Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Foreign Trade

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Project Abroad Jamaica will be undertaking a number of programmes in Jamaica for the 2009/10 period, as the organisation continues its voluntary work in the island.

Projects Abroad Country Manager, Bridgette Barrett, speaking at a partnership workshop in Mandeville Manchester yesterday (June 4), said that these include undertakings in the areas of culture, medicine and health care, conservation and the environment particularly in disaster management and agriculture. Residents of the parishes of St. Elizabeth, St. Ann and Manchester are expected to benefit from these initiatives.

The workshop, held at the Golf View Hotel, was attended by more than 40 representatives from various fields and disciplines such as sports, academia, community development, health, child care, parenting associations, local government, among other areas.

Participants in the workshop were introduced to and updated on the work of the local arm of the organisation over the last year. They also made suggestions about ways in which projects in Jamaica, undertaken by the group, can be strengthened.

Ms. Barrett said that the aim of her team is to make the organisation "the best" and added that the participants have made some very valuable suggestions.

"Your input today was very valuable. The next planning period, which is June to July, some of your suggestions will be inputted. We will try to improve our project materials as we seek to undertake more projects," she said.

Projects Abroad is a United Kingdom-based global organiser for overseas volunteer work placements.

It was established in 1992 by geographer and author Dr. Peter Slowe and is based in 25 countries in the continents of North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia.

The organisation dispatches some 4,000 volunteers to various countries each year to work in areas such as conservation and environment, journalism, business, archaeology, teaching, medicine and health care, culture, care and community development, law and human rights and sports.

Projects Abroad began operations in Jamaica in April 2008 with offices located in Mandeville. Project areas are Junction, Black River, and Santa Cruz in St. Elizabeth and St. Ann's Bay and Discovery Bay in St. Ann, with some 120 volunteers assisting in orphanages, children's homes, care centres, infirmaries, schools, hospitals, health centres and communities.

The main undertaking is the Children Advocacy Project, which is aimed at empowering individuals, families and communities in efforts toward the reduction of crime and violence. This project is being offered through the Community Counselling and Restorative Justice Centre, with is a partnership with the Ministry of National Security; and Justice and the Morris Entrepreneurial Centre, which is operated by the Northern Caribbean University.

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