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Global Youth Service Day observed

Youth Service Day

Youth around the island were mobilized to engage in projects and initiatives in observance of Youth Service Week.

Youth Service Week was observed from April 15 – 21, and was borne out of the desire to showcase the positive activities of young people.
Youth Director in the Department of Youth and Sports, Mary Wilfred, said very often the majority of young people engage in good deeds which go unnoticed.
“They engage in doing lots of things to improve their communities, their schools and their churches, and we want to promote the work that they have already been doing,” she said. “So this week we want them to highlight [their activities] by sending in videos and photos to our #sharesomelove campaign—anything that would show that they are performing good deeds in the communities or spaces they occupy.”
Ms. Wilfred added that the acts of service of young people will not fade out with the culmination of Youth Service Week.
“Of course, we want this to continue not just for this week. This week marks Global Youth Service Day and so it is in that spirit that Saint Lucia has adopted its own version, where we’ve given young people a week to highlight doing something good.”
Global Youth Service Day was observed from April 21 – 23, and celebrates and mobilizes millions of young people who improve their communities through service.
The initiatives of the youth during this year’s observance of Youth Service Week will be highlighted at the upcoming National Youth Awards scheduled for April 29.

International Girls in ICT Day – 2017

Girls in ICT - ICT Day

International Girls in ICT Day is an initiative backed by all ITU Member States in ITU Plenipotentiary Resolution 70 (Rev. Busan, 2014), which aims to create a global environment that empowers and encourages girls and young women to consider careers in the growing field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), enabling both girls and technology companies to reap the benefits of greater female participation in the ICT sector.
Each year, International Girls in ICT Day is celebrated around the world on the 4th Thursday in April.
Since 2012, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, through the Information Technology Services Division (ITSD), in the Ministry of Economic Planning, Sustainable Development, Industry, Information and Labour, has been organising activities to celebrate this Day with female students from the primary and secondary schools, as well as unemployed school-leavers from across the country. This year, the Day will be celebrated on Thursday, 27th April.
Women play a key role in the reduction of poverty and the promotion of social and economic development, for themselves, their families and their countries. Therefore, ITSD seeks to empower girls and women in the area of ICT, as it is an essential tool for the social and economic development of this gender.  In this regard, this year, ITSD is collaborating with the Gender Affairs Division in the Ministry of National Mobilisation, Social Development, Family, Gender Affairs, Persons with Disabilities and Youth; to conduct a number of ICT training and awareness workshops from Tuesday, 25th to Thursday, 27th April at the Layou Learning Resource Centre and the SVG E-government Centre Training Room. These workshops are aimed at providing girls and women with training that can be applied in the job market, such as Microsoft Office, Graphic Design and Photography.

St. Joseph’s Convent Marriaqua hosted panel discussion on Cybercrime

Cybercrime

Due to an increase in cybercrime activity among the population of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, particularly amongst students, the staff of the St. Joseph’s Convent Marriaqua decided to host a panel discussion on Tuesday, 18th April, to address issues surrounding cybercrime and the consequences associated with it.
The staff recognized the fact that it simply could not just decry the ‘shameful’ use of social media, but should also bring the students to an awareness of the consequences of such actions, with the hope that they would make more conscious decisions in this realm. It is hoped that this discussion would also serve to mobilize positive peer pressure, as students would now be able to counsel their friends and family towards a more healthy use of social media.
Cybercrime
The panel comprised of four competent presenters who focused on areas such as the legal aspect of the Cybercrime Act, Mrs. Rochelle Forde; the psycho/social impact, Dr. Jozelle Miller; the potential dangers lurking in the Internet world, Mr. Caswallon Duncan, and the spiritual & moral implications, Rev. Adolf Davis. These experts also ably addressed students questions and concerns and clarified issues pertaining to the topic.
At the end of the panel discussion, the staff and student body raised to pray the ‘self affirmation prayer’ as an indication of embracing positive change following the advice given by the panelists.

$1.5 Billion Dollar Budget for 2017-2018

Coat of arms of Saint Lucia

The Second Session of the Eleventh Parliament is scheduled for Tuesday, April 25, 2017.

Members of the House of Assembly will meet at 10:00 a.m. and Members of the Senate will meet at 10:30 a.m., after which both Houses will meet in joint session to receive a message from Her Excellency, the Governor General, Dame Calliopa Pearlette Louisy.

The Standing Finance Committee will meet in closed session at 2:00 p.m. on April 25, 2017 , o review the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure 2017/2018.
A Sitting of the House of Assembly is scheduled for Wednesday, April 26, 2017, at 2:00 p.m. and Thursday, April 27, 2017 at 9:00 a.m. where the debate on the Estimates of Expenditure 2017/2018 will take place. A report of the Meeting of the Standing Finance Committee will also be presented.
The following Motion is down for consideration:
BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Assembly do adopt the Report of the Standing Finance Committee on the Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 2017/2018 in the sum of ONE BILLION, FIVE HUNDRED AND THIRTEEN MILLION, SIX HUNDRED AND FIFTY-TWO THOUSAND, TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS ($1,513,652,200) as a charge against the Consolidated Fund and other funds of the State of Saint Lucia.

Police improprieties – A Zero Tolerance Policy

police improprieties

Recently the Belize Police Department has been wracked by a series of improprieties, committed by some of its members, which are of major national concern. The Ministry of Home Affairs, as part of it Zero Tolerance Policy for police improprieties, hereby assures the public that every report or knowledge of wrongful act committed by its members will be dealt with expeditiously and with utmost transparency.
The Police Professional Standards Branch’s capacity is being enhanced and will now see its personnel take a pro-active role in ensuring that the Belize Police Department’s professionalism is second to none. The public is encouraged to report any activity which they may perceive as improper to the Professional Standards Branch. Every report will be dealt with professionally and expeditiously.
The Ministry takes this opportunity to applaud the Police Commissioner for taking decisive action against those who reportedly were engaged in corrupted practices, unwarrantable use of force and other criminal acts that brought the integrity and professionalism of the department into question during those unfortunate and regrettable occurrences.
The Ministry also commends and thanks those dedicated career police officers who continue to give their all in service of their community and country. We continue to encourage you to display that professionalism that sets you apart from those few rogue elements within the Department.
 

Minister Sinanan assures no disruption of cargo service to Tobago

Rohan Sinanan
Minister of Works and Transport, Senator the Honourable Rohan Sinanan. (Photo courtesy sunshinett.com)

Senator the Honourable Rohan Sinanan, Minister or Works and Transport has assured the public that there would be no disruption to the cargo service to Tobago.

Minister Sinanan gave the assurance during his April 22 tour of the Trinity Transporter and the Atlantic Provider, the barge and ferry vessel which will provide short-term transportation of cargo to Tobago.
“What we have seen today is the first phase, the short-term plan to ensure that there is no hiccup, no disturbance in the cargo shipment to Tobago. Once we got the letter from the provider that they were going to pull the vessel we immediately went into action and announced three plans.
One was the short-term plan to ensure that the shipment of cargo was not disrupted. We saw [today] two vessels that were contracted for one month with the option to renew for a further month or two. This is to ensure that the cargo again is not disrupted. Monday the tender for the medium term- which is the vessel to be leased for three years will be closed and opened by Tuesday. Then we have the long-term plan which is the purchase of the new vessel,” he said.
Minister Sinanan also underscored that the two providers (the barge and the ferry) will be replaced by one main vessel in the coming months.
“This is just a short-term gap and we are expecting that within two months we would have one vessel that should be able to handle all the cargo.”
The first sailing of the Trinity Transporter and the Atlantic Provider was scheduled for Sunday April 23, and according to Minister Sinanan, will sail on a day which is not customary to ensure service is not disrupted.
“Normally the last sailing would’ve been on a Saturday and on Sunday they normally would not have a sailing. What we assured them is that there would be no disruption, so the vessels are here and they would be ready to go tomorrow once there is cargo to go,” he said.

Saint Lucia to strengthen hydro-met services

hydro-met

Saint Lucia to strengthen hydro-met services

As part of the Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project (DVRP), the Government of Saint Lucia will strengthen its hydrological and meteorological services to provide more accurate climate data and forecasts.
Hydrological and weather-dependent economic sectors such as agriculture and tourism require climate information to improve planning and decision making. For example, better information and forecasts of hydrological conditions, seasonal precipitation, drought vulnerability, and extreme temperatures can lead to determining the type of crop that can be profitably grown in a region.
World Bank Hydrometeorologist, Curtis Barrett, was part of a visiting team that assisted with government’s efforts to boost the country’s hydro-met services. He said more accurate data can lead to risk reduction.
“Meteorological and hydrologic services which in plain language are weather, water, and climate services, are very important to countries,” he said. “They are important in terms of what we call disaster risk reduction. Weather frequently threatens our infrastructure, societies and lives, so knowing when hazardous weather may approach is extremely important, and building the capacity of the met and hydro services is extremely important in order to prepare us for these critical potential catastrophes.”
The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) cites the Caribbean as one of the most disaster-prone regions in the world. Of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU), Saint Lucia presents one of the highest hurricane probabilities. Currently, Saint Lucia’s Met Service does not have the diagnostic tools needed to forecast severe thunderstorms, flash floods and tropical storms.
Given the fiscal constraints faced by governments of small island developing states, the question of how to get maximum returns on investments frequently arises. Economic expert on the hydro-met mission to Saint Lucia, Guillermo Donoso, said any investment made toward strengthening the country’s hydro-met system will ultimately translate to savings for all sectors.
“For example, during Hurricane Tomas there was US$330 million in damages. Had we implemented scenario one, we could have prevented at least US$20 million in damages; with scenario two, US$40 million; and scenario three which is state of the art, we could have reduced at least US$100 million in damages.”
Critically, the aim of reviewing Saint Lucia’s hydro-met services, is to provide decision makers with a technical strategic framework to be able to consider selected scenarios based on costs versus benefits provided.

Integrated traffic study underway

Saint Lucia Roads

The study will help provide a solution to the traffic congestion experienced along the Castries-Gros Islet highway.

Cabinet has mandated the Department of Infrastructure to undertake an integrated traffic study encompassing the greater Castries district and the Choc-Gros Islet Highway corridor.
The study will lead to the adoption of a holistic approach to address current traffic issues.
Infrastructure Minister Hon. Stephenson King said the ongoing integrated traffic study is a very significant undertaking.
“The issue of the road network in Saint Lucia has been one which, for decades, has attracted the attention of not just politicians, but also citizens in Saint Lucia and even more so the motorists—those persons who use the roads on a day to day basis to conduct their business,” he said. “In many cases those persons are the ones who contribute to the overall development of our country and who are keen at ensuring that their activities are done in a very efficient manner.”
The Infrastructure minister said while the construction of a four lane highway is inevitable, some short term measures are necessary.
“There are issues, concerns, problems and remedies that we can effect which can help, for the time being, to alleviate some of the congestion we experience and some of the problems that occur on the road network in order to improve comfort and to create the traction necessary for motorists and pedestrians along the highway,” he explained.
Parliamentary Representative for Gros Islet, Hon. Lenard Spider Montoute, welcomed the short- term measures to address the road-related issues in his constituency.
“As a Parliamentary representative, one of the biggest concerns is road maintenance in my constituency. The road network is very extensive given the fact that we have a number of housing developments in the area. We now have a situation in Castries and Gros Islet where there was a [traffic] problem between seven and nine in the morning, and four to five in the evening, but now it seems to be all day long. So there is certainly an urgent need to address it.”
Recently, stakeholders comprising local engineers, public and private sector representatives and civil society convened for one-day to discuss the Castries–Gros Islet Highway Improvement Soft Solution Project.

Free public lecture on Podiatry for International Podiatry Day

International Podiatry Day

The Barbados Association of Podiatrists will host a free public lecture entitled All Things Feet on Tuesday, May 2 to mark International Podiatry Day.
The lecture will comprise a series of presentations covering topics such as Foot Care For A Healthy Lifestyle, What Is Poor Circulation?, Does It Matter If I’m A Diabetic?, and The Dreaded Diabetic Foot Ulcer.
Free foot examinations will be given to the first 10 diabetics attending. The event comes off at Solidarity House, Harmony Hall, St. Michael at 6:30 p.m.

Vaccination Week of the Americas

Vaccination Week - 2017

Statement from the Ministry of Health in observe of Vaccination Week of the Americas and the 40th anniversary of the expanded Programme on Immunization

Vaccination is commonly considered as “An Act of Love” and every year around this time, the Ministry of Health, joins the rest of the region and wider world in recognizing the life-saving gains made possible through vaccination against deadly vaccine preventable diseases.
From April 22 through 29, 2017, Grenada will be commemorating Vaccination Week in the Americas.
This year mark’s a double celebration – 15 years since this campaign begun and 40 years of the Expanded Programme on Immunization by the Pan American Health Organization.
The theme for this special commemoration is ”#GetVax to Celebrate a Healthy Tomorrow” signifying the importance of having improved access to vaccination and highlights the tremendous benefits of immunization to public health.
GRENADA’S POSITION
Grenada can boast of an annual coverage of over 95% vaccination against 9 communicable diseases which children are routinely protected from, beginning at the age of 6 weeks, thereby decreasing the country’s vulnerability to outbreaks.
Additionally at the beginning of this month (April-2017) the introduction of Hepatitis B, birth dose was included in the immunization schedule. This achievement is due to the collaboration of Government and PAHO by making vaccines affordable both at the Primary and Secondary levels of health care
We can proudly say our vaccination programme continues to be successful and we are pleased to inform you that the region was declared free of measles in September, 2016. However, such achievement does not warrant complacency.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
We know for a fact that ever so often there are frequent outbreaks of new diseases and the reemergence of others each year. Reference can be made of the current outbreak of Yellow Fever in Brazil and other South American countries.
Therefore we ought to guard against diseases which were once eliminated – . this calls for vigilance on the part of the Ministry and the general public.
The Ministry of Health is cognizant that many persons are hesitant to receive vaccines, however, despite this opposition to the records indicate that vaccines continue to prevent deaths from over twenty one (21) diseases.
Throughout this week, several activities will be staged in all Health Districts throughout the island, enabling persons to get the required vaccines as well as obtain vital information on immunization and other topical health issues.
In keeping with this year’s slogan, the Ministry of Health encourages everyone to protect themselves, their families, and communities by getting vaccinated to celebrate a healthy tomorrow.

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