Desmond Thompson
Glenda Anderson, Staff Reporter
GIVE him an idea of the size of the party and he'll give you a meal you'll never forget. He'll bake, take care of the beverage list and make sure that each visitor's appetite is thoroughly satisfied.
He'll take care of your carpet, upholstered furniture and car.
He'll rework your home to charming elegance, adding all the right touches to the vision you had in mind.
And he doesn't even look the part of the harried "house husband".
The tall, stocky man with 'blossoming' greys and the softly booming voice, has the perfect macho image. Aprons and sprigs of parsley seem almost out of place in his large work- worn hands.
But appearances aside, this St. Mary man has the job to help in transforming thousands of young 4-H club members into the nation's small farmers and entrepreneurs.
At 43, Desmond George Thompson, the marketing manager of the 4-H Club movement in Jamaica, credits it all to his early involvement in the movement. He has now received accreditation in professional catering and interior decorating and is a small-scale livestock farmer.
"In a rural community there was only 4-H and the Social Development Commission (SDC), but the 4-H struck me as a group to which I could relate," he said. "I could easily see a better future with it. It (the group) was also one which was highly respected in the community of Highgate and it was a pleasure for me to be a part of it."
Mr. Thompson joined the 4-H club at age 12, already a young farmer with close to 25 goats and enough experience learnt from his father, a local butcher.
It was in the 4-H that he learnt and developed baking, cooking and farm work skills.
"It's the best club right now for a young person. The voluntary work alone will take you far, as well as the skills you learn. You can benefit so much from the programme. You have the opportunity to leave the club a well-rounded and well-grounded young person," added the man who has been president, club leader and recipient of several scholarships and certificates while still a young participant.
Mr. Thompson went to work with the organisation as a driver a few years after leaving school in September 1975. There he balanced work with a gnawing desire to expand his academics, pursuing GCE exams along the way. He later participated in several project training courses at the University of the West Indies (UWI), and was soon promoted to assistant organiser of the clubs.
In 1994 he completed studies in accounting and later in management studies at UWI. He received training in social work and was assigned to 4-H club offices in Puerto Rico and Antigua to strengthen the regional work.
"One of the things you were taught was to develop your self-confidence, and build on your strengths. If you're doing something that you don't like, stop. Give it up. You must enjoy everything that you do, that you give yourself to and that's the way I feel about the 4-H. I am a product of the 4-H," he said.
Today it's his job to monitor the activities of the club's 15 properties and centres in the island. Mr. Thompson has responsibility for identifying and sourcing funding for the local clubs. It is also his job to vet all project loan applications which may come in from youngsters across the island, as well as keep accurate checks on current loan balances. To date, the membership is close to 55,000 young persons aged nine to 25 years.
It is a responsibility which he welcomes.
"The 4-H Club offers training in agro-processing, home economics, agriculture and computer studies. Youth are groomed for the crucial relationships they may be faced with through life, and we nurture the entrepreneurial spirit of these young people," he said. "Many don't ask for much, just a start - a few chickens to raise, a goat, a pair of rabbits - and its my job and our pleasure to help them."
Desmond Thompson has the support of his wife, Jacqueline, and three children, Sandrea, Desmond Junior and Rojey.
