KINGSTON, Jamaica — At 25, Amanda Hendricks is building a life that once seemed difficult to imagine. Today, she has a steady job, a supportive team around her and a renewed determination to pursue her education and career goals.

But beyond the pay cheque, employment has given her something equally valuable: confidence.

Before becoming involved with Project STAR, the Parade Gardens resident described herself as withdrawn and uncomfortable around people. She often isolated herself and found it difficult to open up or socialise. Taking the first step towards employment was therefore about much more than finding a job; it meant confronting fears and pushing herself beyond the boundaries she had created around her life.