Crime puts squeeze on classes in Laventille

CRIME has put a stop to youth deve-lopment classes in Laventille, said Cynthia Milan, secretary of the Laventille Drug Abuse Demand Reduction Committee (LDADRC) .

Milan made the disclosure yesterday as the Committee celebrated its Fourth Annual Community Health Fair. Up until 3 pm,  the expected visit by Prime Minister Patrick Manning did not materialise. According to officials of the Committee, the PM’s visit was expected at 1 pm at the Laventille Youth Facility where the fair is being held. The fair, which was formally opened by Carol Ann Sennah, Deputy Director Health Education Division, had on display several product booths. There was also a nurses’ booth which provided free pressure and “sugar” tests.

In an interview with Sunday Newsday,  Milan talked about the Committee’s struggle to improve the community and help the youths. The major problem, she noted, was the crime wave which has hit Laventille communities.  She said that most of their youth development classes, which are held late evenings, are empty  because people are afraid to come out at nights. She lamented that the organisation has so much to offer the youths and the community as a whole but because of the crime, a lot of projects are  grinding to a halt. The Committee, which has been taken under the wings of the National Alcohol Drug Abuse Prevention Programme, has found a home at the Laventille Youth Facility. Apart from its literature on drug abuse, the Committee also runs a library, courtesy the Canadian High Commission.