CARE gives out $.6M

Speaking at the handing over ceremony at Queen’s Hall, St Ann’s, Minister of Community Development Joan Yuille-Williams said the CARE fund should be used to stimulate individuals and groups to action which satisfied the needs of their communities.

“You must ensure that the funds received are used for improving the lives of the citizens and for no other purpose and you must ensure there is no duplication of funding within the ministry or any other government agency,” she told recipients.

Yuille-Williams said the ministry has noticed some individuals and groups approaching different ministries, and even different sections of the same ministry, to get funding for the same project.

She said this undesirable tendency must not happen with the CARE programme because government funds must be shared across the country.

Yuille-Williams said funding was given based on proposals submitted to the ministry which were determined to be beneficial to the community.

She advised recipients of their responsibility to ensure proper accounting principles and practices were followed to maximise the use of funds.

Field officers will monitor projects but the minister also said documentation and pictures should be evidence of projects’ successes.

Yuille-Williams used the forum to advise community groups and individuals about the community development fund for training and strengthening of their organistions. She also welcomed participation in preparing for Carifesta IX which will run from September 22 to October 1.

Yuille-Williams called for communities to be “spruce up” heritage sites which may have been abandoned and think about setting up community museums. She announced the ministry’s willingness to assist with these efforts.

Speaking about how the CARE programme funding will be used, Sharon Wilson, the mother of ten-year-old Akil Wilson who had successful liver transplant last November in Argentina, announced plans to assist others in need. She said a foundation will be established and the public educated about living related donor transplants. Akil’s cousin Giselle donated a piece of her liver for his operation.