The Bog Walk Development Area Committee, in partnership with the Social Development Commission (SDC) will host their inaugural Orange Festival in Bog Walk, St. Catherine, on May 31. The event, which is being staged to highlight the cultural heritage and prominence of the orange fruit in the area, will bring together over 200 participants from the communities within the development...

Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Audley Shaw, is calling on leaders in the public and private sectors to focus more on productivity and human development for growth in the economy. Speaking at the opening of an Organisation Development Transformation Conference today (May 21), at the Spanish Court Hotel in New Kingston, Mr. Shaw said low productivity and...

The Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) is constructing an infant department at the Barrett Town Primary School in St. James at a cost of $34 million. Funding is being provided by the European Union (EU) under its Poverty Reduction Programme (PRP IV). Project Manager at JSIF, Celia Dillon, said that the four-classroom infant school, which will accommodate more than 110...

The Social Development Commission’s (SDC) Walderston Cluster of Primary Schools Spelling Bee Competition is serving to encourage competitive academic participation among other educational institutions across Manchester. The competition, which is in its second year, was held from April 10 to May 14. It involved 42 grade-four and five students from seven primary schools, participating in three rounds of matches. Students...

Students of the Randolph Lopez School of Hope in St. Andrew were today (May 3) exposed to tips on how to identify and deal with the issue of bullying. The session, organised by the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), was part of the agency’s #BanTheBullying School Tour and in observance of Anti-bullying Day on Saturday, May 4. The...

The Board of Directors of the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) has appointed Ms Heather Pinnock, General Manager of the entity as of April 1, 2019. Ms Pinnock acted as General Manager from September 24, 2018 until the time of her appointment. Prior to that she served as Deputy General Manager, Planning Development and Project Management Division. According to Chairman Senator...

The Social Development Commission (SDC) has awarded grants totalling $1.1 million to support the economic stability of several small entrepreneurs and micro-businesses in St. James. The grants were presented recently to 22 small enterprises or Local Economic Initiatives (LEIs), during a handover ceremony and workshop, held in the SDC St. James Office in Albion. The LEIs are from various communities...