CAFFE clubs crumbling

AN initiative by election watchdog Citizens Action for Free and Fair Elections (CAFFE) to expose youngsters to the democratic process through school clubs is now struggling to sustain itself, following a severing of financial support from international donors.

Democracy clubs in schools, which began in 2021, serves as a platform for fostering discussions among high school students on various aspects of Jamaican democracy, building on the involvement of scores of students in CAFFE’s election monitoring exercises since 2011.

Launched with the assistance of the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the initiative aims to encourage students who are 18 years old to enrol on the national voters’ list while also preparing those who are over 17 years old to serve as CAFFE observers.