Western Jamaica plans for Labour Day

MONTEGO BAY — Planning for Labour Day 2011 is underway in western Jamaica, with three of four parish planning committees having met, two of which have already chosen a national/parish project.

Plans are to have the main parish projects regarded as national projects for 2011, thus having 14 national projects made up of projects from 12 parishes and two municipalities (KSAC and Portmore).

Planning committees have met in Trelawny, St. James, and Westmoreland, with the Hanover committee still to have its first meeting.

National/Parish Projects have been selected in Westmoreland and St. James, while the technical department of the Trelawny Parish Council has been directed to do an assessment of Basic and Primary Schools in the Warsop Division, to identify a needy school in the division as the National/Parish project of Trelawny, in keeping with the national theme.

Labour Day 2011 will be observed on May 23, under the theme: It takes a village to raise a child. Information out of the National Labour Day Committee is that the theme is very appropriate for this year, in keeping with the United Nations General Assembly’s observation of the the “International Year for People of African Descent”.  The Theme “It takes a village to raise a child” is a Yoruba proverb.

In St. James, the Montego Bay Boys and Girls Club has been chosen as the National/Parish Project, with extensive work to be carried out on the facility. The parish Labour Day Church Service will be on Sunday, May 15 at the Rose Heights United Full Gospel Church.

In Westmoreland, the National Parish Project will be to focus on the Clifton Boys Home in Darliston, with plans to hold the parish church service on Sunday, May 22 in Darliston.

According to Mayor of Savanna-la-Mar, Councillor Bertel Moore, the Clifton Boys’ Home is celebrating 50 years of existence this year, and with Labour Day focusing on children, the institution fits perfectly into the national theme.

“When we look around this year we think it is more than fitting for us to have our National Labour Day project at the Clifton Boys Home in Darliston. Otherwise from being a Boys’ Home, they are also celebrating their 50th year, and it has done tremendously for boys from all over Jamaica,” he stated.

He said that an assessment will be done to decide on the scope of work to be carried out at the institution.

The Hanover Labour Day planning committee is set to have its first meeting on Tuesday, May 10.          

By BRYAN MILLER, JIS REGIONAL OFFICE