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Barbadians are being urged to be their brother’s keeper and make donations to the recently launched Barbados Adopt A Family Programme.

Director of Finance and Economic Affairs, Ian Carrington, who chairs the board which has been set up to oversee the programme, announced that an account has been opened at CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank.

He encouraged residents and the business community to make direct deposits to account number 1001193982, and then email adoptafamily@pmo.gov.bb, to advise of the deposit.

Mr. Carrington said: “This is the time to exhibit some level of generosity and to live by the credence that you are your brother’s keeper, and therefore, it is going to be necessary to help ensure that we all lift up one another and assist at this critical time.”

He noted that under this programme, which was introduced in response to COVID-19, 1,500 households would receive $600 monthly for the next three months, in the first instance. 

He explained that the households had been recently identified by the Ministry of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, after it had conducted extensive interviews with households across Barbados to identify the most vulnerable.

“We are asking Barbadians, particularly those who are in the higher income bracket, to make a monetary contribution towards those families. It is intended that these 1,500 families would receive the money for a period of approximately three months, with the expectation that the time frame may be extended.  Those families will receive those monies by way of debit cards that will be issued to them.

“This is going to cost approximately $2.7 million for the three-month period, and that is not an insignificant sum of money.  If the situation continues for another three months, then another $2.7 million would have to be spent,” he stated.

When Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley announced the launch of the Barbados Adopt A Family Programme last Friday in Parliament, she appealed to all Barbadians, including those earning above $100,000 and the business community, to contribute.

She said then that about 5,200 persons earned more than $100,000 yearly, and encouraged them and others to make a contribution towards the welfare of these families.

sharon.austingill-moore@barbados.gov.bb

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