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Minister Dangui Oduber a presenta proyecto di embeyecimento di Hooiberg

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Diario

*e meta ta pa Hooiberg bira un atraccion colorido pa local y turistanan

ORANJESTAD (AAN) – Dialuna mainta, Minister Dangui Oduber, titular di Salud y Turismo a hiba palabra den e conferencia di prensa di gobierno.

E rueda di prensa aki a tuma lugar riba e trapinan di Hooiberg, pa anuncia e fase 2 cu gobierno ta bay cuminza cu su ehecucion. Fase 1 a cuminza durante e Gabinete Wever-Croes 1 y a wordo financia door di e fondonan di TPEF (Tourism Product Enhancement Fund).

Den e fase dos aki gobierno lo percura pa drecha e trapinan for di comienzo te e top. E dignatario a subraya cu intencion tabata pa cuminza mesora cu e fase 2 y e mandatario a expresa cu e ta contento di ta para riba e trapinan di Hooiberg pa anuncia e continuidad di e proyecto.

E mandatario a bisa cu ta bon conoci cu e pandemia a pone cu tabata tin un recess den e ehecucion di tur e proyectonan di mehoracion di e producto Aruba cu tabata den planificacion, y un di nan cu tabata cla e ora ey pa cuminza ta e fase 2 di e embeyecimento di Hooiberg.

E dignatario a subraya cu Hooiberg ta un atraccion cu ta wordo hopi uza pa local y turistanan. Minister Oduber a agrega cu Aruba Tourism Authority, generalmente ta haci surveys riba e “guest satisfaction” di e turistanan cu ta bin Aruba, y nos Isla ta score hopi halto den esaki. Mas ainda, e ta score di mas halto cu henter e Caribe, pa loke ta satisfaccion di turista. Pero algo cu ta bin regularmente dilanti, ta cu e turistanan ta haya cu Aruba tin falta di atraccionnan. Aruba tin un bunita lama, bunita beachnan y bon clima. Nos hendenan ta hopi amable y cordial, pero toch ta bin dilanti e turistanan ta sinti falta di atraccionnan y pesey e Gabinete y Prome Minister mes cu ta encarga cu e proyecto di “amenities” ta purba na crea mas atraccion pa e turistanan.

E dignatario a subraya cu Hooiberg ta un bunita lugar pa haci di dje un atraccion mas y mas ta wordo bishita pa e turistanan. Pesey, Gabinete Wever-Croes a opta pa planea e proyecto aki den diferente fase.

El a reitera cu fase 1 a wordo financia pa TPEF, y awo fase 2 ta bira e drechamento y mehoracion di e trapi for di ora bo cuminza subi e cero te riba e top.

E mandatario a duna di conoce cu lo bay crea un mirador cu e bishitantenan por cana rond riba e top di e cero unda ta bay tin henter un bunita bista riba e bunita naturaleza y paisahe cu Aruba ta ofrece.

Tambe lo bay percura pa pone mosaic cu artistanan local y internacional pa asina crea un atraccion completo.

Minister di Turismo a sigui splica cu pa loke ta fase 2 y fase 3 cu ya caba ta den discusion, y pensa kico mas lo por crea pa asina por acomoda e bishitantenan tanto local como turista, e intencion ta pa pone espacio pa toilet, pa asina nan por haci uso di dje. Tambe tin intencion di pone un F&B chikito, pa e bishitantenan refresca. E proyecto aki ta wordo financia parcialmente door di Aruba Tourism Authority y tambe door di TPEF. Y, conhuntamente, lo percura pa ehecuta e di dos fase. Pa e fase tres ora ta cla cu fase 2 tin cu wak kico ta e presupuesto cu tin disponible, pa asina por sigui cu e ehecucion di fase 3.


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GKMB ta premira un temporada pisa di sangura pa Aruba

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Diario

Provoca pa e cantidad di yobida…

ORANJESTAD (AAN): Hopi hende a bin ta riparando ultimo simannan, cu diripiente tin hopi sangura ta aparece ora cu solo a caba di baha, y tambe net prome cu solo sali.

   Ta parce cu temporada di yobida cu normalmente ta start te fin di October, awor na 2022 a presenta su mes mas trempan.  Esey ta debi na awacero cu a cuminza cay mas trempan e biaha aki.  E yobidanan aki ta loke ta impulsa e problema di sangura na Aruba.

   Esey ta loke Luis Chong, director di Gele Koorts Muskieten Bestrijding (GKMB) a indica den un entrevista.  E peligro ta cu sangura na gran cantidad, lo por inclui e especie di Aedes Aegypti cu ta un vector pa malesanan manera Dengue, Zika, y Chikungunya.

   Pesey mes, team di GKMB a sali caba cu nan equiponan pa haci control y fumiga den barionan.  Pero alavez, e funcionarionan di GKMB ta suplica comunidad pa cuminza controla den bo cura, check e potchinan cu awa aden, check si bari of toternan di sushi tin awa aden, check hemchi cu por tin pafo, mira si tin sangura of webo di sangura aden.

   “Por fabor, double-check esakinan.  Cana rond di cas, y wak unda por tin awa cu ta keda acumula, pa asina bolter nan pa asina yuda elimina criadero.”

   Chong a mustra cu nan ta premira un temporada pisa di sangura pa e temporada aki.

   Considerando e hecho cu statistica ta enfoca cu e ‘piek’ di yobida lo bay ta November, December y Januari… nifica cu e lo bay ta un temporada hopi druk pa GKMB.

   Loke nan ta haciendo extra, ta pa controla plasnan cu ta keda para na cierto caminda, unda awa por yuda forma criadero pa sangura, tambe ta bay check riolering den caya grandi, y lo keda toch cu e trabao di pasa cas-pa-cas pa controla.  Claro cu ta sigui pidi comunidad pa nan mes tambe sigui haci control y elimina criadero di sangura na cas of na bo negoshi.

   Si acaso bo ta hayando molester di sangura na bo cas, y bo a haci control rond di bo cas y no a haya nada, semper bo por yama Departamento di GKMB na 585-5533 pa nan por bay atende e situacion, como cu kizas e criadero ta banda di e cas (kizas na bisiña) of un lugar inaccesible, pa asina nan por yuda localiza y combati e criadero.

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A.T.A. a ricibi e prome ‘Destination Resilience Award’ for di Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Diario

Premio otorga pa prome biaha den historia

ORANJESTA (AAN): Aruba Tourism Authority (A.T.A.) a ricibi e ‘Destination Resilience Award’ for di Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), pa e trabaonan desplega durante e pandemia. Esaki ta prome biaha cu e premio aki ta wordo otorga. E premio a wordo entrega durante un ceremonia di entrega di premio na San Juan, Puerto Rico como parti di e di 40 aniversario di CHTA su Caribbean Travel Marketplace. Jamaica, Antigua, Bahamas y St. Lucia tawata e otro islanan cu a competi den e mesun categoria cu Aruba.

   A reconoce Aruba pa e maneho di e destino y e programanan di recuperacion cu a wordo implementa pa por a ricibi bishitantenan bek despues di ciere di frontera.

   Ronella Croes, CEO di A.T.A. a indica cu: “Nos ta sumamente honra cu Aruba por a wordo reconoci y ricibi e premio aki. Aruba a duna di su banda, tur cu ta labora den turismo y otro sectornan, socionan den sector publico y priva, nos gobernantenan, y e ekipo di Crisis pa menciona algun partido.  A logra habri frontera bek di un forma sigur y a sa di navega den diferente tipo di protocol y regulacion. E premio aki ta prueba di e aliansanan aki como tambe di e trabao duro di nos comunidad pa por sigura un recuperacion fuerte y sostenibel pa nos isla”.

Mirando hecho cu e premio ta origina for di e sector di biahe y turismo, algun aspecto di A.T.A. a resalta, entre otro Aruba a wordo reconoci cu e premio aki pa e esfuersonan pa crea un ‘hub’ cu tur informacion relata na COVID-19 riba rednan social, website como tambe ‘eCRM’. Den e ‘hub’ aki A.T.A. a implementa campañanan di comunicacion incluyendo “Happiness will Prevail” y “Open for Happiness” unda a comunica debidamente encuanto e fasenan di clausura y reapertura mientras cu a crea un mensahe di speransa cu consumidornan y a duna nan un bon bini cu brasa habri na momento cu tabata posibel y sigur pa haci esaki. 

   E documentacion compila a mas cu claro ilustra hopi otro logro entre otro digitalisacion di e plataforma di imigracion, introduccion di e Aruba Visitors Insurance. Un trabou duro y exitoso di parti di Aruba, cual A.T.A. tin e honor di por a acepta. Esaki ta un merito pa ambos sector publico y sector priva cu ta traha di cerca pa cu bienestar di nos turismo, incluyendo e ekipo completo di A.T.A. cu ta inclui e ekipo local y internacional como tambe agencianan clave cu ta labora pa Aruba, Ministerio di Turismo y Salubridad, AHATA, AAA, ATSA y hopi mas cu a hunga nan papel den e recuperacion. 

   Desde e reapertura Aruba a experencia un recuperacion exitoso. Entre april y augustus 2022 yegada di bishitantenan a surpasa e cantidad di bishitante pa luna cu a ricibi na 2019, algo cu ta duna siguransa cu lo tin un recuperacion di 100% di bishitante global pa fin di e aña aki. Pa 2023 ta proyecta un recuperacion di 105% compara cu 2019.

   Durante di e reconocementonan di CHTA, Bucuti and Tara Beach Resort a gana tambe Best Practices Sales and Marketing, pa e trabaonan cu nan a ehecuta.

   Sin e esfuerso di un y tur e premio di ‘Destination Resilience Award’ no por tawata posibel. Masha danki na cada un cu a y ta forma parti di Aruba su recuperacion! E premio aki ta un otro paso den mustra un Aruba resiliente y un Aruba cu a move cu curashi y determinacion durante di e pandemia historico cu a azota mundo completo.



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Accident tragique à la Jaille : le chauffard sous contrôle judiciaire

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Guadeloupe FranceAntilles

Justice 

Alors que les autorités venaient tout juste de sécuriser les lieux d’un accident matériel, ce dimanche, à Baie-Mahault, un sexagénaire alcoolisé a foncé dans l’espace sécurisé, blessant 6 personnes. Un agent de Routes de Guadeloupe est décédé des suites de ses blessures. Le mis en cause a été placé sous contrôle judiciaire. 

La signalisation mise en place après un accident matériel impliquant trois personnes saines et sauves était claire, voyante et précise », explique la commandante de gendarmerie de Pointe-à-Pitre, Isabelle Denis Hoarau, présente lors d’un point presse donné hier matin au tribunal judiciaire de Pointe-à-Pitre par le procureur Patrick Desjardins. « Un point presse nécessaire au regard de la gravité de la situation mais aussi de la scène catastrophique », souligne le parquet. 

« Le véhicule à vive…


France-Antilles Guadeloupe

1100 mots – 04.10.2022

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IGT’s Coding and Robotics ‘Rocked’ Up Success and Heightened Interest

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Antigua News Room
1_Coding and Robotics 2022_Antigua-Joshua

With the successful second staging of the IGT Coding and Robotics Rock! Camp for its After School Advantage (ASA) beneficiaries, Brendan Hames, Regional Director IGT– Caribbean, noted that more students have expressed a desire to be a part of the next training. IGT aims to meet these additional requests as best as possible, in continuing the programme which caters exclusively to students within IGT ASA Centres across the Caribbean – many of whom are either in state care (children’s home or place of safety) or are otherwise disadvantaged youth.

“The response to our introductory Level 1 training in 2021 was overwhelmingly positive,” Hames stated. “With the addition of the more advanced Level 2 component and focus on regional sustainability, there was an even greater demand for enrolment from our ASA student groups across the region.”

Over 60 youth from IGT ASA Centres in Antigua and Barbuda; Barbados; Jamaica; St. Kitts and Nevis; St. Maarten; and Trinidad and Tobago participated in this year’s camp. Antigua and Barbuda were new to the list of participating islands for this year’s staging of the camp. The Mona GeoInformatics Institute (MGI) at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona Campus who designed the course and delivered the training, received curriculum development guidance from Nalini Ramsawak-Jodha, Education Specialist and Lecturer from the School of Education at the UWI, St. Augustine Campus. The camp culminated in late August with more than 30 students completing introductory level training and over 30 additional students receiving intermediate training at Level 2 for the first time.

Pleased Participants

Participants have indicated that this year’s camp taught them useful skills and broadened their horizons in terms of future career options. In the post-camp evaluations, students identified a wide range of future endeavours that the experience had ignited in them, everything from e-commerce stores to gaming and game design to cybersecurity (“ethical hacking”).

“Overall, it was a pleasant experience,” stated Joshua Langford, a Level Two participant from the IGT ASA Centre at Island Academy.  “For our final project, we worked on a picture slider of our country which gave use a lot of basic experience in coding that we can use in the future to improve our regions technologically.”

The participating supervisors affirmed the high level of engagement among the students and had high praise for the MGI instructor team as well as Education Specialist, Nalini Ramsawak-Jodha.

MGI’s Acting Executive Director Dr. Ava Maxam said the Institute was gratified at the continuing success of the programme and was eager to renew the partnership with IGT to serve more youth across the region.

“The value of this initiative cannot be overstated,” said Dr. Maxam. “We look forward to an even better offering as the programme grows and as we offer our youth a vital pathway to fulfilling their potential through information technology (IT).”

The programme’s curriculum advisor, Ramsawak-Jodha said it was inspirational to know that the students had gleaned as much as they had from the sessions. “We are proud to be associated with this experience, and we commend IGT for deepening its commitment to ensuring young people receive this critical and early exposure to IT.”

As Caribbean territories continue to strive to secure relevance and sustainability in this data-driven age, IGT has been graciously aiding the cause for the technological empowerment of the region’s youth. This has been witnessed through the company’s provision of fully equipped IGT ASA Centres for students in underserved communities since 2011. The company has also funded numerous IT training opportunities for young people, the most recent being the IGT Coding and Robotics Rock! Camp which has left anticipation on a high for the 2023 hosting.

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Rotaract Club of Antigua Holds Peace Walk to Mark International Day of Peace

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Antigua News Room

Monday 3rd October 2022 (St John’s, Antigua) …On Sunday, 2nd October, International Day of Non-Violence, the Rotaract Club of Antigua held a peace walk in recognition of International Day of Peace.

One of Rotary International’s focus is promoting peace. As a humanitarian organization, peace is a cornerstone of our mission. We believe that when people work to create peace in their communities, these changes can create a global effect. Today, over 70 million people are displaced as a result of conflict, violence, persecution, and human rights violations; most of which are children.

As part of the Rotaract District 7030 mission, which entails promoting peace and peacebuilding, the 70+ clubs were tasked with executing a peace walk, which were all originally scheduled to be on September 18th, 2022, International Day of Peace. However, due to the inclement weather caused by tropical storm Fiona, the Rotaract Club of Antigua was forced to postpone until Sunday 2nd October.

The peace walk, organized by the International Service Committee of the club, was well represented by various non-profit organizations. Assistant Governor Evangeline Allen delivered the peace message from Debbie Roopchand, the District 7030 Peace-Building Chair. The Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda was also present, and Superintendent Elson Qwammie urged citizens to come together to seek solutions to make peace within our society. Also, the founder of the Honeybee Theatre, and Activist, Ms Zahra Airall and her theatre group performed a short dramatic presentation.

Rotaract President, Dr. Namadi Belle, in her message charged the participants, “…as citizens to not only seek to embrace the virtues of peace, but also to demonstrate them daily in homes, schools, churches, and the workplace.” President Belle also mentioned “In fact, the actions of each of us should be guided and informed by the principles of peace, namely, respect, tolerance, empathy and justice.”

The recent incidences of violence and domestic issues in our communities signal that we need to re-examine and re-evaluate how we interact and relate to our fellow men and women. It should also be noted that socio-economic factors, and drug-related activities do play a role, and consequently, contribute to the violent happenings of the day.

However, the notion of our approach to problem solving and conflict resolution clearly suggests that an immediate resetting of our value system is critical if we aspire as Antiguans and Barbudans to live as a peaceful nation. However, by practicing peace we will be setting the foundation and building the blocks for a safe, secure, and peaceful society.

To conclude, a monetary donation was made to the Women Against Rape (WAR) Organization, which was presented to the founder, Ms Alexandrina Wong. Prior to her acceptance, Ms Wong charged the gathering to be vigilant, and ‘say something if they see something’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Impact Justice Hosts Meeting To Discuss The Development Of ADR In The Region

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Antigua News Room

Impact Justice Hosts Meeting To Discuss The Development Of Adr In The Region

 

BRIDGETOWN – September 26th, 2022 – On September 20th and 21st, 2022 the Canadian Government funded Improved Access to Justice in the Caribbean (IMPACT Justice) Project hosted a meeting for select mediators and restorative practices practitioners and trainers to evaluate the Project’s progress with alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in the region. The meeting was held at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel, Kingston, Jamaica and was attended by ADR practitioners from Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The meeting was opened by Professor Velma Newton, CBE, SCM, Regional Project Director of the IMPACT Justice Project who provided an overview of the Project and mentioned that the meeting in question served to assess the degree of penetration made by mediation and restorative practices in communities. She noted as well that although IMPACT Justice did considerable work in the area of ADR, factors such as COVID-19 slowed its progress in the areas of setting up mediation service points, providing training and working with governments and other interested stakeholders to further develop the area. She therefore looked forward to hearing from the persons gathered what lessons they have learned, what achievements have been made and what ideas they have for the further development of ADR in the region.

Professor Newton then went on to introduce Dr. Christian DaSilva, Counsellor and Head of Development Cooperation for Jamaica and the Bahamas who gave remarks on behalf of the Government of Canada. In his remarks, Dr. DaSilva noted that in Canada, restorative justice has been imbedded in the Canadian justice system for over 40 years, having originated amongst the Canadian First Nations and other indigenous groups. He continued that the principals of restorative justice have been a pillar of Canadian justice reform efforts globally, and through the work of IMPACT Justice, Canada has become a champion for mediation and restorative practices in the region.

The Hon. Delroy Chuck, QC, MP, Minister of Justice, Jamaica also spoke at the opening and painted a promising picture of his vision for ADR in Jamaica. He also thanked the Government of Canada and IMPACT Justice Project for their assistance over the years including more recently, assistance with the development of the Jamaica Mediation Strategy. Minister Chuck also shared that the Ministry of Justice was now in the process of drafting a Mediation Bill which will create a legislative framework for mediation in Jamaica.

Also present at the meeting were Dr. Deborah Duperly-Pinks, Senior International Assistance Officer and Gender Focal Point, Development Cooperation, High Commission of Canada in Jamaica, Ms. Tania Chambers, Consultant and author of the Jamaica Mediation Strategy, and Mr. Peter Bracegirdle, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, from Ontario, Canada who served as chairperson for the meeting.

During the two-days of discussions, a number of country reports were given on Mediation and Restorative Practices including reports from Restorative Practices Trainers:

Patricia Warner, Senior Education Officer, Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training, Barbados;
Ken Layne, Principal, Daryll Jordan Secondary School, Barbados
Santos Tesecum, Lecturer (retired) Sacred Heart Junior College, Belize;
Ann Hamilton Dopwell, Vice Dean, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College, Teacher’s Training Division, St. Vincent and the Grenadines

and mediators:

Miles Weekes, Past Chairman, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Caribbean Branch, Barbados;
Burchell James, President, Jamaica Association of Mediators Ltd., Jamaica;
Terry Ranglin, Mediation Trainer, Jamaica;
Anna-Maria St. Juste, Survivor Support Services Coordinator, the Counselling and Legal Aid Clinic Grenada;
Lauriston Choy, Child Protection Officer, Guyana;
Urban Dolor, Mediation Trainer, St. Lucia; and
Mandella Campbell, Attorney-at-Law and community mediator, St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

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Antigua PM not satisfied with Trinidad and Tobago’s response to payment of CLICO/BAICO debt

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Antigua News Room
Prime Minister Keith Rowley and Prime Minister Gaston Browne

Prime Minister Gaston Browne says he is not satisfied with the response from his Trinidad and Tobago counterpart regarding the non-payment of millions of US dollars linked to the collapse of Trinidad-based insurance companies CLICO and British American Insurance Company (BAICO) in 2009.

Browne, who is chairman of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) sub-committee on insurance, had said last month that a decision had been taken to take the Keith Rowley administration before the Port of Spain-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

The ECCU groups the islands of Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St.t Kitts-Nevis, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Prime Minister Browne said he had written to Prime Minister Rowley after an ECCU meeting had agreed unanimously to take the Trinidad and Tobago government to court after three failed attempts to get them to pay the outstanding funds. Speaking on his radio programme here over the last weekend, Browne told listeners “his (Rowley’s)response is one that I think he has co-mingled a number of issues, even some gratuitous payments that were made by the late (prime minister) Patrick Manning he has tried to include in a possible settlement.

“So I am about to respond to him to let him know that he is mistaken and that the issues he has raised in his letter they certainly have no bearing to the case that we are pursuing,” Browne said, without disclosing the full content of Rowley’s letter.

The ECCU said that Trinidad and Tobago had made a commitment to pay US$100 million to the member countries but only US$40 million was disbursed following the collapse of C L Financial, the owners of CLICO and British American Insurance Company (BAICO).

In October last year, a group of British American and CLICO policyholders in the Eastern Caribbean filed a lawsuit at the CCJ against the Trinidad and Tobago government and Prime Minister Browne said that the ECCU decision to follow suit had been in the works for several years.

“Let me make it abundantly clear too that …the policy holders will come together collectively and they have a collective suit against the government of Trinidad and Tobago. That is separate from what we are pursuing here.

“The case I am pursuing is a settlement that was agreed to even before I became prime minister of a US$100 million. The government of Trinidad and Tobago paid US$40 million of it, US$60 million is still outstanding.

“We are saying we would like to have it paid, we would like to negotiate a reasonable payment that doesn’t create any strain on the treasury of the government of Trinidad and Tobago. So if bonds are to be given then they will pay the interest over a period of time.

“We are saying here it’s a pledge that was given and it was given considering that Trinidad and Tobago benefitted from the CLICO/BAICO estate. We have said to them that the treaty of Chaguaramas (which governs the regional integration movement) is such that you cannot accord specialised treatment to your policy holders and other stakeholders and out others who are part of this very integration movement at a disadvantage”.

Browne said it is on that basis the ECCU believe that it has a case if Port of Spain refuses to settle.

He said this issue had first been communicated to Port of Spain by St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves and since taking over the chairmanship of the sub-committee on insurance in the ECCU last year, “as I have said to the distinguished Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago this is not something that I want to pursue at the level of the court

“But if we feel that we are not getting any justice then we will have no choice because we also have to protect our policy holders, our stakeholders just as how they have protected theirs,” Browne said.

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, Oct 3, CMC

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Cummings: St Michael’s Home to reopen

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Trinidad and Tobago Newsday

News

La Horquetta/Talparo MP Foster Cummings –

MINISTER of Youth Development and National Service Foster Cummings said St Michael’s Home for Boys will be reopened under a new management structure, to cater for 100 vulnerable youngsters.

He was speaking in the budget debate on Monday in the House of Representatives.

He said the facility will be re-purposed and be run in partnership with the Defence Force to accommodate the young men. In a text message to Newsday later, Cummings said, “The St Michael’s School for Boys is being refurbished and will operate as the CHINS (Children in Need of Supervision) facility for boys. The proposed Youth Development Agency of Trinidad and Tobago will manage the facility when completed.”

He also announced that Josephine Shaw Home in Port of Spain will accommodate young women, 18-25, transitioning from community residences, to benefit from holistic development and job placement.

“We are not going to leave our young ladies to end up on the street.”

A transition home will be established for young men, 18-24, and one for young women 18-plus in Sevilla to transition into adulthood and independent living.

Cummings announced a full-time Youth Agricultural Homestead Programme for 200 full-time participants (out of 1,400 applicants), to expand next year to add an extra 200 applicants part-time.

The programme offers full training in crop production and animal husbandry, and then practical training on assigned land, to curb youth unemployment and boost agriculture.

It gives theoretical and practical agricultural training, training in infrastructure development (utilities, starter homes, site preparation and access roads) and business advisory/support.

Participants can practise on a two-acre lot of land and access a $20,000 grant to start up their “21st-century agri enterprises.”

Cummings also promised a programme for individuals who wished to change careers.

He said a Youth Shade House programme would train 100 youngsters at a site in Tucker Valley in collaboration with UWI and a Guyanese institution, as he hailed the Prime Minister for his vision to invest in youth.

“The Shade House Project’s ethos is youth entrepreneurship and will directly address issues of youth employment, underemployment and poverty and provide significant agro-entrepreneurship opportunities and technical assistance with production, harvesting, marketing and market intelligence.”

Cummings promised a Moruga farm school. He said agri-entrepreneurs can also benefit from Nedco’s Business Accelerator Programme.

He said the National Service programme would include MILAT, MYPART and the Civilian Conservation Corps at two sites, respectively in north and south Trinidad.

Speaking to Newsday later, Cummings reckoned some 400 full- and part-time participants would eventually be graduating from the programme each year, such that in a three-year period the country would benefit from 1,200 new young agricultural entrepreneurs.

He announced the Amplify programme run with the National Energy Skills Centre (NESC).

“In the last fiscal, Amplify trained young persons between the ages of 16 and 35 to become skilled music producers and arrangers. Amplify also includes mentorship, entrepreneurship and life-skills training opportunities.”

The NESC also helps run the AllSet Programme for 100 young men and women, 18-35, to learn to drive heavy equipment such as loaders, dump trucks and bulldozers.

“This programme opens a pathway for young people who would not have had access to be trained and certified in this area.

“It gives these young men and women access to specialised equipment, training and expert facilitators, which is not readily available to entrants into the industry.”

Cummings also listed courses in barbering/hairdressing, computer technology skills (mobile application development, web design and coding), and social media/entrepreneurship skills.

He promised residential Youth Development and Apprenticeship Centres, or youth camps for youngsters 17-25, at Persto Praesto, Chatham and El Dorado.

Cummings said the ministry runs six non-residential in Laventille, California, St. James, Malick, Los Bajos and Basilon Street (Port of Spain), with more due at La Horquetta, Point Fortin, Palo Seco and subsequently elsewhere.

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Alexander proves a handful in Scarborough rout

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Trinidad and Tobago Newsday

Tobago

SCARBOROUGH SECONDARY School established themselves as the premier team in the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Tobago Zone Girls Division, after round three, last Thursday.

Signal Hill were expected to provide a serious test for Scarborough Sec, in the match-up of unbeaten teams.

It was, however, one-way traffic, as J’Eleisha Alexander enjoyed a golden day, scoring all five of Scarborough Sec goals, in a 5-1 rout.

Scarborough Sec have slammed 19 goals in three games, and their stingy defence has conceded only once.

In another result, Mason Hall edged Roxborough 1-0 while Pentecostal Light and Life got two goals from Kyla Cooper and one from Christal Pesters as they pipped Goodwood 3-2.

In the Boys Division on Saturday, Signal Hill enjoyed a 5-1 demolition over Goodwood, at the Bertille St Clair Playing Field.

Ja Quon De Four, Khaleem Trim, Isreal Trim, Jediah Phillips and D’Reem Taylor placed their names on the scoresheet for Signal Hill.

Bishop’s maintained their advantage at the top of the standings, following a hard fought 3-2 win over Mason Hall, at the Moriah Recreation Field.

Malik Wilson, who is proving to be a prolific goal scorer, netted two for Bishop’s, while Brendan Allum added the third. Omari Daniel and Rickeldi Williams were on target for Mason Hall.

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