Grace Cameron, Freelance Writer

Some of the 4-H clubbites at Friendship Primary School in Spanish Town who took part in the run a boat for peace callaloo project initiated by the Violence Prevention Alliance. Back row, left to right: Steven Corrington, Trisha Chambers, Mark Chambers and Leighton Ennis. Front row, left to right: Davion Shields, Dexter Munro, Bevon Brown and Diamond Foreman.

Sometimes it's the little things that count - like a teaspoon of seeds, a skinny patch of land, 10 bundles of fat callaloo and a two-burner stove.

That's all it took to plant the seeds of peace and harmony and feed the self-esteem of some little boys and girls struggling to establish their identity at Friendship Primary School, just outside Spanish Town, St Catherine.

Like schools across the island, the students, members of their school's 4-H Club, earlier this year received a packet (about a teaspoon) of callaloo seeds and the charge to go forth and plant, reap and share the bounty with others.

Best 4-H callaloo plot

A core group of students, mainly in grades five and six, took to the project with such gusto that, at the end of the growing period (seven weeks), they had produced 10 big, luscious bundles of callaloo, says grade two teacher Deloris Henry, who heads the 4-H programme at Friendship Primary. They also won a two-burner stove, from the charity group Food For The Poor, when their plot was adjudged the best 4-H callaloo plot in the island.

It may seem like a small endeavour, but it was a major feat for the students, says Henry. Many of them are not high achievers in the classroom and, tackling a project that produced edible results and praises from above, boosted their self-esteem and gave them a sense of accomplishment.

Their prize was paraded by Principal Enos Lieard, in front of the 2,000-strong student body (over two shifts) during devotion. It's important to loudly praise their accomplishments, says Lieard because "we want to encourage others and get them to see other spheres they can participate in. Plus, the children love to get their little praises and we also do this for the netballers, the cricketers, and others".

For three Fridays in April, the students ran a 'boat'. They cooked their prized callaloo with dumplings, saltfish and other food, and invited teachers and fellow students to partake. It was cause for pride, notes Henry.

'Feels good to win'

"It feels good to win," says 11-year-old grade six student Mark Chambers.

"Yeah, I like to win trophies," says Davion Shields, a pint-sized grade six student who at one moment wants to be a farmer, and the next reckons that he would be best suited as a soldier.

Dr Elizabeth Ward, head of the Violence Prevention Alliance which initiated the venture, remembers one boy at the school, who was described as a bit of a troublemaker in class. The problem was, explains Dr Ward, his grades were low and he was acting out. However, putting him outside and getting him to work with his hands, gave a shot to his self-esteem.

Sometimes, it's the little things that matter, adds Dr Ward, "it's not always rocket science."

The idea for the project began more than a year ago when the Violence Prevention Alliance, looking for yet another avenue to break the island's culture of violence, decided to plant trees for peace. "But, we were told it would never work, so we turned to callaloo because it's easy to grow, it grows anywhere and the children could share it with others in their communities (run a 'boat' for peace). They could invite members of opposing factions, the police, anyone they wanted."

The Alliance, the outreach arm of the Institute of Criminal Justice and Safety at the University of the West Indies, works with agencies across the island, planning numerous activities to reach into the culture of the people and blunt the edge of violence, says Dr Ward.

Violence is the leading cause of death in young males under 25, adds Dr Ward, who is on secondment from the Ministry of Health. Violence-related cases bleed the island's health-care system of about $2 billion a year. Plus, the loss of productivity robs the economy of an additional $4 billion yearly, she explains.

"Where we can have greatest impact is with children. We get them to talk and sing about people and their differences, and later this can become a basis for resolving disputes."

The aim of working with children is to equip them with life skills such as setting goals, managing conflict, handling differences and, most importantly, building their self-esteem. "If a child thinks he's worthwhile, he can do anything. So, children, who are not doing well in school, can be assigned to the garden where they can find an identity for themselves, which, in turn, gives them some kind of self-worth."

Sense of pride

Henry agrees. A teacher at Friendship Primary for 26 years, and a leader in the 4-H movement (secretary of the Caribbean 4-H Council, president of the St Catherine 4-H Leaders Association), she sees the sense of pride in children, who may not be academically inclined but who realise that they can plant and work with their hands to reap benefits outside the classroom.

"You would be amazed to see how hard they work and how well they work together," says Henry, whose 4-H Club members have also been growing sweet potatoes, cabbage, sweet pepper, tomatoes, pumpkin, pak choy, lettuce, okra, cassava and sorrel in two small plots at the back of the school. (In February, they carved out a row to accommodate the callaloo project.) Two years ago, they made $5,000, selling some of the lettuce they grew and, each year, they spend countless hours learning to make juices, pies, and numerous food items from the produce they reap. The trophy cabinet at the front of the school is full of medals won by the school's 4-H Club members for their culinary creativity over the years.

"It teaches them life skills, helps them to work in harmony and to develop leadership qualities," notes Henry. "When they're out there working, you see how they give each other space and you can tell the ones who have leadership abilities."

Watching crops grow

Grade two teacher and head of the 4-H Club at Friendship Primary School Deloris Henry, holds up a bundle of callaloo reaped from the Run A Boat for Peace callaloo project.

The students, who put in several hours on a Friday and, sometimes, all day on Saturdays, say they love the work of digging into the soil and watching crops grow.

"It's like teamwork," says Davion. "When you work in a group, it's better because one person digs, one person plants, one person chops and one person waters. So it makes it easier," he explains.

"Planting things makes me feel good," adds Leighton Ennis, a grade 5 student, who admits to finding school "a little bit hard sometimes" and says he wants to be a farmer because he can provide food for people.

Mark, a prefect and an 'A' student, who grows okra and cucumber at his home in the St. Johns Road area of Spanish Town with his sister and brother, likes cutting bushes and weeding grass. While he isn't sure of his future career path, he is clear that he wants more medals and trophies in his future. He's also a sprinter, he acknowledges with a wide grin.

While it has been difficult to determine the success of the first year of the callaloo project, Dr. Ward says that the idea got enthusiastic response from schools across the island. Some institutions like the American International School which was initially left out of the project, called asking for their callaloo seeds, she adds.

In addition to Friendship Primary, the first year of the project produced two other winners. Knockalva in Hanover won a sewing machine, and Maxfield Park Girls Home in St Andrew won gardening tools for their lush callaloo beds.

The Violence Prevention Alliance is looking to team up again with Food For The Poor, the 4-H Club and PALS (Peace and Love in Schools), for the second year of the callaloo project, to run a 'boat' for peace and plant the seeds for a better Jamaica, says Ward.

Grace Cameron is Editor-in-Chief of JamaicanEats magazine.