200 Projects Registered for Labour Day

More than 200 projects have been registered across the island for national Labour Day 2007, which will be observed on May 23.
Chairman of the Communication Sub-committee for the Labour Day Secretariat, Gerrard McDaniel, told JIS News that the work to be undertaken includes the beautification of common areas including playing fields; and the building and repair of schools and clinics.
He noted that the excitement surrounding the national project, which is the refurbishing and beautification of the Bath botanical gardens in St. Thomas, has spilled over into the entire parish, where 50 projects have been registered.
“We’ve seen a lot of activity in Bath where about four additional projects have been registered aside from the national project. This whole energy in Bath has been infectious and we’re seeing the ripple effect all over the parish,” he stated.
Meanwhile, he indicated that preliminary work has begun on the national project, but most of the activity will be completed on Labour Day.
This includes painting the roof of the greenhouse, resuscitating a lily pond, putting in pathways, and re-planting some of the species of plants that have disappeared because of the flooding of the Sulphur River, which feeds the famous healing fountain.
Mr. McDaniel expressed the hope that once the upgrading work is completed, residents of Bath will take ownership of the project, and maintain the facility long after Labour Day.
He noted that agencies such as the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) and the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) can offer assistance, while the Social Development Commission “has a whole slew of information about where the resources are, what the criteria for applications are and how this assistance can be sustained.”
“What we’d like to see is the (projects) going all year long so people would see the difference in their communities everyday, and Labour Day would be just the day to add the icing on the cake,” Mr. McDaniel said.
Communities and groups are being urged to continue registering their projects with the local offices of the SDC, parish councils, the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), the parish offices of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security or the Labour Day Secretariat. Persons can also register online @ www.jis.gov.jm/special_sections/labourDay2007.
Labour Day 2007 is being observed under the theme: ‘Honouring our ancestors, strengthening our communities’ in observance of the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the trans-atlantic trade in enslaved Africans.