The funding received from UNESCO of USD18,000 facillitated the purchase of musical instruments and audio equipment.
YARD EMPIRE engaged participants and facilitators and sessions began in May 2023 at the Kingston and St. Andrew
headquarters of the Social Development Commission, Down Town Kingston. The participants were divided into groups to
create poems, dub poetry, songs and dramatic presentations.
Y.A.R.D Empire found the participants’ eager to learn and participate in the series of training sessions. The levels of interaction remained high throughout the entire training. They were willing to share their knowledge and view in the different areas of presentation, asked questions if they did not understand and used examples to clarify if the content from the sessions were unclear of their responses. The participants showed appreciation for the opportunity to learn new skills.
A positive indicator for Y.A.R.D was that many participants felt the need to return to their communities and help other youth by becoming positive role models. Additionally, the majority felt that the training was beneficial to their personal and social development.