Citizens Urged to Get Involved in Community Groups

Community Development Officer for the Social Development Commission’s Spaldings cluster, Anece Denton, has urged residents of that division to become involved in the various community groups in the area, as they seek to empower themselves.
Speaking at a Constituency Development Fund meeting in Spaldings recently, Ms. Denton outlined the important role played in the smooth operation of the governance mechanism, by Community Based Organizations (CBOs).
“Residents of Spaldings, you are encouraged to join these groups in your area. If you are a young person feel free to join one of the youth clubs. If these areas are organized and empowered, it’s expected that the governance process will be better expedited,” she stated.
Additionally, the attendees were advised that in order to qualify for grants to fund the various projects they may wish to become involved in, they would first need to form groups.
Community Development Committees (CDC) are the governing bodies of communities. They are a partnership of stakeholders who interact within the boundaries of communities. CDCs form part of the new Local Government structure and are designed to manage the affairs of the communities and ensure problems of residents reach the Parish Councils in a timely fashion. They bring together community groups such as returned residents associations, parent teachers associations, citizens associations, farmers groups, and church groups.
Through the CDCs, information is collected, stored, collated and validated as it guides planning, in relation to the respective community. CDCs facilitate the mobilization of stakeholders within the various communities to support developmental activities.
One of the chief targets of the SDC in Clarendon is to widen the representation of the CDC in the Spaldings area. This, as part of the government’s thrust to build capacity in communities across the island, as Jamaicans hasten to empower themselves in preparation for increasing economic challenges across the global village.