GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – The Ministry of Public Health, Social Development & Labor (VSA), held a series of “Information & Registration” sessions from January 4–9, 2020 at the various Community Help Desks.
Participants at the sessions had the distinct opportunity to engage in discussions with the Honourable Minister of VSA, Mrs. Pamela Gordon-Carty.
In her remarks, the Minister addressed the multi challenges that many families are still facing, as result of the 2017 hurricanes. As such, she made use of this platform, a community-based approach, to gather relevant information and to also engage in discussions with community members, as it pertains to how far they are with the repair of their homes and to inquire about other relevant social challenges that residents are faced with and to what extent they are coping with such.
In addition, the Minister expressed her desire to see a reduction in the unemployment total, as it pertains to particularly skill workers.
A practical approach is envisioned, as local contractors are encouraged, when and where possible, to make use of skilled persons from within their own communities when a fair opportunity is granted to them in participating in the rebuilding process.
A total of 38 potential clients and nine contractors have registered, thus, far to participate in the program. Interested persons are hereby informed to register as soon as possible, at your nearest Community Help Desk, as the registration process will be halted upcoming Friday January 17, 2020.
The social and technical assessment will then resume right after the closing of the registration process and then the actual implementation of the home repair will follow.
Collaboration with other organizations will continue being sought on various level, as is the case now with NRPB and Red Cross, in order to reach a wider cross section of the community in the quest of assisting families and individuals in the ongoing recovery process.
This home repair program is financed by the Government of St. Maarten, namely the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development & Labour (VSA), and executed by the department of Community Development, Family & Humanitarian Affairs.
