San Juan/Laventille
Composition of the San Juan/Laventille R.S.H.D.C.
The San Juan/Laventille R.S.H.D.C. was appointed with effect from June 2004, to serve the area defined as the San Juan/Laventille Municipal Region -from Blanchisseuse Village in East Trinidad to Bejucal in Central.
The R.S.H.D.C. comprises of the following Sub Committees
▪ Action Planning Sub-Committee - plans and manages the community interventions and outreaches.
▪ Poverty Identification Sub-Committee - currently putting together information on the poverty issues of the region, as well as identifying the vulnerable communities within the region.
▪ Social Services Sub-Committee - responsible for identifying the resources available within the region and resources available to the region.
▪ Appraisal Sub-Committee -appraises the projects submitted for R.M.P.F funding.
▪ Monitoring & Evaluation Sub-Committee-monitors, evaluates and makes recommendations on funding and corrective actions (if needed) by groups implementing projects through the R.M.P.F.
Contact information for members of the San Juan/Laventille R.S.H.D.C. is as follows:
Troy Pollonais
(Chairman, R.S.H.D.C), Monitoring & Evaluation Sub-Committee
Ag. Social Worker Advisor II
Ministry of Social Development
55-57 St. Vincent Street, Port-of-Spain
Tel: 627-4427
Keith Ovid
(Vice Chairman, R.S.H.D.C), Appraisal Sub-Committee
Supervisor I
Ministry of Community Development, Culture & Gender Affairs
Corner Jerningham Avenue & Queenˇ¦s Park
Tel/Fax: 625-5171
Rosemary Alves
Appraisal Sub-Committee
Branch Manager
First Citizens Bank
62 Independence Square, Port-of-Spain
Tel: 625-2893/4
Bernadette Stewart
Appraisal Sub-Committee
Branch Manager
Eastern Credit Union
22 Green Street, Arima
Tel: 667-2902/3477
Gyandeo Persad
Appraisal Sub Committee; Poverty Identification Sub-Committee
IRO Secretary
SWAHA
Kanhai Road, Aranguez
Tel: 674-2702
Lewin Myers
New Systems Facilitator
Ministry of Social Development
45 A ˇV C St. Vincent Street, Port-of-Spain
Tel: 625-5149 Ext.2297
Bridget Thelfer
Customer Service Representative
Ministry of Social Development
Independence Square, Port-of-Spain
Tel: 625-5149 Ext. 3117
Ian Fletcher
Monitoring & Evaluation Sub-Committee
Agricultural Officer I
Ministry of Agriculture, Land & Marine
St. George West Ext. Farm Road, Curepe
Tel: 627-9002/4070
Imtiaz Ali
Poverty Identification Sub-Committee
Director of Trade & International Affairs
San Juan Business Association
18 Mayfield Road Valsayn
Tel: 638-2401
Fax: 674-1018
Glenn Diaram
Action Planning Sub-Committee
Community Development Officer II
Ministry of Community Development, Culture & Gender Affairs
51 Fredrick Street,Port-of-Spain
Tel: 623-6929
Avril Sampson
New Member
School Supervisor II
Ministry of Education
Cnr.Green Street & El Dorado Rd,
Tunapuna
Tel/Fax: 645-7516/7520
Mark Augustus
Action Planning Sub Committee
Facility Manager
Laventille Youth Facility,
Ministry of Sport & Youth Affairs
LP #89 Mc. Shine Lands, Laventille
Tel: 624-2681
Michael Jattan
Action Planning Sub Committee
Medical Social Worker
Medical Social Work Department
General Hospital, Port-of-Spain
Tel/Fax: 623-3918
Genet Pilgrim-Simmons
Poverty Identification Sub-Committee
Chief Executive Officer
San Juan Laventille Regional Corporation
MTS Plaza, Aranguez
Tel: 638-4470
Sundar Seecharan
Social Services Directory Sub-Committee
President
Aranguez Community Council
Mahelal Street Aranguez, San Juan
Tel: 343-3017
Eleatha Thompson
Monitoring & Evaluation Sub-Committee
Secretary
Social Services Directory Sub-Committee
United Welfare Organization
Maplands, Laventille
Outreach
R.S.H.D.C. Activities
A three (3) day tour of the region was made on 16th February, 2nd March and the 9th March 2005, to familiarise R.S.H.D.C. members with the size of the region, the boundaries of the region and to have a first hand look at conditions within some of the less well off communities. Members also took the opportunity to meet and talk with persons residing within these communities, on issues relating to the mandate of the R.S.H.D.C. i.e. poverty reduction.
Some Local Government Councillors accompanied the R.S.H.D.C. members and helped as guides on the tour.
Members were able to see at ground level, the appalling conditions families and communities are living under in the face of growing wealth in Trinidad and Tobago.
There were poor or non-existent infrastructure in some communities; shacks and shanties for housing; roadsides lined with drums and other water containers which informed one of serious water problems; young men liming by the roadside in the middle of the morning, indicating serious unemployment issues among that group.
R.S.H.D.C. members, who would normally be in an office all day, were taken aback by the revelations of these three days.
Community Interventions
(January, April and December 2006)
Two (2) major community interventions were initiated in the communities of:
1. Gasparillo Village, Santa Cruz and
2. Las Cuevas Village on the North Coast.
These interventions were seen as pilot projects aimed at ˇ§testingˇ¨ the concept of the R.S.H.D.C. as a tripartite Agency collaborating, planning and ˇ§poolingˇ¨ resources to holistically improve both the lives of individuals within that community and community living among the people of said community.
1. Success stories in Gasparillo
Via two (2) community meetings, the people were able to outline the issues affecting the community in the areas of health, agriculture, sport, education, local government, transport, social services,communication, finance, land tenure etc.
Within two to three (2-3)months, the R.S.H.D.C. working with the villagers was able to achieve the following:
i) Provision of public telephone
booths in collaboration with
T.S.T.T.
ii) Provision of public
transportation on mornings and evenings for school children via P.T.S.C.
iii) Inform affected residents of their status in relation to land occupation and land tenure from the Land Administration section of the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Marine Resources.
iv) Provide Agricultural workshops and demonstrations for young persons and other individuals in agriculture, from the Agricultural Extension Department of the Ministry of Agriculture.
v) Settle the dispute of the preferred site for the Community Centre. Construction of the Centre is now engaging the attention of the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs.
vi) Action initiated on the
construction of 1.5km of pavement urgently needed for pedestrian traffic.
vii) There is now an estimated cost for the construction of said pavement, of approximately $4 million; estimate done by the
Regional Corporation.
viii) Secured in principle, an offer from the quarry operator in the area, Fujiko Quarries, to contribute to the construction of said pavement.
ix) Held tripartite discussions between the residents, Sports Company of Trinidad and
Tobago (S.C.O.T.T.) and R.S.H.D.C. with regards to improving the community sports ground. Residents are to present the S.C.O.T.T. with their "wish list" for consideration and action.
There are still other issues to be addressed in the long run; however, three (3) important milestones were met.
1. A trust was built between the community residents and the R.S.H.D.C. members, which indicated to the community that the R.S.H.D.C. was not a talk shop body. That the R.S.H.D.C. was genuinely committed to its mandate of poverty reduction and improving lives.
2. The idea of the R.S.H.D.C. doing things "for" the community was dispelled very early and replaced with the working concept of doing things/achieving things "together" with the people.
3. The R.S.H.D.C. members finally believed that there could be collaboration, collaborative planning and action on issues within communities; that duplication of action and spending could be reduced considerably and that gaps can be identified and filled by creative and thoughtful action.
November 2006
The success of Gasparillo, small as it has been; spurred the R.S.H.D.C. to take action in another community deemed vulnerable and in urgent need. Actually, it is a combination of three (3) communities along the North Coast, Maracas Bay, La Fillette and Las Cuevas.
North Coast Intervention
Issues affecting the communities are:
1. Loss of fish depot by fire
2. Removal of gas station
3. Loss of fishing equipment,
engines, nets etc.
4. Lack of :
a. Skills Training Centre for
young persons to learn
trade
b. Adequate sport facilities
c. Community Centre
5. Transportation problem no
taxies servicing area
6. No bus sheds despite sourcing
funds from Pan American
Health Organisation since
2004
7. Sewers seeping into river
8. Indiscriminate cutting of
trees
R.S.H.D.C. intervention, successes and proposal
Successes
1. Approval for bus sheds
received from the Ministry of
Works and Transport
2. Fishing Depot put on front
burner by Ministry of
Agriculture, Land and Marine
Resources - design almost
complete
3. National Petroleum is
re-examining the re-
introduction of gas station
Proposals
1. Funds for bus shed cost - new
funds being sought from the
CARE programme of the Ministry
of Community Development
Culture and Gender Affairs
2. Workshops in facilities
management and safety issues
to assist the community in
taking care of their assets.
Other collaborations for the development of the Region
1. Collaborating with the
Ministry of National Security
on Asset Mapping and other
programmes for young persons
in high risk areas e.g. Mon
Repos/Never Dirty, St. Babbs
etc.
2. Collaboration with NEDCO re:
The Laventille Initiative
Outreaches were held in the following communities and institutions:
▪ Critchlow Hill ˇV Morvant
▪ Barataria West/Caledonia
▪ St. Anns/Cascade
▪ Maracas Bay
▪ Las Cuevas
▪ Aranguez
▪ San Juan
▪ Febeau Village
▪ La Canoa - Santa Cruz
▪ Gasparillo - Santa Cruz
▪ Sogren Trace - Laventille
▪ County Medical Office of Health
▪ Nurses from Morvant, Aranguez,
Laventille Health Centres at
the Morvant Centre
▪ Marie Road - Morvant
▪ St. Barbs Village
▪ Barataria Community Centre
▪ Mon Repos
▪ Never Dirty
▪ Beetham Gardens
The purposes for these outreaches are:
1. Inform these communities about
the R.S.H.D.C, its work and
the availability of the
R.M.P.F.
2. Help these communities
identify and develop
projects, aimed at assisting
community members to be
better able to sustain
themselves and their
families, or change
attitudes/values.
3. Help the community groups to
build capacity for planning
and managing projects and
equally important, preparing
project proposals for funding.
4. Inform the communities in
helping the R.S.H.D.C. in
identifying the poverty
issues within the communities
and by extension, the poverty
issues within the region.
Successes from these outreaches
1. Nineteen (19) Micro Projects
at a value of $475,000,
targeting various strengths
and needs among the
communities, were funded by
the R.M.P.F. in the areas of :
i) Agriculture
ii) Music
iii) Culture and Caribbean
Folklore
iv) Garment Construction
v) Computer Literacy and
Repairs
vi) Home work Centres
vii) Food Preservation
viii) Welding and Carpentry
ix) Drug Demand Reduction
x) Preparing of Local Snacks
2. Poverty issues identified so
far were:
▪ Children from poor and poorly
managed households
▪ Commercial Sex Workers (CSW)
▪ Disabled people
▪ Drug addicts
▪ Elderly citizens
▪ Ex-prisoners
▪ Hearing impaired
▪ Homeless persons
▪ Illiterate persons
▪ Persons within the field of
agriculture
▪ People living with HIV/AIDS
▪ Persons with mental health
problems
▪ Persons living in poor and
chronically poor households
▪ Single parents
▪ Street children
▪ Teenage parents
▪ Victims of domestic violence
and abuse
▪ Visually impaired
▪ Women
▪ Working children
The County Medical Office of Health, Regional Corporation Councillors, Health Centres and Schools were also instrumental in identifying the poverty issues.
Programmes are currently being developed to deal with these issues.
3. Community profiles on ten (10)
communities have been
completed.
2007 Work Programme
On March 28th 2007 at an Extra Ordinary Meeting, the R.S.H.D.C. approved for the first time, a formal work programme.
The five (5) main activities, their justification and expected outcomes are:
Activity 1
▪ Map the vulnerable communities
of the region.
Justification
▪ With this knowledge, the
R.S.H.D.C. will be in a
better position to advise and
guide on the use of resources
and programmes, for greater
efficiency and effectiveness
in reducing and breaking the
cycle of poverty within these
communities.
Expected Outcome
▪ To understand where in the
region are the socially and
economically challenged
communities and also the
communities which are
vulnerable to natural
disasters.
Completion date April 30th , 2007
Activity 2
▪ Identify the poverty and
vulnerability issues.
Justification
To understand the most critical needs of the poor and to help guide poverty reduction strategies.
Expected Outcome
▪ To know what the specific
needs of each sub-
region/community are.
▪ To be in a better position to
define poverty and
vulnerability in the region.
▪ To be better able to develop,
with the help of other
stakeholders, more targeted
poverty reduction strategies
and programmes.
Completion date June 30th, 2007
Activity 3
▪ Identify the resources in the
region and available to the
region.
Justification
▪ We will have information on
what are the assets available
to the region, what assets
resides within the region and
be able to better identify
gaps, placing us in a better
position to strengthen calls
for resources as well as
point citizens to resources.
Expected Outcome
▪ We expect to have a listing of
the assets available to the
region.
▪ To identify the gaps between
what is available and what is
needed.
▪ To develop strategies for
closing any gaps identified.
Completion date June 30th, 2007
Activity 4
▪ Strengthen the C.S.N.
Justification
▪ Stronger C.S.N. = Stronger
groups = Stronger communities
= Stronger individuals =
Improved life decisions =
Better chance of breaking the
poverty cycle
<>b
▪ To build a strong vibrant
C.S.N. and to build/create
better community leadership.
Activity 5
▪ Host three (3) outreaches, 1st
May, 4th June and 6th July
initially.
Justification
▪ To involve the communities in
the poverty reduction process
▪ Inform the communities on the
resources available to the
process and how to access
those resources.
▪ To identify the poverty issues
specific to each community.
Expected Outcome
▪ Three (3) sub-regions will be
informed about this
pioneering approach to
poverty reduction.
▪ The R.S.H.D.C. will collect
information on poverty issues
specific to each sub-region
from those directly affected
by the conditions within the
sub-region.
▪ To solicit from persons within
these communities ideas on
how best they feel, the
problems can be addressed.
