By Claude Mills, Staff ReporterST. CATHERINE Member of Parliament, Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, has launched an innovative back-to-school project in her constituency which will recruit and hire 50 young adults to help conduct a social survey of living conditions.
The survey is meant to identify households where students have dropped out of school, and parents who are struggling to finance the education of their children, so that assistance can be targeted at them.
Ms. Grange, explaining the concept, said the programme also offers an earning opportunity for the young field agents, but she is also hoping that their exposure to other youngsters will provide the latter with literal examples that they, too, can do well despite their circumstances.
HELPING CONSTITUENTS
The scope has also been broadened to look more widely at households and the socio-economic status of persons within the urban core and depressed communities of the Central St. Catherine constituency, the MP said.
"It's something I have always wanted to do, and I saw the opportunity where I could use students from my constituency who were involved in the Ministry of Education's summer programme to carry out this survey in these communities," Ms. Grange said.
Some of the communities which will be visited by the students include Gordon Pen, Irish Pen, McKoy Land, Homestead, Ellerslie Gardens and Tawes Pen.
SURVEY IN THREE WEEKS
The survey, which began on August 11 with 45 student interviewers pounding the pavement in five divisions, is expected to be completed in three weeks. When completed, a report will be prepared, and shared with the relevant agencies capable of assisting the Member of Parliament in fashioning solutions to problems in education, housing, unemployment, and care of the disabled and the elderly.
"I didn't have the funds to commission someone to carry out this survey, so I felt it would be a good idea to use these students who are familiar with the area," said Ms. Grange.
"I felt that they would be motivated to learn more about their communities, that they could benefit from the experience, and take lessons from their own social situations in a scientific way. The information collected will help me to fashion a programme through which I can approach the JSIF in the future to better help my constituents," she said.
According to the MP, the St. Catherine Social Development Commission office has also assisted in the training and implementation of the project, with aid from the St. Catherine Office of the National Youth Service.
