The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

THE MINISTRY of National Security, in conjunction with the Urban Renewal Commission and the Kemp Road Pastor’s Alliance yesterday hosted a job fair for residents of the Kemp Road community.

More than 50 persons showed up at the St James Baptist Church yesterday morning, some with envelopes in hand, hoping to make a good first and lasting impression on the various businesses representatives present at the job fair.

Police Inspector Tony Taylor, co-ordinator for Kemp Road’s Urban Renewal programme, said the aim of the job fair was not just to help alleviate the community’s crime problem, but also to make residents independent of government assistance.

“With the assistance of the general public and the various business places, we’re trying to head a job fair where we can try to assist some of the persons in the Kemp Road area, finding them gainful employment, which we think will help in the reduction of crime,” he said. “It also gives them the opportunity of being able to fend for themselves instead of always relying on Social Services as the case may be.”

He added: “Persons are hurting, and are always crying that they need a job, so today we’ve taken the initiative to give them that opportunity once they are qualified.”

One resident, a father of three who has been unemployed for two months, expressed his delight in the job fair.

“It’s very important because I have three kids, and it’s very hard for me to put food on top of the table without no job,” he said.

“So I feel good that Urban Renewal is trying to find something to take people off the streets to get a job to feed their children.”

Aszarria Scavella, who has been unemployed since November of last year, said the job fair provided a good opportunity for her and others to dialogue with people they normally would not get a chance to meet.

“For me I don’t have to go drive all over Nassau, catch the bus like that, it’s in one central location and it’s many different employers, many different opportunities and many different things that I may not have sought to actually go out and look for,” she said. “So I think it’s a good idea.”

Yesterday’s job fair came just over a week after residents of the Kemp Road area stressed the need for a more “defined social approach” to the crime problem in their community.

A week before that, National Security Minister Dr Bernard Nottage led a contingent of government officials, church and community leaders on a three-hour long canvass of the Kemp Road area to assess the needs of the residents and subsequently identify the best avenues to address their concerns.

The walkabout was one of Dr Nottage’s promised initiatives in the face of rising crime and murder.