Local News

PM Thomas, MPs build ‘houses and hopes’

St. George’s, March 15, 2011: One of the workmen, mixing concrete and bending steel on a bright Saturday recently in La Taste, deep inside his own constituency was Prime Minister Tillman Thomas. 

Thomas headed a brigade of MPs, ruling party officials and community activists in seeking to make a difference in the life Lorin Charles, a mother of four, whose low income status did not match her willingness and desire to get a better place called home.

 That is when a team of MPs headed by Glynis Roberts came together, and got into action. 

Charles was the third person who has been assisted under this new drive, following two similar recent projects in the Grand Anse area. 

The MPs on the recent “project” who joined Prime Minister Thomas and Roberts were Works Minister Joseph Gilbert (St Patrick’s West), Housing Minister Alleyne Walker (St Andrew’s North West) and Tourism Minister Peter David (Town of St George). 

Also on hand were Ingrid Rush, a major player in the National Democratic Congress’ Women’s Arm; former Senator Pemba Braveboy, from NDC’s Youth Arm; and former Attorney General Jimmy Bristol. 

The idea for the weekend community house building project was borne from MP Roberts’ desire to help people with such need in her own area, and was formulated in a discussion she had with Pastor and Community Activist Stanford Simon, who himself has a construction company. 

Simon so loved the idea that he first began seeking to mobilize material and whatever inputs they may need from his church members before taking it to the wider community. 

When MPs David and Gilbert joined them on the first housing project in St George’s South, they were so impressed with the efforts and the community participation that they lobbied for the effort to be taken nationwide. 

It was from there the idea of ‘The National Maroon’ was born, and the ruling National Democratic Congress excitedly stepped forward to be the main sponsors of the drive. 

 “We have this goal of helping to build completely new homes or renovate existing ones for the most needy in our society at the rate of one a month,” says Glynis Roberts, the MP for South St George who has been one of the main spearheads of the drive. 

Roberts said they have had many requests since, but was glad that they were first able to take the work brigade to an area represented by the Prime Minister. 

“PM Tillo and his team had this burning concern about a few people in his area for whom assistance from the national housing programme has not reached fast enough, and so we decided to spring into action,” she said. 

“I am the line Minister for Housing, and whether is through government or the party or the community, any action to help improve people’s housing you will find me in the center of that,” Walker said on site at the latest project, after he cancelled his previous schedule to be present. 

“I am glad that we could be of some assistance. Hon Roberts has been very passionate about finding creative ways to helping people in direct ways,” Simon said. “Her strength has always been this connection to her community and her awareness about the needs of people and the need for people to come together and help each other.” 

“These are politicians of course and they have a constituency to help out, but in the wider scheme of things it’s a very Christian thing to do as far as I am concerned; brother helping brother and sister helping sister,” Simon, who is with the Springs Baptiste Church, said. 

“This is not just about building houses, it is about building hope – one person, or one family at a time,” David, who is the MP for St George’s said. 

The team said the brigade will be going to its next project in St Andrew’s South West by month end. 

Asked how can people in need of assistance, get it, Roberts said: “We suggest that they make recommendations to their MP or any member of his or her team, and then the MP will bring it to our inner core and we will collectively assess the needs and decide where next we will go.” 

The programme is very dependent on donations from the wider community – for materials to cash. 

“We want individuals and companies to get involved. If they feel the urge to help, they can call on their MPs or specifically Hon Roberts, who is spearheading and co-ordinating this entire drive,” Simon said. 

“This is what our duty is about as individuals and members of our wider community; neighbor helping neighbor,” MP Gilbert, who by profession is an engineer, chimed in as he listened on the interview. 

“It’s a little while I did not mix some concrete myself, but it also gave me a good workout,” he joked.

Prime Minister Tillman Thomas joins in the mixing of concrete. (Photo labelled as TILLMAN digs in)

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