分类： society

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaican government has initiated an ambitious $1.7 billion Graded Overlay Emergency Road Rehabilitation (GO) Programme to address widespread infrastructure damage caused by Hurricane Melissa. With a target completion date set for the end of March, the comprehensive initiative aims to restore approximately 200 roadways across multiple parishes.

Minister Robert Morgan, who holds portfolio responsibility for Works within the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development, provided detailed allocations during a recent post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House. The program, which commenced in December, represents one of the most significant infrastructure rehabilitation efforts in recent years.

Clarendon Parish will receive $206 million for critical repairs along major transportation corridors including Four Paths to Guinep Tree, Hazard Drive, Bustamante Highway, and routes connecting Whitney Turn, Four Paths to Freetown, and the road to Porus. Additional funding will address infrastructure in Salt River Road, Rastaman Corner, Portland Cottage, May Pen to Chapelton, Colonel’s Ridge to Kellits, Spalding, Cave Valley, Pennants, Frankfield, Summerfield and Trout Hall.

The capital region of Kingston and St. Andrew has been allocated $500 million for extensive roadway improvements. This funding will rehabilitate essential corridors including Mannings Hill Road, Washington Boulevard, Duhaney Drive, Perkins Boulevard, Red Hills Road, Slipe Road, and the connecting route from Golden Spring to Stony Hill. Additional repairs will focus on Stony Hill to Manor Park, Weymouth Drive, Arcadia, Shortwood Road, Papine Square to Gordon Town, and John Golding Road.

Western parishes will also see substantial investment, with St. James receiving $130 million for main corridor repairs and an additional $100 million designated for Montpelier works. The Montego Bay township will undergo comprehensive rehabilitation including Barnett Street, St. James Street, and Howard Cooke Boulevard, alongside the critical connecting routes from Anchovy to Shettlewood and Reading to Anchovy.

Trelawny Parish has been allocated $107 million for roadway repairs in Salt Marsh, Bengal, Falmouth, Duncans, Long Pond, Wire Fence, Warsop, and Jackson Town. Meanwhile, Westmoreland will benefit from approximately $100 million in funding for infrastructure rehabilitation in Goodens, Glasgow, Bartlett’s River, Negril, Ferris Cross, Torrington, and Scott’s Cove.

Minister Morgan emphasized that these allocations are separate from ongoing repairs addressing roads washed out by Hurricane Melissa. Despite implementation challenges including heavy rainfall and temporary asphalt plant closures, the Minister confirmed the program is progressing earnestly. Most contractors have either submitted required insurance documentation to the National Works Agency or are in the final stages of compliance, with physical work expected to commence before month’s end.

KINGSTON, Jamaica — In a significant boost to post-hurricane recovery efforts, TotalEnergies Jamaica has delivered 1,884 solar-powered lamps to humanitarian organizations across the island. The substantial donation, distributed between Food For The Poor (FFTP) and the Salvation Army, was formally presented during a ceremony at the energy company’s corporate headquarters last Friday.

This initiative addresses a critical infrastructure gap persisting after Hurricane Melissa’s devastating passage. While Jamaica Public Service has worked to restore main power grids, Marsha Burrell-Rose, Marketing and Public Relations Manager at FFTP, highlighted that numerous remote mountainous communities remain without electricity and telecommunications. “These solar lamps will definitely help us because, if they don’t have anything, they do have sunlight in abundance,” she stated, expressing gratitude for the 1,164 lamps allocated to her organization.

The Salvation Army received 720 units, which Colonel Edward Lyons, Chief Secretary for Caribbean Territorial Emergency Disaster Services, described as meeting an urgent need. “People have been calling for these same lamps for a long time,” Lyons revealed. “They are very scarce. It’s the first time this amount has ever been made available locally.” He emphasized that the lamps provide a vital alternative for residents who cannot afford generators, though distribution would require careful planning to maximize impact.

TotalEnergies executives Howard Henry (Retail, Shops, Foods and Services Manager) and Ulanda Graham (Human Resources Director) emphasized their deliberate selection of partner organizations based on rigorous due diligence. Burrell-Rose affirmed FFTP’s operational transparency, noting their 43-year track record: “We don’t just give away items. We capture data, monitor and evaluate. We believe in showing people how we are spending their money.”

The solar lamps represent the latest phase in TotalEnergies’ comprehensive hurricane response, which began November 13 with 700 care packages delivered to St. Elizabeth and included subsequent monetary donations of $10,000 to Jamaica Red Cross and $20,000 to FFTP in December.

Managing Director Vincent Daniault, who witnessed the hurricane’s unprecedented destruction firsthand, expressed his personal commitment to the relief efforts. Having toured affected areas from Montego Bay to Black River, he recounted: “The buildings were destroyed and trees stripped bare. It was difficult not to act seeing the kids and people. I have never seen anything like this.”

The distributed Sunshine 150 Solar Lamps represent advanced appropriate technology, featuring detachable solar panels, USB ports for mobile phone charging, and capability to provide up to 100 hours of illumination across four lighting modes. Valued at approximately $60 per unit internationally, these lamps have previously been deployed by TotalEnergies in energy-deprived regions of Africa, reflecting the company’s broader commitment to energy access in vulnerable communities.

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Grief and frustration erupted at the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) headquarters as sanitation workers staged an emotional protest following the tragic death of their colleague Garfield Johnson. The sanitation worker succumbed to severe burn injuries on Tuesday, January 27, after being electrocuted during operations in the Greenwich Farm community of St Andrew eleven days prior.

According to official reports, the fatal incident occurred on January 16 when Johnson was performing his duties on a garbage truck that became entangled with live electrical wiring. Despite being rushed to medical facilities and considered for transfer to a specialized burn unit, Johnson could not overcome his critical injuries.

The protest revealed significant tension between frontline workers and management, with attendees expressing anger over perceived communication failures following the tragedy. Mourners gathered outside NSWMA offices weeping openly while displaying placards bearing messages including ‘RIP’ and ‘No justice.’

Audley Gordon, Executive Director of NSWMA, countered claims of inadequate response, stating that authority officials had maintained consistent contact with Johnson’s family since the incident and had visited him in hospital. Gordon emphasized the organization’s commitment to allowing space for collective grieving, describing Johnson as ‘a dedicated sanitation officer’ who ‘served up to the point of his demise.’

In an official statement, the NSWMA acknowledged the inherent dangers faced by sanitation workers across Jamaica and extended condolences to Johnson’s family and colleagues. The Jamaica Public Service Company has launched its own investigation into the electrocution incident, while police authorities continue their separate inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the operational tragedy.

KINGSTON, Jamaica — A transformative initiative is delivering crucial support to community organizations operating within Kingston and St Andrew’s most vulnerable neighborhoods. The six-month Rise & Thrive project, funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and implemented by the Council of Voluntary Social Services (CVSS), represents a strategic intervention in four Zones of Special Operations (ZOSOs) communities: Parade Gardens, Greenwich Town, Denham Town and August Town.

The program specifically addresses governance gaps that have emerged following the initial security-focused phases of Jamaica’s ZOSO framework. According to Project Manager Damion Hylton, while earlier ZOSO phases concentrated on ‘clearing and holding’ operations, the crucial ‘build phase’ requires strengthened community governance to ensure sustainable social and infrastructure development.

Rather than introducing new programs, the initiative focuses on enhancing existing community-led efforts through institutional capacity building. In close collaboration with the Social Development Commission (SDC), the project provides targeted training in governance structures, project planning, financial management, and monitoring systems. This approach enables Community Development Committees (CDCs) and other grassroots organizations to transition into formal civil society entities capable of independently accessing funding and implementing programs.

A distinctive feature of the initiative is its emphasis on youth leadership development. Recognizing that young people are both disproportionately affected by violence and statistically overrepresented in crime statistics, the program actively cultivates their participation in community decision-making processes.

The personal impact is already evident among participants. Jada Brown, a 20-year-old university student from August Town, reports that the leadership training has transformed her self-perception: ‘Being selected as a leader for change has made me feel empowered. I believe I can use what I’ve learnt to inspire other young people.’

Similarly, Hopeton Robinson of Parade Gardens has leveraged the initiative to advance youth development through a football program that successfully unites youths from previously conflicting communities.

The project incorporates peacebuilding, restorative justice, and violence interruption approaches to address various community conflicts beyond crime reduction. By the conclusion of the six-month period, communities are expected to demonstrate more active CDCs, enhanced collaboration among civil society groups, and stronger partnerships with government agencies through coordinated ‘community conversations’ that assess needs and reduce effort duplication.

Authorities in St Elizabeth have launched a comprehensive investigation following the grim discovery of a severely decomposed male body inside a parked vehicle in Lacovia on Wednesday morning. The unsettling find was initially reported by local residents at approximately 10:00 am after they observed an unusual concentration of flies surrounding the automobile. Upon closer examination, the witnesses made the disturbing discovery of human remains within the vehicle and immediately alerted law enforcement officials. Police personnel promptly secured the area and conducted a thorough forensic processing of the scene as part of their standard investigative protocol. The remains have been subsequently transferred to a medical facility for official autopsy procedures. Law enforcement representatives have indicated that the autopsy results will be crucial in determining both the cause of death and the exact circumstances surrounding this incident. The identity of the deceased individual remains undisclosed pending formal identification procedures and notification of next of kin. Police investigators are currently pursuing multiple lines of inquiry while appealing to the public for any relevant information that might assist in reconstructing the events leading to this tragic discovery.

The United Kingdom is grappling with severe disruption and tragedy in the wake of Storm Chandra, which battered the nation with extreme wind and torrential rain on Tuesday. The adverse weather has resulted in at least one fatality and precipitated a major flooding crisis, prompting the issuance of over 200 official alerts across the country.

According to a BBC report, the storm claimed the life of a truck driver in Hampshire after his vehicle was involved in a catastrophic accident, crashing into a swollen river. Widespread scenes of devastation have emerged from multiple regions, depicting submerged streets, abandoned vehicles, and floodwaters breaching residential and commercial properties.

Meteorological analysis indicates that Storm Chandra represents the third officially named tempest to strike the UK this year, arriving shortly after the departure of its predecessor, Storm Ingrid. A critical factor exacerbating the flooding was the already saturated ground condition from previous rainfall, which drastically reduced the land’s capacity to absorb Chandra’s deluge, leading to rapid runoff and overflow.

The severity of the situation necessitated urgent evacuations in high-risk zones. Authorities mandated the immediate evacuation of the Iford Bridge Home Park, a residential area in Dorset, citing an imminent ‘danger to life’ from the rising waters.

While meteorological forecasts for Wednesday suggest a reduction in precipitation, the aftermath remains critically severe. As of Wednesday, 87 high-level flood warnings, indicating expected flooding, remained active alongside 207 flood alerts, which signal potential flooding. This state of high alert extends across England, Wales, and Scotland, as emergency services continue to manage the widespread impacts and assess the full extent of the damage.