Members of four of the newly established Constituency Councils got the chance to speak about the programmes which they have developed to empower vulnerable persons in our society.
This opportunity came yesterday, as Director of the Organisation of American States’ Barbados office, Francis McBarnett, Chilean Social Worker, Paola Barros, and officials from the Ministry of Social Care and the Constituency Empowerment Department, visited districts within the City, St. Michael North West, St. John and St. Philip North constituencies.??
During the tour, the party had a firsthand view of some of the more vulnerable communities, for which the Identification Stabilisation Enablement and Empowerment (ISEE) Bridge Programme is catered.
In the City Constituency, Chairman of the Council, Monsignor Vincent, stated that the beauty which could be found within the City should extend to its outskirts. He said there was currently a feeling of hopelessness among the people who lived in the vulnerable areas in that constituency, and he expressed the belief there was a need for programmes which would involve the residents, in order to give them a feeling of pride.
The initiative is part of a week-long workshop designed to sensitise social workers and other stakeholders about the ISEE Bridge Project. The project, which was conceptualised from the Chilean Puente or Bridge Programme, is designed to provide vulnerable households with the necessary psycho-social support to enable them to overcome extreme poverty. sharifa.medford@barbados.gov.bb