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Parade Gardens sees bright future

Published:Thursday | June 11, 2015 | 12:00 AM
Contributed
Standing (from left) Edward Bailey, Environmental Health Foundation trustee; Shaka Payne, vice-president, Parade Gardens Community Centre, Shakira Pickersgill, legal officer and company secretary, Development Bank of Jamaica. Seated (from left) Novlet Deans, chief executive officer/director, Environmental Health Foundation, and Milverton Reynolds, managing director, Development Bank of Jamaica

The Environment Health Foundation (EHF) signed a memorandum of understanding with the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) on June 4, for the Empowerment of Parade Gardens Project: through Renewable Energy and Skills Training. The total cost of this project is in excess of $21.5 million and of that amount, the DBJ will fund approximately $6.9 million.

EHF CEO Novlet Deans noted that the project will "see the Parade Gardens Community Centre outfitted with a 10KW Solar System and LED lighting along with 35 households in the community outfitted with LED lighting. The deal will also ensure that the skill sets of 90 residents of Parade Gardens are developed, by means of behavioural change workshops and certified skills training in renewable technologies, food preparation as well as driving lessons to secure driver's licences and finally employment opportunities that will boost the community's social infrastructure and Jamaica's own development."

EHF was recently informed by the Austrian-based National Energy Globe Awards that they will receive the prestigious Globe Award for Jamaica, for the three-year climate change adaptation project, implemented by EHF in Cedar Valley, St Thomas, through majority funding received from the United States Agency for International Development .