Issuu

Inside this Issue PG.2

As the New Year of 2022 advances we at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security are hopeful that all our endeavours that started in the year 2021 and paused because of the COVID restrictions will be fulfilled. But moving forward we are indeed blessed to be alive and to have a number of millstones we have to celebrate for this year. One of them is the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) celebrates 20 years of existence and bringing hope to the poor families of Jamaica.

Director Antonica Gunter Gayle celebrates 34 years at the ESP PG.5 A chat with Javardo Lawrence winner of the Child Labour unit online Poster Competition PG.7-9 A little more of OSH & a Cross Word

The Coming issues I am told will feature the evolution of PATH as a prestigious safety net programme in the region where many Caribbean Countries have sought to use its model to benefit the poor and needy in their nations.

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Another Milestone is that the Early Stimulation Programme celebrates 47 years. Mrs Gunter –Gayle who has been with this agency for the past 34 years has steered this agency and I am proud to see this department being highlighted in this issue. The Ministry is doing many things despite our challenges and I implore you to get the scoop right here from this very interesting news filled platform.

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Yours PS Collect Roberts Risden.

From the Desk of Denzel Coke on Microsoft Teams

Get the Facts on the Social Pension Programme PG. 16 The Wife of a Farm worker Reflects PG.18 Things about “Work Burn out” you should know PG.21. PARISH OFFICE SEGMENT keeping you up-to-date with the Parishes

The Early Stimulation Programme 47 years through the eyes of Antonica Gunter- Gayle

Mrs. Antonica Gunter Gayle, Director of the Early Stimulation Programme interview with Public Relations Officer, Harriett Clarke

Mrs. Antonica Gunter Gayle, Director of the Early Stimulation Programme is a passionate woman on a mission. Having been with the Agency for the past 34 years Mrs Gunter Gayle explains: “My passion has always been to work with children especially those with special needs.” “I don’t know if it’s just me but I find that generally people with disabilities have so much potential and are just waiting for someone to give them that opportunity despite whatever impediments they might face. “I feel grateful to be able to serve these children and it is a joy to see a child blossom and develop after intervention.” She continued, “that child who was unable to use their fingers now start picking up a biscuit and putting it in his mouth or one who suffers from cognitive delays after occupational therapy here at the centre they are able to speak and do their letters and numbers and become so much more than what was expected of them. 2

That’s a real accomplishment. That's progress. And it's a big thing for myself and other colleagues and especially to the parent of that child. It is amazing to see them come in here when the doctor says their child will never accomplish a certain aptitude in learning then after we work with them things begin to change and to see how overjoyed that parent is when these children excel is a real joy!” She said in reflection. “I have always been drawn to persons who were less fortunate. So much so that my siblings whenever they would go out and see persons with disabilities they would return and say to me, ‘we saw one of your people today’. So they became my people.” She said chuckling. Still beaming she continued, “You know after leaving school my father wanted me to do secretarial studies and he knew people in these big companies who could make that happen.

But

did

not

want

that

and

that future generation of persons with special needs will benefit from this facility. The programme was started in 1975 by Dr. Marigold Thorburn and a family nurse practitioner, Joyce Brown. Dr. Molly Thorburn as she was called, was Canadian. She saw that there was not much for persons or for children with disabilities here in Jamaica.

Director Antonica Gunter Gayle plays with Anishka Anglin while mother Nicole Bonner looks on

I did nursing for a while then changed to early childhood education.” When I heard about the opening here I applied and was most over joyed when I heard I was selected. Since then, my love for this work has grown deeper and deeper. I think it is the Lord who really gave me that passion to work with persons with disabilities. So now my job is more like a hobby as it has become a part of who I am. Since her initial employment at the facility she explained how much things have changed. “I remember when we started, the building itself, oh, my God, it was less than desirable.” It was not conducive to what we do. But because we love, what we're doing, we kept doing it anyway. And I mean, I have watched and seen it change in such a way that is overwhelming. I believe, we are now operating in a first class environment, where our children with disabilities and their parents or families can enjoy the same rights and opportunity as their non-disabled peers. They are receiving the stimulation that is conducive to optimal learning and development. The parents are comfortable, the staff are comfortable. My staff now comes to work, with such pride and dignity, stepping into this beautifully renovated building. And we are blessed to be able to witness these children with special needs receive the quality service and intervention in such a facility. It was completed in 2017 and we are still excited and grateful

And because the need was so great at the time, she started a project where she started seeing children with disabilities in communities all across Jamaica. Looking back at when I just started in the field years ago, persons with disabilities were not easily located. When you visited a community to locate the family it was so difficult for you to find that person because even the person living

Parents lined up at the Ostend Close Location 2006

beside a family with a disabled individual would not have known there was a disabled person in the house because a child would be hidden, locked up in the back room. This child would be deprived and would not even be allowed to come on the veranda. And persons felt that they had committed some sin, they were guilty of something, they felt like they were being Obeah, they had all sorts of myths and superstitious back then. Fast forward to recent times persons are taking their children with disabilities to the supermarket, to church,

the

beach

civilized society, you know over time we are really doing much better than we used to do. Mrs. Gunter-Gayle is an advocate for children with disabilities and has been championing the cause for education and special intervention for the nation’s children with special needs. She currently holds a Degree in Guidance and Counselling with a Master’s in Education. Mrs. Gunter-Gayle is presently a PHD candidate and is the recipient of a number of awards including an award for long and dedicated service in 2012, the Badge of Honour for

State Minister in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Zavia Mayne (right), Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (2nd right),Chief Technical Director ,Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Audrey Deer Williams, and Director, Early Stimulation Programme, Antonica Gunter-Gayle at the officially opening of the new Stimulation Plus Early Childhood Development Centre at Ostend Close,

So I believe that we have come a far way but we still have further to go. The attitudes of persons are now changing. Disabled persons used to be referred to as handicaps or dummies and retards back then. Now, I see persons using the word disability and special needs. These children were thought to be possessed as if they had demons if they had seizure disorder and epilepsy. Now they are seen differently. So much so compared to 20 or 30 years ago a greater number of children with the necessary readiness skills are going off to school. Now we have more children with special needs being filtered out into the various system, whether it be special education or the regular school system after intervention. So I think over time, we are changing the way we look at our people and our children with disability. As I said, we are not there yet we still have a far way to go. But we have come a long way in terms of our attitude towards persons with disabilities. More accommodation is being made for persons with disabilities on buses, at service institutions with wheel chair ramps etc. so as a

Labour and Social Security Minister, the Late Hon. Shahine Robinson (right) with child in wheel chair, Accompanied by Director of the Early Stimulation Programme, Antonica Gunter Gayle (left); Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Colette Roberts Risden (2nd left); and Councillor for the Springfield Division in Eastern Kingston, at ground breaking ceremony for the Early Stimulation Plus facility at Ostend Close

Meritorious Service to the nation’s children, by the Governor General in 2014 and was again awarded the Order of Distinction (OD) for excellent service to children with special needs in Jamaica in 2017. Mrs. Gunter-Gayle is a Justice of the Peace and a loyal Jamaican who continues to serve her country with pride, dignity and respect.

was browsing through the Ministry’s social media page. Knowing that her son was blessed with artistic talent, she persuaded him into entering the competition. The theme for the poster competition, “Jamaica, free of Child Labour”, aroused Lawrence’s interest, and prompted him to start doing his own studies on child labour.

L-R: Javardo Lawrence, Layla Edwards, Hon. Karl Samuda, Minister of Labour and Social Security-Hanna Craig, Zoe Morgan

Child Labour Unit Online Poster Competition Award Ceremony for World Day against Child Labour 2021

“Before entering the competition, I knew that child labour existed in Jamaica. However, when I started doing my own research, I was surprised to discover the large number of children in the rural communities who were involved in Child Labour,” Lawrence said in amazement. He pointed out that “several parents were using their children for their own personal gain, and many times, children are seen working in the markets or wholesales which

For Javardo Lawrence, winner of the (14-17 years) category of the Child Labour Online Poster competition, the experience of participating in the competition was a rewarding one, as it gave him much exposure and broadened his knowledge about child labour.

Poster by Demarco Lindsay 3rd place 5-7 Poster by Javardo Lawrence st place 14-17

Lawrence 18, found out about the online poster competition through his mother, who 5

Years prevent them from attending school.” Lawrence, who copped eight subjects at the Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC), is currently a lower sixth form student at Ardenne High. He said that despite his academic success, he is still undecided on which university he will attend after graduating.

"This year's competition was a huge success, with the judges having a difficult time determining the winner, due to the high quality of the posters. We selected themes that piqued the interest of the children and drew out their creativity.

“I am still weighing my options because I am not sure what career I want to pursue at this point. I am good at Art and I also love business. Maybe in the future, I will merge the two and become a businessman that does Art,” Lawrence explained. Meanwhile, Iinka Perkins, organizer of the Online Poster Competition, said that this year's competition met its objectives and went a far way toward educating the public about the dangers of child labour.

Poster by Ebony Charlton

“We have already started preparation for next year’s competition, which is expected to be bigger and better,” Perkins concluded. Other age group category winners, in the online poster competition include Layla Edwards (5-7 years), J-Hanna Craig Barnaby (810 years) and Zoe Morgan (11-13 years). All winners received $15,000 courtesy of the Child Labour Unit.

Poster by Kyla Foster 3rd place 14-17

More on OSH

Together these regulations form the basis of workplace safety habits and practices all put in place to make the workplace, not only comfortable in terms of ergonomically compliant furniture especially to accommodate the age of the computer and digital devices but to reduce accidents and emergency situations that can arise in the work place environment. OSH goes about this by encouraging, promoting and maintaining of minimum Occupational Safety Health (OSH) standards

Maintaining a Safe and Healthy Work Place is no easy task. It requires workers participation and strategic and continuous work place assessment and analysis regimes to uphold the policies and improve whatever programme is put in place to uphold the overarching policies that guides how Occupational Health and Safety is managed in any organisation. To begin with the organisation must write and sign off on an OSH policy as a guideline of key principles and objectives to adhere to for a safe and healthy workplace environment. The programme is usually customize to fit the size and various elements of the organisation depending on industry budget and including the type of organisation. Focus is given to the: •

Registration of Factories

•

Investigation of industrial Accidents and Approval of Factory building plans.

The OSH Department at the Ministry The OSH department here at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security is responsible for Monitoring and enforcing the Factories Act of 1943 and it’s accompanying Regulations. These regulations include the Factories Regulations (1961), The Building and Works of Engineering Construction Safety Health (1968) and Welfare Regulations, and The Docks Safety Health and Welfare Regulations (1968). 7

for the protection of all workers. This is guided and support given by the International Labour Organization (ILO) through its Conventions, Declarations, Legislations and Programmes.

The Department prescribes standard and policies aimed at achieving acceptable working conditions that are conducive to protecting workers while maintaining productivity and competitiveness. It is to be noted however, that the regulation in itself is limited in its application and scope as it only protects workers in industrial companies such as factories, ships, ports, and construction. It does not lend itself for application to public

sector workers, service, hospitality, and service industries. Despite its restricted scope, the OSHD has supported the Ministry

5. Providing hazard identification and evaluation training for Safety and Health Representatives

in maintaining a safe and healthy working environment for its employees. Among these interventions are:

6. Conducting safety and health inspections of construction works within the Ministry to reduce the risk of accident and injury to workers and visitors.

1. Conducting periodic safety and health inspections of the Ministry’s facilities to identify safety and health issues and make recommendations for corrective measures 2. Coordinate and conducting fire drills 3. Constitution of the Ministry Joint Safety and Health Committees 4. Development of Hazard Reporting Forms for staff to report workplace hazards.

For Cross word Puzzle Clues and Answers go to the OSH Management Systems Brochure Version 1 on the Ministry’s Website. A branded item will be given as a prize from the OSH Department

From the Desk of Denzel Coke Dear Colleagues: We have noticed that the use of the complete suite of Office 365 is much underutilized for the wide range of functions that this platform carry. As a result, we will be doing a series of impactful IT articles on How to optimize use of the 365 platform. We Start off this segment with a how to use Microsoft Teams as we see that the pandemic has opened up the opportunity for using online Video conferencing platforms more and more. This has ushered in the era of ZOOMING or in the case of the Google video online service, Google Meet. Zoom and Google meet offers free and paid subscription online meeting facilities and are in many ways similar to Microsoft Teams. 10

There are also positives to be garnered from Microsoft teams especially when it comes to security risk s and the possibility of hacking. Zoom-bombing’ has become an unwelcome phenomenon where uninvited attendees intrude these online business meetings. Microsoft teams is a more secure network arrangement compared to these other video conferencing facilities and should be used so as not to compromise the privacy of your meetings. That being said and without further ado let us explore what Microsoft teams has to offer and how we can begin to utilize this channel more than we do now. Sincerely Denzel Coke, Information Technology Director

Microsoft Teams Microsoft Teams is a collaboration platform consisting of content sharing, online meetings, chat, and other useful features available to users as a part of the Office 365 package. It can be accessed through the web browser, desktop application, or mobile app. How to Create Teams Meeting (Using Web Browser) 1. Logon to Office 365 (https://portal.office.com) using your Outlook credentials. 2. Select “Teams” from the list of Apps that appear on the left of the screen.

3. Choose “Calendar” on the left and then select “New Meeting” at the top right and populate the fields accordingly.

4. After all necessary fields are populated, choose “send” 5. Meeting invite will be sent to recipients you added. The meeting invite will appear in your calendar as well as in the recipient’s calendar. 6. When you are in a meeting there are multiple features you can access from the tool bar such as, turn camera on/off, mute/unmute mic, share screen, more actions, raised hand, chat/show conversation, show participants, hand up/end meeting.

7. Pin a participant in a Teams Meeting (your view only) – This feature allows you to put the focus on a participant in your view only of the Teams meeting. a. While in the Teams meeting, from the meeting controls, click or tap “show participants” b. In the Participants column, click or tap the three-dots icon to reveal a menu c. From the drop-down menu, select Pin. The pinned participant becomes the focus in your view (and only your view) regardless of the speaker. To unpin, repeat these three steps and select Unpin.

Get the Facts

THE SOCIAL PENSION

PROGRAMME Who is Eligible?

•

The Social Pension Programme targets persons, 75 years and older, who:

Do not benefit from any welfare programmes including PATH or Poor Relief Do not receive the NIS old age or disability benefit Do not have a pension or any other retirement income Do not live in a government care institution

The Government of Jamaica has implemented a new Social Pension Programme for elderly Jamaicans who • are vulnerable owing to their age and • do not have a steady stream of income The programme is being administered by the Ministry of Labour & Social Security APPLICATIONS: MLSS Parish Offices began accepting applications on Monday May 3, 2021. Information is being disseminated via the radio, television and newspapers, and via Social Media. Documents Required:

Applicants are required to provide the following documents on application: • Birth Certificate • A Government issued Identification card (either Passport, Driver’s Licence or Voter Registration card) • NIS card • TRN card • Bank Account details (Account must be in the applicant’s name. Details required include Bank Name and Branch, Account type and Number) • PAYMENTS: The first payment was made on July 15, 2021, and subsequent payments are being made every two months. • The benefit amount at inception is $3,400.00 per month. • Applicants are encouraged to provide their Bank Account details to facilitate payment of benefits by direct deposit. • Persons without Bank Accounts are being paid through a Remittance Service. There will be no payments by cheque. PATH AND POOR RELIEF BENEFICIARIES are being transferred to the Social Pension Programme once they attain age 75. Social Workers are continuously conducting verification of existing beneficiaries.

The Social Pension Programme: Caring for our Elderly 14

Testimonies from SIP Benefactors When Michael Hall started his egg farm in 2020, the Manchester resident had little cash at his disposal and was in dire need of additional capital. To make matters worse, he was unemployed, and had no access to loans from any financial institutions. Being a goal-getter, the 23 year-old young man, decided he was going to seek assistance from the government. To his surprise, he discovered that the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, through their Social Intervention Programme (SIP) was offering Grants for Education and Entrepreneurship to persons between the ages of 16 and 40 years old. “When I found out about the grant, I immediately went to the Ministry’s office in Mandeville to enquire how to apply for the grant because I wanted to buy some additional layers and extra feeds for the chickens that I had,” Hall said. A few months later, he received $100,000 from the Ministry, which allowed him to expand his crop from 32 to 116 layer chickens. The Churches Teachers’ College student said that the grant was a blessing for him and he is now in a better financial position as a result of the financial assistance. “I would encourage other budding entrepreneurs to utilize the grants offered by the Ministry so that they can expand their business,” Hall said. He believes that “before taking the grant from the Ministry, the entrepreneur should ensure they invest in something that they are passionate about, so that when the tough times come, they won’t just give up and close down the business.” Oshane Grey, a 22-year-old recipient of the SIP Educational Grant, said he learned about the Educational Grant from South West St Ann caretaker, Valentine Wint, while studying at Moneague College in St Ann.

“I was struggling to pay my tuition and was asking for assistance, when Mr Wint told me about the grant. I went to the Ministry in St Ann’s Bay and they told me the requirements needed. I submitted my application and months later I received a $100,000 grant, that allowed me to complete my studies,” said a grateful Grey. Now a Compliance Officer at Moneague College, Grey said that he continues to spread the word about the SIP Grant, to students in need of financial aid. “I realize that many students are continuously left behind because they are in need of help with their school fee. Therefore, I always make it my point of duty to tell them about the grant so that they use it to complete their studies,” Grey said.

Reflections of the Wife of a Farm worker in Jamaica Interview and article done by Harriett Clarke-Public Relations Officer

The USA entered the Second World War in 1941. This caused a significant shortage of labourers and agricultural workers as former slaves migrated north leaving the Southern States competing for workers to harvest crops. To fill this shortage the United States Government introduced the British West Indian Temporary Alien Labour Programme in 1943 which enabled Jamaican, Bahamian and later Barbadian workers to migrate to the United States to fill these jobs. It is estimated that by 1945 33,000 Jamaicans were sent to 38 of those states. To date the Jamaica Farm workers programme have sent over 10 million workers to farms across North America for them to carve out a better living for their families. But why do individuals choose to leave the warm climes of Jamaica to toil in sometimes harsh weather conditions of sleet and sometimes snow. “For betterment,” says Betty Prendergast the wife of a farm worker as she stands in the middle of the four bedroom house in a relative middle class community in St Catherine. “When we met my husband and I had very little with several little mouths to feed. But we had big dreams and we wanted to give our children the head start we did not get.”

“He signed up with the Farm Work Programme got through and the rest as you can see.” She said with a vive of her hand to indicate her surroundings. “As a family we have sent our children to good schools including Mico Teachers College and the University of the West Indies. We were able to buy a little Portmore house and have since expanded the one bedroom to a four bedroom with enough space for the children to also add on for their families. I think in all honesty we would not have been able to do all this without the opportunity presented by the Farm work programme for my husband to earn instead of being unemployed. Mrs. Pendergrass had indicate that it was in the early 80’s that her husband was laid off from a stable job leaving her alone as a Post Mistress to be the primary bread winner for the family. There were times that I insisted that he come back home in the earlier years as we were far away from each other with only intermittent visits which was difficult for us when he had to go back. This was hard on the relationship but we soon learnt to cope by learning to trust each other and exercised patience until the next visit. I even remember that before the cell phone came we would call using pay phones and it was very good to hear his voice. This was not as often as we would have wanted but it had to do until such time. I had to grow the children which consisted of mainly boys and it was hard to grow them basically without a father physically present. Having applied for retirement Mrs. Pendergrass indicate that the family had passed the worst and is a success story for their extended family. We basically made it and can live comfortably now because of the farm work programme. The benefits of the programme are two fold with the Jamaican Farm worker benefiting by being able to afford and purchase homes, send their children to school, access to health care and provide adequate savings for retirement. The countries such as Canada benefit from the provision of unskilled labour from these workers and no doubt the agricultural experience from farming in Jamaica. (Names changed to protect the identity of the family)

HEALTH WORKS Segment Avoiding burnout Article Take from: Health. Powered by Ada

Does stress ever leave you feeling run down and unmotivated? If the answer’s yes, you may be experiencing burnout. So what do we mean when we say ‘burnout’? It’s the physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by long-term workplace stress, and it’s

really common. Working as a GP, it strikes me how often burnout contributes to people’s health complaints. Even though it’s common, it’s vital you understand a bit about burnout. If you don’t recognize the symptoms, it can start to make a real impact on your life. 19

Let’s take some time to learn about burnout, the symptoms you should look out for, and what you can do to avoid it.

What causes burnout? Burnout is caused by stress at work.1 Research suggests that over time, constant stress could affect the way your brain functions. One study points to the amygdala, a part of the brain that helps coordinate emotional responses.2 The study participants with burnout had weaker connections between the amygdala and other parts of the brain linked to emotional response. This may have affected how the participants handled negative emotions in the study. The most common causes of burnout include:3 • • • • • •

being overworked not taking time for yourself being undermined or bullied repetitive exposure to negative emotions lack of social support from others feeling like you’re not in control.

Learn more about avoiding burnout in our 'Taking care of yourself' video series.

What are the symptoms? Burnout can look different for everyone, but people tend to experience a range of physical, mental, and emotional symptoms. Here are some of the most common ones:

Physical • • • • •

Fatigue and trouble sleeping Headaches Stomach issues Heart palpitations Reduced sex drive

Emotional • • • •

Negativity and cynicism Frustration Irritability A feeling of isolation

Mental • • • •

Reduced productivity Anxiety Depression Poor concentration

If you’re struggling to cope, make an appointment with your doctor.

How can you avoid burnout? The good news is that there are things you can do to prevent burnout. Here are my top-5 tips:

1. Prioritize yourself Work-life balance doesn't just mean getting home on time. Build reset moments into your day to get away from work and social media, take stock, and prevent the accumulation of micro stresses. Make sure you take holidays to get some real downtime.

2. Set boundaries at home and work It’s important to manage unrealistic expectations for your time, efforts, and relationships. If you work from home, try to separate your work and living spaces. If possible, remove work email and apps from your phone. Learn to say no.

3. Move your body Nothing beats exercise for fighting stress and feeling better. Find the type of activity that works for you – it could be climbing, swimming, or walking in nature – build a routine, and stick to it.

4. Talk to someone you trust 21

Talking can help put things into perspective and highlight ways you can reduce stress in your life. Talk to a colleague who could help you make positive changes to your work environment.

5. Help create a calm and positive environment Look out for colleagues, friends, and loved ones who may be struggling. Listen to what they say and only offer advice if they ask for it. We all play a part in creating positive environments that do not breed stress. The constant demands of always-on life can take their toll. But remembering to slow down once in a while can help you avoid burnout. 1. WHO. “Burn-out an ‘occupational phenomenon’: International Classification of Diseases”. Accessed September 10, 2020. 2. Golkar, A., et al. PLoS One, (2014), doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0104550. 3. Patient.Info. “Occupational Burnout”. Accessed September 10, 2020. Writer:

Dr. Shubhanan Upadhyay Dr. Upadhyay is our Director of Medical Quality. Website location of article: https://ada.com/raw/editorial/avoidingburnout/?fbclid=IwAR2DQnVfQ7KMuqoLTECPE7FhLZQzoBSl7pOnvYBWA7hlmhDHj3 9GreXLw9I

PARISH OFFICE SEGMENT keeping you up-to-date with the Parishes: St Catherine Parish office elevating the vulnerable

Caption: Zavia Mayne (left) state minister in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS) cuts the ribbon to officially open the St Catherine parish office elevator on Tuesday. Looking on are Dannett Green (centre), manager of the MLSS office and Ludlow Bowie (right), director of Real Estate, National Insurance Fund.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security always goes the extra mile to ensure that all their clients have access to its services. Accessibility is an import aspect of customer service to which the Ministry takes very seriously. In the Spanish Town St. Catherine Parish Office the addition of a new elevator will allow PWDs and older person’s access to the top floors to the three storey building on Hanover Street. The St. Catherine Parish Office previously housed the Eagles Merchant Bank and became the parish Office in November 2004 shortly after Hurricane Ivan. Situated in the heart of Spanish Town the office is sandwich between two warring factions: Notorious Klan’s Man gang and the One Order gang. “The Staff’s bravery and commitment to these communities go beyond the call of duty 23

as the volatility of the area sometimes makes the delivery of services difficult especially in times of unrest between the two gangs” offers Mrs. Steward Green Parish Manager who has spent 5 years at the Spanish Town location.. “The New facility as it is now adds to the decor and gives the place a modern look said the Parish Manager Stewart –Green who has spent 5 years at this Parish Office location.” The facility has been upgraded to serve over 1000 pensioners in and around the region of St. Catherine as well as persons accessing the services of the Child Development Agency. According to the state minister, the commissioning of the facility is in keeping with the vision of the leadership of the Government and the ministry to modernise the way things are done. The elevator which cost 9.2 million was commissioned by the State Minister Mayne in June of 2021. Minister Mayne indicated that the fitting of the elevator was very timely in terms of the renovation and modernisation of the ministry for better service. “We are not only looking at systems and processes, but the physical plant. We have to make sure it is up to time and up to date,” he said. “On one hand are the workers who will be able to execute their duties with some amount of comfort, but equally, our customers who we are here to serve as they seek the much-needed help through the ministry, particularly the disabled.” Many persons seemed genuinely happy about the instalment of the elevator which signified that the lengthy trot upstairs would no longer be a deterrent.

Lukie mek haste come eat de likkle kameal porriage befo it col’. Afta dis is Ben Johnson

Wat yu mean?

It mean mi nuh have nutten else fe giv yu Lukie. Rememba dat wi doan ‘ave nu steady money

suh Sarah, why yu nuh apply fe de Social Pension fe de two a wi?

Pension?

Wife: Lukie mek haste come eat de likkle kameal porriage befo it col’. Afta dis is Ben Johnson. Husband: Wat yu mean? (disturbed). Wife: It mean mi nuh have nutten else fe giv yu Lukie. Rememba dat wi doan ‘ave nu steady money (crossly) 25

Husband: suh Sarah, why yu nuh apply fe de Social Pension fe de two a wi? Wife: Pension? Husband: Social Pension…. is a programme down a de ministry a labour fe ‘elp people like we dat doan ‘ave nuh source. Wife: (sternly) Lukie, any’ting go suh? Husband: yes Sarah! mi ere eh pon de radio. yu carry in yu papers an’ apply at de Ministry Wife: (in a sing-song voice) Lukie! But dat wou’da help wi out gud gud! Husband: Yes. Go look fe de paypa dem mek we go dung deh tideh! Announcer: Are you 75 years or older without a steady income or government benefit? The Social Pension Programme may be for you! Apply at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security’s office in your Parish today! For more information, call us at 876- 922- 8007, or check the Ministry’s Website and Facebook page. The Social Pension Programme: Caring for our elderly A message from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security

Credits Writer(s): Harriett Clarke –Writer and Coordinator Swayne Swelle-Writer Javardo Lawrence- Child Labour Unit Article Article on SIP Marlon Mahon-Contributor Denzel Coke -Contributor Editors Vando Palmer –Chief Editor Nastassian Reid –Assistant Editor Quwain Samuels -Assistant Editor