Jamaicans Encouraged to Work on Projects to Ensure the Safety of Children

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange, has called on Jamaicans to work on Labour Day projects that will ensure a safe environment for children.

“Reflect on the movements of our children and determine to work on Labour Day to make those areas safe,” Miss Grange said.

The Minister was speaking at the Workers’ Week Thanksgiving Church Service, held on Sunday, May 19 at the Meadowbrook United Church in Kingston.

Labour Day will be observed on Thursday, May 23 under the theme ‘Child Safety…It’s You, It’s Me, It’s all ah We!’, while Workers’ Week, which culminates on Labour Day, is being marked under the theme ‘Yes to decent work, no to child labour’.

The Minister said that citizens should ensure that roadways used by children to get to and from schools are safe.

“Too often they have to compete for space with aggressive drivers. Too often the taxis and buses they use every day are driven by people who would define their maleness by crude, hostile, offensive and violent behaviours that put our children at risk,” she said.

Miss Grange said that drivers often enter school gates at the same points where others are dropping off their children and “make a turnaround without looking”.

To ensure the safety and security of children, the Minister said that the relevant signs should be installed and visible at all times at school entrances, so that drivers know where to drop off and pick up students.

Pointing to other possible Labour Day projects, the Minister said that citizens could participate in the repainting of pedestrian crossings, establishing signs and signals, putting up bus stops, helping the school to create good turnaround and entrance sites, and paving road surfaces that can cause accidents.

Miss Grange said that citizens could also clear the unbushed areas in their communities to make it safer for children.

“These unbushed areas provide daily threats for children as they move about our communities. Too often this is where the child was last seen,” she said.

“Let us also not forget the insecurities that come when children do not have enough to eat. Following the example of our saviour, we can do something about that too,” Miss Grange added.

Persons can register Labour Day projects via the website: www.jis.gov.jm or email labourday@mcges.gov.jm or call: 876-978-7654 ext.5144.