Young entrepreneurs in St Michael South are set to benefit from a series of constituency projects, including a business empowerment centre, a new community empowerment centre and major road improvements, MP Kirk Humphrey has promised.
He outlined the initiatives at his constituency branch’s annual general meeting on Sunday, saying much of his focus is on creating opportunities for young people.
Humphrey revealed that he is working with the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Development to establish a business empowerment centre in Jessamine Avenue, Bayville, to help young people start and grow businesses.
“The spot has been identified, the funds have been approved. So I suspect within the next few months we’re going to start constructing an empowerment centre, a business empowerment centre in Jessamine Avenue, for about five young entrepreneurs to be able to do the different trades there. We’ve identified it for persons who are doing hairdressing, barbering, mechanical work, and so on.”
The project should begin within the next few months as funding has been approved and the drawings have been completed, Humphrey said.
The St Michael South MP also told constituents that government is moving to acquire land for a long-planned community empowerment centre.
“The land at the corner of Villa Road and Brittons New Road, we gonna put a community empowerment centre right there,” he said to applause from constituents.
Following the meeting, Humphrey explained to reporters that St Michael South does not have its own centre.
“We share a space now with Valerie, which is St Michael Central, and Christ Church West in Bonnets, and if you know how communities work, young people from one area don’t go in the other area. If you realise most of what I’ve been focusing on are opportunities and avenues for young people to be engaged.”
He added that he also hopes to make use of the existing school hall once the school relocates to its new facility:
“That is why I also think it’s important for us to be able to use this school hall very soon to be able to do some additional works. I know the Ministry of Educational Transformation, the training component of the Ministry of Education, actually. Once I’m able to use this building, once the school is moved over to the new facility for training, which would be perfect for my constituency as well.”
Humphrey also revealed that the Bayland netball and basketball courts outside the Bay Primary School will soon be renamed in honour of the Banfield sisters:
“I think we agreed too we’re gonna rename the Bayland court, the netball court, the basketball court, we’re gonna rename that after the Banfield sisters. That has been agreed at Cabinet. We’re going to have that ceremony in the middle of July because the Banfield family, anybody who knows netball will know the contribution that they made.”
Residents of Reece Land are set to see major roadworks in their community:
“The project on Reece Land is really interesting. That road in Reece Land is a sloping road; it’s a terrible road. The assessment has been done of the road. We’ve identified that four houses have to be moved to accommodate the road works.”
He explained that the government is working with the Ministry of Housing and the National Housing Corporation to relocate the affected residents before reconstruction can begin.
“It’s not an easy fix, so it’s not one you could just get up tomorrow and fix, but it’s one that we’re working assiduously to be able to resolve. It’s been so for about 20 years plus, from the time I was a boy running through that area.”
Humphrey said he is hoping the road project can be started and completed before the end of the year.
(LG)
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