Tackling unemployment in constituency 15

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─ Youth unemployment, substance abuse and infrastructural development are priority areas 

By Kipenie Jordan

DPI, Guyana, Monday, June 3, 2019

Unemployment, security, substance abuse, high school drop outs and teenage pregnancy are issues plaguing constituency 15 and are being addressed at the level of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) with Councillor Cilesia Hall as its guide. Communities in this constituency include, Agricola, McDoom, Houston, Meadowbank, Rahaman’s and D’Aguair Parks.

Since taking office, Hall said there has been several job fairs hosted at Agricola, to encourage persons in these communities to come out and seek employment.

She explained, “I will say jobs are available, but it’s that persons don’t want to take certain jobs. From the time I took office, myself and the chairman for the party group, we’ve worked on getting some boys to attend interviews, some went and some didn’t. We have persons being attached at the hospital, some are at Gafoors, at the job fair some did not come out and Gafoors have jobs, they were offering at least 100 jobs.”

Hall mentioned just recently, she was able to have one youth gainfully employed at Gafoors and so far, he has been going well.

The community of Agricola now has a Development Association which was established to change the negative image of the community. The association has been conducting skills training and job readiness workshops to address unemployment. The workshops also allow for persons to register and be thought the basics of filling a job application.

Also, in the pipeline for youth development is the establishment of a steel orchestra, promised by the Director of the Demerara Harbour Bridge. Hall said the youths are quite ecstatic about the possibility of playing pan.

Just recently, under the Education Ministry, some teenage mothers from the community were reintegrated into the secondary school system as a way of addressing the issue high school drop outs.

Hall said she has been in constant contact with the Ministry of Social Cohesion Department of Youth and they had a youth talk on education, unemployment, teenage pregnancy and substance abuse among youths. This, she said, has seen a positive turnout from the youths across the constituency.

On the note of cleanliness, Hall said there have been self help clean up projects rolled out every week in Agricola since its anniversary on May 22. That project ends this Saturday, June 8.

The National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) has cleaned the main canals in the constituency which has tremendously reduced flooding in most areas. Hall has commended the authority on the work they have done and says she will reach out to the M&CC for the drains to be cleaned.

Security is one of the major issues in constituency 15 and Hall is of the view that while efforts are being made to combat violence and crime, enough is not being done.

Her team is currently seeking to form a community policing group, to address security in these areas.

“Development is slow, change is slow, but eventually we may have them to change their mind and become receptive to everything that is happening around them.”

Constituency 15 is still awaiting its $5M grant to assist in looking after its priority areas, infrastructural development (lights for the constituency) and security, but in the meantime, Hall has written letters, been in talks and established consultations to garner assistance from stakeholders, other than the M&CC, to get community projects completed.

Images: Department of Public Information.