Kingston community gets access to much-needed services

Despite the scorching sun and the heat that lingered in the air on Friday, 81-year-old Gloria Adolphus was ecstatic when she handed over her old birth certificate to register for a modern one under a tent in her community of Bowerbank in east Kingston.

To further add to the elderly woman's excitement, this new birth certificate finally shows her full name. According to Tasheka Johnson-Brown, parish officer from the Registrar General's Department, Adolphus, who was born in 1943, could not inherit her father's last name.

"It's just her first and middle name on record because in that time, children born to unmarried parents would not get a surname at birth; that was the registration process in that time," Johnson-Brown said, adding that the process was later changed to accommodate persons like Adolphus who were born out of wedlock.

"We created what we call a late entry of names for persons like her to get a birth certificate with their surname imprinted on it. So the Government now, fortunately, has the project called 'Project Birthright' for persons like Ms Adolpus - who earn minimum wage, [are] not working, [and are] from zero to any age - they pay for it," Johnson-Brown explained.

Upon hearing that she would be getting the modernised copy free of cost, a surprised Adolphus said, "Mi just glad mi a get it before mi dead." Adolphus said that for years, she wanted the modern birth paper but had no idea how to get it.

"Mi not even did know weh fi guh," she said, adding that although she has no plans for it, she is just happy to have it.

Adolphus was one of more than 100 residents from Bowerbank who benefited from a community outreach initiative organised by Justice of the Peace Jerome Palmer in association with Justice of the Peace Kingston Community Outreach Committee and the Springfield Community Development Committee. Springfield represents and assists four other communities. Nearly 50 residents got assistance to sign up for PATH, while representatives from Tax Administration Jamaica assisted nine residents to sign up for their TRN. Residents were also able to get assistance in applying for their passports, voter's ID and National Health Fund card. Restaurants of Jamaica also agreed to employ 44 residents to work at outlets for their various franchises.

Kimesha Jarrett, 25, was relieved as she had been job hunting for more than a month.

"Mi feel good. Dis right yah suh really help mi and tek a huge stress out a mi life because a nuh one easy sumpn fi want a work and cah get a work," Jarrett said.

"A whole heap a people who, if a never fi dis (initiative), wouldn't get nuh work, cah dem nah guh look it. A di ghetto dis, and from yuh seh a yah suh yuh come from, nuff people nuh wah yuh a dem place. Suh nobody nah put nuh effort when dem feel like seh is a 'n'o dem aguh get," Jarret explained.

Recruitment coordinator at Restaurants of Jamaica Kamilah Morrison Tucker expressed hope that more organisations would show up for residents in volatile communities.

"It would change a lot of things in terms of Jamaica's crime and violence and the unemployment rate. So, sometimes if you can go into the communities to get to the younger persons to groom them positively, we would probably have a better Jamaica," Morrison Tucker said.

Five residents were given back-to-school grants ranging from $15,000 t0 $20,000, while one person was given a tertiary education grant for $40,000. Residents needing medication, and business owners, were also given grants. Shopkeeper Winsome Brown told THE STAR that the assistance would be a "real game changer" for her business.

"It help mi a lot...because yuh know di business up and down sometimes, suh yuh know the money nah guh always a flow," Brown said, adding that she has had her business for eight years, and it is the only source of income to provide for her four children and one grandchild.