Seven projects were recently commissioned in Berbice and the Citizen Security Programme will get a further boost when Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee commissions six more in Rose Hall Town, Corentyne and Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam.
The Rapid Impact Projects are small scale rehabilitation or enhancement projects which seek to rejuvenate unused or underused multi-purpose facilities or areas within the community so that they can attract more meaningful activity by community members, a Home Affairs Ministry press statement explained.
Each community is given three projects valued at $1M each.
The IDB-funded Citizen Security Programme is aimed at the creation of safe neighbourhoods.
The Community Action Compon-ent of this programme has sought to reduce crime and violence in ten targeted communities in Regions Four and Six over the past two and a half years.
This endeavour is through social development interventions such as the Youth Life Skills/Vocational Training Programme which targets youths between the ages of 14 and 25 who have dropped out of school, never attended school, or did not achieve sufficient standing in order to achieve gainful employment.
There are also Community Engagement Activities such as Community Fun Days or Community Clean-Up Days which seek to promote and strengthen community cohesion.
In addition, there are sessions in Child Abuse Prevention, Intimate/ Domestic Partner Violence Preven-tion, Youth Violence Prevention, and Personal Development; as well as the Rapid Impact Projects.
Seven more
The Citizen Security Programme recently completed seven more Rapid Impact Projects in Berbice.
On April 28 this year, speaking on behalf of the Minister of Home Affairs, Member of Parliament Faizal Jaffarally officially commissioned the Jai Hind Cricket Ground in Albion, Corentyne, Berbice. This ground was provided with a pavilion and fence around the perimeter.
At another commissioning the Kilcoy/Chesney Multi-Purpose Centre Ground, also on the Coren-tyne, was filled and fenced, and the centre was enhanced and equipped with computers, chairs, and tables.
In addition to the commissioning, the Jai Hind Cricket Club was provided with hardball cricket gears and the Kilcoy/Chesney softball teams were provided with softball gears.
The following day, April 29, Minister Rohee commissioned the Glasgow Housing Scheme Playfield and Overton Path Playfield, Overwinning, both located on the East Bank Berbice.
At both fields, a pavilion was constructed to promote community involvement in sports. In addition, Rohee handed over sports gears to the Edinburgh Cricket Club, Edinburgh Youth and Promotion Club, and Overwinning Bible Church sports teams.
And last Saturday, the Home Affairs Minister commissioned two Rapid Impact Projects in Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice. One was in Boundyard Playfield in which a pavilion and fence around the perimeter were constructed.
The second project and commissioning took place in the Tain, Block 4 Playfield in which the construction of a pavilion and fence around the perimeter was also completed.
Sports gear was handed over to the Tain, Block 4 Sports Club and the Port Mourant Jaguars Volleyball Club.
This initiative is one factor in conditioning young people not to be attracted to deviant behaviours, leading to crime and violence, the statement added.
However, the “quest for safe neighbourhoods is not a smooth road in which we can drive on at high speeds and reach our destination of crime-free communities within a short time. This quest is one which takes the effort of all citizens,” the Home Affairs Ministry said.
“Citizens, firstly, have to want to live in a safe neighbourhood and, secondly, see how they can be involved in creating safety and security for their own families and neighbours,” the ministry added.
The first project completed and commissioned was in Sophia at the Pattensen Community Centre in August 2011.