The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

SINGING Bishop Lawrence Rolle said Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis’ announcement that his assistance programme will get funding, is welcomed news in his 30-year struggle to assist the poor.

The bishop spoke to The Tribune the day after Mr Davis said both his programme and another run by Bishop Walter Hanchell will get funding this fiscal year in addition to other non-governmental organisations.

The government has increased financial assistance to this grouping by 10 percent.

“I give God praise because I really need help,” he said yesterday in an interview with The Tribune. “That’s hundreds of people, but I got no money.

“All my days I work around poor people and I can tell you 30 plus years later I don’t have anything - only me. You see, I work with whatever comes my way.

“I’m tired of struggling. I’m tired of begging, asking for help. I give God praise and pray God that the government will really carry out the order and I pray God that they come through speedily.”

On Wednesday, Mr Davis said his administration made a permanent increase in social assistance by 50 percent.

Regarding this, Social Services and Urban Development Minister Obie Wilchcombe said he was happy as the increase will allow them to tackle the challenges that many people have with housing.

He said: “Our difficulty, however, continues to be the number of persons who are without a house, household. Many of them have no roof over their heads. Many of them are everyday looking for a roof, a place to spend the night. And then the problem we’ve had in the past is that we provided short stays - that can’t work. That’s why we’re putting in place a transition period where you’ll be in a programme, but we’re not gonna put you out in two weeks. We’re going to help you. Even though you get a job we’re gonna help you get to the point where you can in fact sustain yourself.”

Allocation

Asked about the allocation, the minister noted it was important not only to them, but to all NGOs.

“NGOs are getting more assistance from us and there are many NGOs, but those two individuals in particular because of what they’ve been doing, they have been out there scrapping, hustling, begging, asking not for themselves, but for people. They’ve been showing that their hearts are overflowing with love and care for others and during the most difficult times when Walter Hanchell was sick, sick with cancer.

“Wherever he was in hospital, but that programme never stopped. People continued, every single day he was looking out for others while he himself was trying to survive. Look at Lawrence Rolle, during the pandemic, after Dorian look at what he did. Every single day he was out there cooking -and asking for assistance getting it and providing support for many Bahamians who didn’t have it.”

The minister was unable to say how many people were currently on the government’s social assistance programme.

“I know a couple of months ago it was 23,000 provided by the end of the month and then last month it was 10,000. So it keeps changing. We’re not really at the number yet that’s why within the ministry we’re putting in place a research and statistical department simply because we wanna make sure the numbers are all right. But there is movement in the economy. There’s new job opportunities. So many more opportunities.”

He is expected to say more about his portfolio in the coming days.