Above: a steel pan

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Caribbean crime remains a major challenge for the region. But St Vincent and the Grenadines is taking a unique approach to fight the problem.

The government says it is expanding its Pan Against Crime Programe, which looks to help young people in the country turn away from a path toward crime and instead toward a life of music.

The programme, the brainchild of St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, is already in several schools and community organizations across the country.

The government said that early results have shown that students playing the pan have shown strong academic performance.

St Vincent announced this week that it would be donating an additional set of pans to St Vincent’s Girls’ High School, with support from the Pan Against Crime Committee and PetroCaribe St Vincent, the local arm of Venezuela’s regional development fund.