Rayon Dyer, Gleaner Writer
A member of the Buena Vista community empties stone into a hand-powered mixer, one of two used to prepare the cement for building the Buena Vista Community Centre in St. Elizabeth. Located about five and a half miles out of Santa Cruz, the centre, which will serve both as a basic school and a shelter, was chosen to be the first model of disaster shelters on the island. - PHOTO BY CLAUDINE HOUSEN
St. Elizabeth:
THE NATIONAL Labour Day Project at the Buena Vista Community Centre in St. Elizabeth got off to a smooth start with participation from a number of government officials, representatives from the business sector as well as community members.
The Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) has the overall responsibility for the project, which is estimated to cost $8.5 million.
The community centre will double as a disaster shelter and, according to Dr. Barbara Carby, head of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, the shelter managers who will be trained to manage the centre should come from the community.
MODEL CENTRE
The Government has indicated that it was moving away from using schools as shelters during natural disasters and the Buena Vista centre is being used as the model for the shelters that will be developed for this purpose.
Merzel Morris, a member of the Buena Vista community told The Gleaner that she was happy that the National Labour Day Committee chose the community centre as the national project for 2005.
"I am grateful for this because during Hurricane Ivan last year a lot of people did not have anywhere to shelter," she said.
The centre lost its entire roof during the passage of Hurricane Ivan, last September and was temporarily closed to the community.
Among the agencies and companies which took part in the day's activity were the Social Development Commission, Alpart, GraceKennedy and Company Ltd., Mother's Restaurant, Juici Patties and others.
