Free summer camp for youths of Port Loyola

There is an abundance of summer camps taking place across the country. Some of them are well funded, therefore relatively cheap, and there are a few that might empty your wallet. The next camp we are highlighting lacks funding and is also free.  The Port Loyola Summer Camp is offering over two hundred and fifty youths a chance to learn football and basketball to kids from areas which are more in the news for conflict rather than cooperation. According to Gregory Harris, one of the camp’s instructors, with a little help from the business community, the free summer camp could help create bonds amongst youths whose minds are still impressionable.

Gregory Harris, Instructor, Port Loyola Summer Camp

gregory harris

“What we di aim fa, we di try tek di youths dem offa street-occupy deh mind, like how school shet deh wah have lotta idle ting fi do. So, wat we do , I talk to my area represent Mr. Anthony Boots Martinez , and we come up with a suggestion to have a summer camp; and dis summer camp start from July fifth and ih wah run up to di twentieth ah August.  Suh fu di whole summa di youths deh wah deh yah suh di play football and basketball.”

Jose Sanchez

So the youths themselves, you have a lot of youths, what different areas do you have represented out here?

Gregory Harris

“Ok , We have from Yabra, Jane Usher, Kraal Road, Caesar Ridge Road, South Side Boulevard.”

Jose Sanchez

Now, these areas that you’re referring their not always getting along. You always hear different opposing groups when it comes to violence. Is this one of the reasons why you having them together?

Gregory Harris

“So what you are seeing here, this is the heart of Southside and this is the area where violence happens. So what we are doing is bringing them along and showing the people we aren’t only about killing or robbery; we are about the youths as well.”

wayne welch

Wayne Welch, camp participant

“You have fun, an den when time you get di ball and score and sometime deh tek it weh from yo, then afterwards, sometime deh tek it weh fra yo den yo have to go tek up back di ball , and them afterwards, den once you score. Cah we dah fra Kraal Road and we win Jane Usher and deh like fight and cuss big bad word, then afterwards, deh seh it front ah we.”

Jose Sanchez

But then afterwards, yo stop fight and you have fun?

Wayne Welch

“Yeah we have fun with the kids deh.”

Gregory Harris

“What we are aiming to do is try paying for trophies, back to school items, what we are also asking for assistance from business di business people deh if deh cya assist us with snacks, water,  cause most of that we need cah we nuh want nobady drop down by dehydration suh that is what we would like the business community to help us with mostly.”

Jose Sanchez

Are any of these kids paying even one dollar?

Gregory Harris

“No this is free of cost.”

Jose Sanchez

Some of the kids are even barefoot, so this is just some voluntary work your doing?

Gregory Harris

“Yes sir. We just come up, it’s a suddenly thing that we just come up with; but next year we are trying to do it again and have jersey. T-shirt for every area, so we know which area they are from.”

Any business who would like to help sponsor the camp can simply show up at the Cumberbatch field at the corner of Caesar Ridge and Faber’s Road and ask for any of the volunteer instructors.