… ‘homes treated with love and care for all whom it shelters’
THE Ministry of Home Affairs’ Citizen Security Programme has further pursued its quest toward creating safe neighbourhoods. The Community Action Component of the Citizen Security Programme has sought to reduce the crime and violence occurrences in ten targeted communities in Regions 4 & 6 over the past two and a half years. This endeavour is through social development interventions such as:
1)  The Youth Life Skills/Vocational Training Programme which targeted youth between the ages of 14 & 25, who have dropped out of school, never attended school, or did not achieve sufficient standing in order to achieve gainful employment;

2)  The Community Engagement Activities such as Community Fun Days or Community Clean Up Days which seek to promote and strengthen community cohesion;

3)  Violence Prevention Sessions in Child Abuse Prevention, Intimate/Domestic Partner Violence Prevention, Youth Violence Prevention, and Personal Development. These sessions have been ongoing in all ten target communities; and,

4)  The Rapid Impact Projects which are small scale rehabilitation or enhancement projects that seek to rehabilitate unused or underused multi-purpose facilities or areas within the community so that it can attract more meaningful activity by community members. Each community is given three projects valued at $1M each.

The Citizen Security Programme has recently completed seven more Rapid Impact Projects in Berbice. The first project completed and commissioned was in Sophia at the Pattensen Community Centre in August 2011. On Saturday, April 28, 2012, speaking on behalf of the Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee, Mr. Faizal Jaffarally officially commissioned the Jai Hind Cricket Ground in Albion, Corentyne, Berbice.
This ground was provided with a pavilion and fence around the perimeter. The upgrading of the Kilcoy/Chesney Multi-Purpose Centre ground, also on the Corentyne, which was filled and fenced, and the enhancement and equipping of the same centre, with computers, chairs, and tables, were also commissioned. Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, and West Indian cricketers, Devindra Bishoo and Sewnarine Chattergoon, were also present at the commissioning. In addition to the commissioning, the Jai Hind Cricket Club was provided with hardball cricket gear and the Kilcoy/Chesney softball teams were provided with softball cricket gear.
The following day, Sunday, April 29, 2012, Minister Rohee commissioned the Glasgow Housing Scheme playfield and Overton Path playfield, Overwinning, both located on the East Bank Berbice. At both fields, a pavilion was constructed to promote community involvement in sports. In addition, the minister handed over sports gear to the Edinburgh Cricket Club, the Edinburgh Youth & Promotion Club, and the Overwinning Bible Church sports teams.
More recently, on Saturday, May 12, 2012, Minister Rohee commissioned two Rapid Impact Projects in Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice. One was in Boundyard playfield, in which a pavilion and fence around the perimeter were constructed. Rohan Kanhai, one of our great cricketers of the past, began playing on this ground. Jainarine Sookpaul, of the GuySuCo Training School expressed his enthusiasm in sustaining this playfield for community members. The second project and commissioning took place in the Tain, Block 4 playfield, in which the construction of a pavilion and fence around the perimeter was also completed. Prominent community members expressed their appreciation for being provided with this project and they also expressed their commitment to its maintenance. Sports gear was handed over to the Tain Block 4 Sports Club and the Port Mourant Jaguars Volleyball Club. The gear was donated with the anticipation that the sports clubs will attract more young people to be engaged in positive activities, so as to meaningfully occupy their time. This initiative is one factor in conditioning young people to not be attracted to deviant behaviours, leading to crime and violence.
The ministry, in a press release, noted, “The quest for safe neighbourhoods is not a smooth road on which we can drive at high speed and reach our destination of crime-free communities within a short time.  “This quest is one which takes the effort of all citizens. Citizens, firstly, have to want to live in a safe neighbourhood and secondly, see how they can be involved in creating safety and security for their own families and neighbours. Your neighbourhood is your ‘home,’ and a ‘home’ is treated with love and care for all whom it shelters”, the ministry said.
Minister Rohee will be commissioning three projects in Rose Hall Town, Corentyne, Berbice and three projects in Angoy’s Avenue this Friday, May 18, and Sunday, May 20.