Executive Director of RISE Life Management Services, Sonita Morin-Abrahams, says the non-governmental organisation is doing well, despite the rough economic times.

RISE, formerly the Addiction Alert Organisation, has been providing drug-abuse and violence-prevention, remedial education and health-related services to Jamaicans mainly living in the inner-city communities of Kingston for nearly 20 years.

The group also offers a violence-prevention community programme for over 1,000 individuals from the communities of Allman Town, Fletcher's Land, Southside, Tell Aviv, Towerhill, Drewsland and Waterhouse. Additionally, it responds to more than 1,000 calls a year through its national telephone lifeline service.

Good track record

Abrahams noted that her organisation is a sustainable one, noting that it is one of about three non-governmental organisations (NGOs) with an endowment fund. "This fund was set up in 1994 and currently has over $14 million. The principle cannot be invaded, however the interest is used for administrative expenses," she explained.

The executive director emphasised that RISE Life Manage-ment Services "is a solid NGO with a good track record of operating drug-abuse prevention and counselling services as well as other health and educational interventions for the past 19 years".

She pointed out that "RISE owns its own two-storey building which houses its administrative offices, two classrooms and a computer lab, three motor vehicles and many pieces of equipment, to effectively deliver its many community-based interventions and counselling services for addictive disorders."

Abrahams added that "the organisation has recently had to scale down some of the community-based interventions due to a reduction in grant funding; however, all permanent and full-time project staff continue to provide quality services to programme participants."