JSIF meeting the needs of poor communities

JSIF News, February 18, 2009: 

 

Fifteen poor communities across the island are set to benefit from the implementation of twenty one projects aimed at assisting in the development of the social and infrastructure of their communities. The nod was recently given by the Jamaica Social Investment Fund’s Board and will see the Fund spending some J$420.8 million to carry out projects ranging from school construction and equipping, road and health centre rehabilitation, zinc fence removal, organizational strengthening, youth and educational programmes. .

 

Dr. Wesley Hughes, Chairman of the JSIF Board pointed out that the projects implemented by the Fund are a ray of hope for many underserved communities across the island. Noting in particular the area of education which has seen the largest injection of capital from the Fund, Dr. Hughes stated that such projects make a huge difference in the quality of education received by a child who attends a school which has inadequate learning and sanitation facilities and one that is properly equipped and meet the Ministry of Education standards.

 

This was highlighted in the case of the Old Works Basic School Construction project in St. Catherine where the Board gave approval in the sum of $14,602,670.23 for its implementation. The initial project request was for the school’s rehabilitation, but due to the deplorable conditions that existed, there was no other alternative but to build a new school.

 

Esmena Spence, School Principal was overjoyed when she was informed that the Board had given approval for the construction of the new school. “That is wonderful news! Thanks, thanks, thanks so much, this has been a long time coming…” Mrs. Spence relayed that once the construction of the school takes place, shifting the children around whenever it rains due to leaking roofs will be a thing of the past and students will be able to learn more quickly in a better environment.

 

Among the other projects that will be implemented in the parishes of Clarendon, St. Catherine, Westmoreland, St. Andrew, St. Thomas, Portland, Hanover and St. James and are:

 

    Clarendon 

  1. Bunkers Hill Basic School Construction and Equipping - $20,882,892.76

    2. St. Catherine 

  2. Bellas Gate Basic School PTA Organisational Strengthening - $2,107,341.98
  3. Hill Top Basic School PTA Organisational Strengthening - $2,107,341.98
  4. March Pen Youth Education and Recreation Package 3 - $2,049,400.00

    5. Westmoreland 

  5. Rocky Hill (Sheffield) Basic School & Equipping - $11,829,867.37

    6. St. Andrew 

  6. Burke Road Basic School PTA Organisational Strengthening - $2,107,341.98
  7. Mannings Hill All Age School – Hurricane Dean $10,036,501.30
  8. Federal Gardens First Street – Package 1 - $5,112,431.50
  9. Federal Gardens Second Street – Package 2 - $6,508,265.50
  10. Federal Gardens Third Street – Package 3 - $7,621,465.50
  11. Federal Gardens Fourth Street – Package 4 - $7,813,965.50
  12. Federal Gardens Fifth Street – Package 5 - $5,227,931.50
  13. Federal Gardens – Collie Smith Drive – Package 6 - $15,655,842.40
  14. Federal Gardens Communal Blocks – Package 7 - $49,356,930.00

    15. The general works that will be carried out under the Federal Gardens Packages 1-7 will range from trench reinstatement for water and sewer lines, minor rehabilitation of some roads, sewage collection and disposal, water supply upgrading and the construction of a communal bathroom.

     

    St. Thomas 

  15. Mango Roe Road – Hurricane Dean - $27,343,354.80
  16. Oxford Road – Hurricane Dean, St. Thomas - $17,749,893.85

    17. Portland 

  17. Fairy Hill Health Centre – Hurricane Dean - $5,975,594.66
  18. Birnamwood Primary School – Hurricane Dean - $2,925,870.48

    19. Hanover 

  19. Dias Health Centre – Hurricane Dean - $3,524,629.60

    20. St. James 

  20. Flankers Zinc Fence Removal Phase 1 - $12,331,951.50

The projects will be implemented under three current programmes being executed by the Fund. These are:.

 

  • The Caribbean Development Bank Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF 5) which is a US$2.8million grant programme that assists low-income communities in planning and implementing projects to improve their access to essential services through the provision of social economic infrastructure, technical services and organisational strengthening and skills training. It will come to an end in 2010.
  • The Emergency Recovery Project (ERP) which is a US$10 million loan facility with the World Bank aimed at providing support for the rehabilitation of primary and early childhood educational infrastructure; rehabilitation of community-based health clinics; rehabilitation of parochial/agricultural feeder roads, and capacity building for hazard risk reduction that is training in disaster mitigation and management. And,
  • The Inner City Basic Services Project (ICBSP) that is aimed at improving the social, economic and physical conditions of twelve inner city communities through the provision of access to basic infrastructure, crime and violence prevention, facilitating access to micro-financing and land tenure regularization. It is funded by a soft loan of US$29.3 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank) with counterpart funding of US$3.5 million from the Government of Jamaica.