The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

FLAGGING unemployment as Bain and Grant Town’s biggest challenge, the Free National Movement’s youngest candidate yesterday released his five-point plan for the area, highlighting community programmes as a “youthful solution providing solutions for all.”

Travis Robinson, 21, told The Tribune that all of his proposed initiatives are designed to target unemployment in hopes to counter the widespread stereotype that residents of the area are only interested in handouts.

He shared the plan in a post on Facebook, adding that the initiatives came after months of research and canvassing in the constituency.

“One of the things I’ve come to appreciate,” Mr Robinson said, “is that on the outside it is said that people [in Bain and Grants Town] are just looking for handouts and you have to have a lot of money. But from me canvassing, I’ve come to realise everyday, that’s not true. People are actually willing to work. They want jobs, they want opportunities, the reality is those opportunities are simply not there.”

While the plan echoes several initiatives that have been touted by the party for much of the past year, there are some similarities to the scope of the government’s Urban Renewal 2.0 programme.

However, Mr Robinson underscored that the proposed programmes will focus specifically on the Bain and Grants Town constituency, providing community-specific relief.

The plan provides “solutions” across five categories: education, crime, infrastructure housing development, entrepreneurship, and poverty and health, but does not provide details on the scale of proposed projects.

At the centre of Mr Robinson’s plan is the establishment of a multi-faceted community centre, a sprawling complex that he envisions will be constructed at the site of the derelict former City Market food store that faces CR Walker High School. The centre, he said, will be the base of operations for the rollout of all his proposed initiatives.

Education initiatives include: a full time after-school and mentorship programme and a year-round community scholarship fund for tertiary level education.

Mr Robinson’s crime solution for the constituency is the introduction of a “Community Cadet Corp,” a training programme that will induct high school dropouts, at-risk youth, and young criminal offenders.

“The programme provides personal development and technical skills training. It acts as a certified crime watchers initiative to prevent criminal activities,” the plan said.

Mr Robinson explained that the cadet programme will mirror the structure of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force Rangers programme, with voluntary enrolment and a stipend for participants.

He foreshadowed a 14-week training programme with focus on community crime watch, giving inductees an opportunity to be a part of the law enforcement system working alongside community police in the area.

Under Infrastructure Housing Development, Mr Robinson proposes the launch of a “Rebuild Programme” focused on “rebuilding and or renovating homes for the elderly, financially challenged families and single parent homes.” He told The Tribune that the plan differs from the UR’s Small Homes Repairs plan in its scope, and eligibility requirements. The program me will be funded through public-private partnership, said Mr Robinson, who pointed out that three area contractors have already expressed support.

Operation Beautiful BGT is featured under the heading Poverty and Health, which outlines three tenets of “cleanliness, teamwork, and compassion.” The initiative will be focused primarily on landscape maintenance and cleanliness of the area.

In a bid to increase opportunities for entrepreneurship, he pledged to establish start-up grants for hopefuls and current business owners experiencing financial hardships.

Under the sub-header “Expanding our Community,” other initiatives in the entrepreneurship category, include a tax free zone, and small business sustainability workshops “aimed at providing BGT small business owners with the marketing ideas, concepts and tools to empower themselves and diversify their product.”

Bain and Grants Town is represented by Minister of National Security Dr Bernard Nottage.