Approximately 200 micro and small enterprises in eight marginalised communities are set to benefit from grant support totalling $50 million. This, under the Government’s Integrated Community Development Project Phase 2 (ICDP II) being implemented by the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF).

This will be facilitated under the ICDP II Enterprise Development Grant Project Cycle 2, which will directly benefit some 53,234 residents in August Town, Denham Town and Greenwich Town in Kingston and St. Andrew; Treadlight in Clarendon; and Anchovy, Mount Salem, Norwood, and Salt Spring in St. James.

Minister of Education and Youth Fayval Williams will on Wednesday launch the Safe Passage (Safe Routes to School) Road Safety Clubs.

The Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) initiative, which is funded by the Government of Jamaica's Integrated Community Development Project (ICDP-II), will be introduced in seven primary schools across the island.

A statement from JSIF said the Road Safety Clubs will be formed to promote advocacy and behaviour change for students and the community.

By the second week of March, a multi-agency meeting should be held to map out a plan to ensure that crime-plagued areas of downtown Savanna-la-Mar will get the most out of social intervention initiatives planned to complement the zones of special operations (ZOSOs) put in place in early January.

Member of Parliament for Manchester Central Rhoda Crawford and Minister of Transport and Mining Audley Shaw recently toured the Content Greenhouse Cluster, which has been in operation from 2017 under the Jamaica Bauxite Institute/ Jamaica Social Investment Fund Greenhouse Cluster and Water Harvesting Project.

The project is a part of the Rural Economic Development Initiative funded by the World Bank.

Residents of Greenwich Town have lauded the Government for the physical infrastructure upgrades the community has benefited from, through the build phase of the zone of special operations (ZOSO).

Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) senior manager for social development, Mona Sue-Ho, said $35.9 million was spent on phase two of the integrated infrastructure package (IIP) works during the 2021-2022 implementing period. 

This included improvements to roads, drainages, sidewalks, water mains and removal of zinc fences.

JSIF also implemented a solid waste management project valued at $4.1 million, where 26 environmental wardens were trained and employed. One skip was also constructed and placed in the community.