CONTRIBUTED -
Dr. Noel Watson (second right), executive coordinator of the United Nations Development Programme-sponsored Civic Dialogue Project, mingling with community members in Greenwich Town, St. Andrew, recently.
This is a weekly report on a series of community fora sponsored by the United Nations Develpment Programme's (UNDP) Civic Dialogue Project.
FORGING A strong partnership with the representatives of the Greenwich Town community, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Civic Dialogue Project has been able to facilitate the achievement of some major development objectives that previously lay slumbering in the minds of some residents of Greenwich Town, St. Andrew.
The project was able to help promote and arrange for sponsorship of adult students from the community to attend evening school programmes held at the St. Andrew Technical High School.
The back-to-school initiative was facilitated by the generous offer of a massive discount in tuition fees given to residents by the school. According to Godfrey Lothian, president of the Greenwich Town Commu-nity Development Comittee (CDC), "Over 100 residents, some over 60 years of age, have returned to school; it is fantastic and a major success and we expect it to grow."
HEALTH FAIR
The recent staging of a health fair using the Shipping Association of Jamaica's mobile clinic was greatly appreciated by the community and was another indicator of residents improving the dialogue with the local business community. Both the elderly and the young received free medical consultation from the president of the Jamaica General Practitioners Association, Dr. Ononuju.
Furthermore, the Registrar General's Department has successfully conducted a mobile registration clinic in the community enabling the community to accurately complete forms and initiate very important registration processes in the comfort of their own community.
OWN NEWSLETTER
In the past two months, the community has been producing its own newsletter, the Greenwich Town Voice, featuring activities and planned events within the community. Member of Parliament Portia Simpson Miller, on her last official visit to a CDC meeting where the Civic Dialogue Project scenarios were being shown, was quoted as endorsing the successful relationship between the Civic Dialogue Project and Greenwich Town in the local publication.
Never short of challenges, the CDC, with the assistance of the project and St. Andrew Technical High School, hopes to stage its first skills expo on December 18 at the community centre in Greenwich Town.
"If we keep the positive vibe going, we will retain the peace in the community, build social capital, attract financial capital, and develop the community", said Celia Champagnie of the Civic Dialogue Project.
