Two hundred at-risk youth from communities across the parish of Clarendon are to benefit through a new crime-prevention initiative – the Clarendon Collaborative Action Project. The initiative is a new approach to crime prevention that utilises several integrated social strategies to address deviant and antisocial behaviours among youth and empower them to become productive members of society. The project will...

The Social Development Commission is advising that its Corporate Office, Kingston and St. Andrew, Portmore and St Thomas Offices will be closed to the public Tuesday August 25, 2020 and Wednesday August 26, 2020. The temporary closure is to facilitate deep cleaning and sanitization of the offices given the exposure of staff to an individual who has tested positive for...

Five schools in rural Jamaica have benefited from a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) ‘Training of Trainers’ Workshop, organised by the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF). Participants included 20 principals, guidance counsellors, teachers and ancillary staff from the Boston Primary School in Portland; Grange Hill Primary School, Westmoreland; Jacks River Primary School, St. Mary; Mount Moriah Primary School, St. Ann,...

The Real Estate Board (REB), through the Real Estate Training Institute, will be launching a new course in Strata and Community Management. “Given the myriad of technical issues surrounding communities with shared spaces and amenities, such as strata properties and gated communities, the REB thought it important to introduce a new Strata and Community Management Course,” Chief Executive Officer of...

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, has commended the staff of its portfolio agencies for their role in the national coronavirus (COVID-19) response. The Ministry has direct responsibility for infrastructure development, fire safety and protection, waste management and enforcement, community development and empowerment, social protection, disaster management and mitigation, and local governance. These operations are carried...

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Daryl Vaz, says the Government is committed to transforming informal settlements into structured, livable neighbourhoods. “In 2020, there should be no one living in improper infrastructure and, therefore, this Government is committed to [correcting] that,” he said. “What is very clear is that there are informal settlements...

Prime Minister the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, officially handed over several infrastructure projects in the Barrett Town community in St. James on Friday (August 7), which were completed under the European Union (EU) funded Poverty Reduction Programme (PRP) and the World Bank funded Integrated Community Development Project (ICDP). The projects, which primarily seek to promote public safety and crime reduction,...