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Kenniesha Burrell: Protecting Jamaica’s Youth: A Call to Action Amid Rising Tragedies

 


🛡️ Protecting Jamaica’s Youth: A Call to Action Amid Rising Tragedies

By Kenniesha Burrell

As a concerned Jamaican citizen, I feel deeply compelled to address the alarming rise in child disappearances and deaths in our country. This crisis is no longer just a headline it is a haunting reality that touches families, communities, and the conscience of our nation.

📉 A Disturbing Trend

Recent reports indicate that each year, approximately 100 children go missing in Jamaica without a trace, leaving families in anguish and communities in fear.
According to a May 2025 feature in the Jamaica Observer, this trend continues to worsen, with many of these children never found.
🔗 Source: Jamaica Observer – Without a Trace

In one heartbreaking case, eight-year-old Navardo Blackburn, an autistic child from Gregory Park, St. Catherine, went missing on May 25, 2025. Despite a high alert issued by the Jamaica Constabulary Force, as of May 27, he is still missing.

🔗 Source: Jamaica Gleaner – 8-y-o Missing in Gregory Park

This is not an isolated incident. According to the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA):

  • In 2023, 1,027 children were reported missing
  • 151 of those children were still missing by the end of the year

🔗 Source: Gleaner – 151 Children Still Not Found

⚰️ The Silent Toll of Child Mortality

Beyond disappearances, child mortality remains a significant and painful reality.
In 2023, 643 children under the age of five died in Jamaica due to various causes, from illness to violence.

🔗 Source: Trading Economics – Jamaica Child Mortality

Even in the past month, we’ve seen tragic headlines about children losing their lives under troubling circumstances. These are not just statistics—they are lives lost, futures erased, and families shattered.

✍️ A Personal Reflection

As someone who values community and believes in the power of unity, I ask:
When did we become so numb to the headlines?
When did our children stop being our priority?

Each missing child is a broken promise. Each death is a failure of protection. As a country, we are better than this. We must be.

✅ What Can We Do?

Here are actions we must consider at both the community and national levels:

1. Strengthen Law Enforcement

Create dedicated units within the Jamaica Constabulary Force that focus on child disappearances and abuse cases.

2. Boost Community Involvement

Encourage community watch programs. Empower neighborhoods to be vigilant and protect their young.

3. Launch National Awareness Campaigns

Educate parents, caregivers, and the public on safety tips, warning signs, and how to report suspicious activity.

4. Support Affected Families

Offer psychological and emotional support to parents and children affected by trauma, loss, and disappearance.

📣 Final Word: Let Us Act Now

Our children are our future. Their safety and wellbeing should be our top priority—not a footnote in our national dialogue. Let’s raise our voices. Let’s take action. Let’s bring back the sense of safety that every child deserves in Jamaica.

Sources Cited:

📢 You are free to share this article to raise awareness. Let’s be the change our children need.
#ProtectJamaicanYouth #EveryChildMatters #BringThemHome

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