by Emmanuel H. Joseph
Government Information Service
New bus presented to Operations Youth Quake
On Monday, 8th June, 2009, the Government of Dominica presented a sixteen-seater Nissan bus to the Operation Youth Quake. The bus will be used to transport students who reside at the facility to and from school. The keys to the brand new bus were presented to Managing Director, Lennox Abraham, by the Hon. Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit.
In receiving the keys from the Hon. Prime Minister, Mr. Abraham explained that the Operation Youth Quake offers more than one service to the youth at risk around the vicinity of Roseau.
“Presently, there are eleven (11) residents in our residential care. We also operate a feeding programme at the Roseau Primary School and we believe, here at the Operation Youth Quake, one of the things that we have been able to accomplish is providing the young persons here with a home away from home.”
The Honourable Minister for Community Development, Culture, Gender Affairs and Information, Loreen Bannis-Roberts pledged her Ministry’s continued support to the young persons at the establishment.
Hon. Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit hands over
keys to Managing Director of the Operation
Youth Quake, Lennox Abraham
“I want to say to the students here this morning that we are here today because we care about the well being of the youth of this country. Believe it or not, whatever is your circumstance at this point in time, we will work with the staff of the Operation Youth Quake to ensure that there is a turnaround in your life.”
Hon. Minister for Community Development, Culture, Gender Affairs and Information, Loreen Bannis-Roberts
Prime Minister Skerrit, in his remarks, viewed the handing over as a testimony of the Government’s commitment to honour its promises.
“I recall some time ago Mr. Abraham made a request to us for a bus. I am very happy that today, we are here this morning to hand over the bus to the Operation Youth Quake. Whenever this Government makes a promise to the people of Dominica or any institution, we fulfil that promise. There are times it may take a little longer than we expect it to, but I can say that every time we have made a promise to the Dominican people, we have fulfilled that promise; today is another testimony of our commitment to addressing some of the social challenges confronting Dominica.”
Residents of Operation Youth Quake
The Hon. Prime Minister, who is also Minister for Finance, made a commitment to provide just over twenty thousand East Caribbean dollars (XCD$20 500.00) to the Operation Youth Quake to go towards furniture for the institution.
“The Minister for Finance approved some eighty-two thousand, five hundred dollars (XCD$82 500.00) for the purchase of the bus. We paid sixty-two thousand dollars (XCD$62 000.00) for the bus so there is a balance of twenty thousand, five hundred dollars (XCD$20 500.00). I understand that the Operation Youth Quake could do with that extra money to address some of the issues with regards to the furniture to make the living conditions more comfortable for the residents here. Therefore, as Minister for Finance, I am authorising the Ministry of Community Development to transfer the balance of twenty thousand, five hundred dollars (XCD$20 500.00) to the Operation Youth Quake to go towards the purchasing of beds and furniture.”
In the meantime, Prime Minister Skerrit is calling on the wider community to play its part in caring for the less privileged children in Dominica.
“Every month, the Government makes a contribution of ten thousand five hundred dollars (XCD$10 500.00) to the Operation Youth Quake for its functioning. But we have to recognise, as a country, as a society, that all of us must play our part in caring for our children and for the elderly. It cannot only be the responsibility of Operation Youth Quake of the Government to do that and that is why we continue to ask and plead and to urge our Dominican citizens to open their homes to a child who is in need of a home. Create that family for a child who needs a family because if we leave it for the Government, the Government will never have the capacity to take care of everybody to the extent to which we would like to be taken care of. Therefore, it is important that we play our part and we come together as a country to care for our children. They are most important resource.”
President of the board of
Directors of the Operation Youth
Quake, Shirley Stuart
President of the board of Directors of the Operation Youth Quake, Shirley Stuart, expressed her gratitude on behalf of the board of Directors for the contribution made by the Government of Dominica.
The Government of Dominica makes a monthly contribution of ten thousand, five hundred dollars (XCD$10 500.00) to the Operation Youth Quake to assist with its day to day operations.
The Operation Youth Quake has been in operation for over thirty-one (31) years providing much needed services to children at risk. |
