Residents in squatting villages within the constituency of Lopinot/Bon Air West were given the opportunity to learn and develop their skills in agriculture as part of the Land Settlement Agency’s ‘Coming Down By You’ initiative.
The LSA falls under the purview of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Camille Robinson-Regis, said the objective of the ‘Coming Down by You’ project is to ensure that residents have a sustainable form of living by teaching them to be entrepreneurs.
Residents from Windy Hill and Rice Mill areas were the first to benefit from the training sessions.
Minister Robinson-Regis said the objectives are, through community engagement, to regularise and transform squatting communities and contain squatting.
MP for Lopinot/Bon Air West Marvin Gonzales said the training sessions are very important for the growth and development of people in the area.
Residents who received their Certificates of Comfort and are in the process of getting their Housing and Village Improvement Programme Homes participated in the programme.
Other State Agencies to support the project include the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA), the National Entrepreneurship Development Company Limited (NEDCO), and the Civilian Conservation Corps, (CCC).