
male: 71.54 years
female: 75.03 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate
• 2.26
children born/woman (2010 est.)
• 2.41 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Ethnic groups
This topic is somewhat contentious with several respected sources giving different figures. In alphabetic order these are:
• black 91.2%, mixed 6.2%, other or unknown 2.6% (2001 census).
• University of the West Indies: 76.3% African descent, 15.1% Afro-European, 3.4% East Indian and Afro-East Indian, 3.2% Caucasian, 1.2% Chinese and 0.8% Other.
Religions
Protestant 62.5% (including Church of God 23.7%, Seventh-Day Adventist 10.8%, Pentecostal 9.5%, Baptist 7.2%, Anglican 3.6%) Roman Catholic 2.6%, Other or unspecified 14.2% None 20.9%
Languages
English (official), Jamaican Patois
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over who has ever attended school
total population: 87.9%
male: 84.1%
female: 91.6% (2003 est.)
Experience with Engagement Efforts
There have been several attempts to engage the youth population in economic activities which have been successful in terms increasing job opportunities. These engagement efforts have reaped some rewards in terms of the educational and job possibilities that young persons are able to attend to. One set back however is that when the engagement involves funds to set up business ventures, since those funds usually requires securities and guarantors, the effort is usually unsuccessful because most persons are not able to put forward such securities or engage guarantors.
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Solution: What is the proposed solution? Please be specific!
An Entrepreneurial Paradigm Shift Through Education
One of the major problems of Jamaica and the Caribbean is a phobia of communicating through writing. As a result of this, students find the educational experience to be un-stimulating, difficult and goals hard to accomplish or un-attainable. This phobia of writing affects general academic outcomes and translates into the larger society where both written and verbal communication becomes problematic. There is also the fact that, even though there are some well-established names in literature form Jamaica and the Caribbean, this is still minuscule in comparison with the population of Jamaica and the Caribbean. Many persons both student and the general populace alike do not see writing as a viable economic alternative that can impact a wider population. There are however viable economic opportunities in the field of writing that several persons can make use of if they are taught how to do this. This project/innovation aims to do just that. There is also the problem low unemployment rates among the general populace and the worrying situation of rising unemployment for high, college and university graduates. Such persons are unable to find suitable if any employment and this affect moral, create deprivation and a burden to families and society as well as crime such as scamming and drug pushing among the youths.
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