Solidarity Programme Fair Stops In Westmoreland

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security’s Solidarity Programme Fair stopped in Westmoreland on Friday (Dec. 19), bringing a range of social services directly to residents.

The event, held at the Allen Ray Oval, saw scores of individuals signing up to benefit from grant assistance.

Government is providing a one-time grant of $20,000 to 50,000 individuals as part of the country’s broader recovery from Hurricane Melissa and social protection efforts.

Several residents, who visited the fair and signed up for the grant, expressed gratitude for the support, particularly as they recover from the effects of the hurricane, which devastated the parish.

Alrick Baker Andrews told JIS News that the assistance is timely and will go towards housing repairs.

“My whole step blew off and I’m so glad that I am here and I’m alive and well. Thank God,” she said.

Hyacinth Maylor of Moreland Hill shared that her house was blown down by the strong winds associated with the hurricane. “I feel bad about it, but I feel good getting a grant for the hurricane relief,” she said.

The Solidarity Programme is a national initiative aimed at providing one-time cash grants to vulnerable Jamaicans who are not currently benefiting from other Government social protection programmes, including the Programme for Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH), the Social Pension Programme, the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), Poor Relief or the Reverse Income Tax Credit.

It targets persons who are unemployed or underemployed, elderly persons without pension coverage, informal workers, persons with disabilities, and other individuals facing economic vulnerability.

The fairs are a series of parish-level engagements being conducted across the island, allowing eligible persons to apply for and receive support closer to home, while facilitating greater inclusion into the wider social protection framework.

By decentralising service delivery, the Labour and Social Security Ministry continues to strengthen outreach and ensure that assistance reaches those who may not be enrolled in other social safety net programmes.