Helping the Poor......

MONSIGNOR Richard Albert, the Episcopal Vicar for St Catherines in Jamaica, wants the Jamaican private sector to redouble its efforts in assisting poor Jamaicans, saying that unemployed and untrained people should not be seen as problems, but rather, as untapped resources for business in the country.

"Since the government has failed to put the masses to work, I am asking the PSOJ (Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica) to develop a massive employment programme, Father Albert told last week's weekly luncheon meeting of the Rotary Club of Kingston, held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel.

The PSOJ, he suggested could establish a think tank to explore avenues in which companies could reach out to the poor, which he said could make a major impact on poverty alleviation.

"If the brightest minds of the PSOJ sat down with a mandate to come up with guidelines for every company to create more jobs, then crime would decrease, more children would be going to school and hope would be transmitted throughout the island," Father Albert told the Rotarians.  "We have left too many of our people behind and statistics cannot describe the pain and suffering adequately enough," he said.

The Catholic priest added that the most serious problem affecting the country's poor was the lack of hope in inner-city communities.   "We have to restore hope in the lives of these people. Generation after generation growing up uneducated, unskilled, frightened and fearful," he said.   He cited companies that had active development foundations and were making contributions but said that every company, "no matter how large or small", should look for structured ways to give back to the communities.

In the meantime, Father Albert urged the PSOJ to become proactive and plan debates between aspiring candidates vying for political office.  "The society should be on election alert and if civil society neglects to take the lead, corruption takes over," said the Catholic priest.

"Corruption in the country has become institutionalised while our teachers, nurses, doctors and police are told there is no money in the budget," said Father Albert. He added that when government wants to, it finds money, and urged the administration to pay those who serve the poor.

Link to article:  http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/111626_Catholic-priest-tells-private-sector-to-take-lead-in-helping-the-poor