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Government pledges support to Rotary Club of Portsmouth

April 8, 2014 - By Dominica Vibes News
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The Dominica Government has pledged assistance of over two hundred and fifty thousand dollars to the Rotary Club of Portsmouth for its sanitation program in Calibishie.

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit gave that commitment during his visit at the Rotary Club of Portsmouth’s weekly meeting on April 3, 2014.

Mr Skerrit informed the Club that the government is prepared to support its sanitation project by providing the necessary materials which will cost about EC$260,000.
“With regards to the sanitation project, we are prepared to assist…the government is prepared to partner with you with the fifty people you have identified in Calibishie and we are ready to start as soon as you are ready”.
Through this program, which will be undertaken by Rotarians, fifty Calibishie residents will be assisted with improving their home sanitation.

The Prime Minister also congratulated the Club on its many projects specifically its beautification campaign dubbed ‘Keep Dominica Beautiful’.
He indicated that he will be purchasing some of the signs for his own constituency – the Vieille Case constituency.

Moreover, he challenged the Rotary Club of Portsmouth to look at projects which are especially important to him such as early childhood development and mentoring.
A project such as this one would include teaching of basic reading and writing skills, mentoring children in need of additional tutoring in areas like remedial reading and supplying teaching and learning materials for schools.

He further advised the Club to consider raising the public’s awareness regarding care of the elderly, drug trafficking and prevention as well as chronic non-communicable diseases.
He however asked that the mentorship programme be given priority.

“If you can do one of all what I have mentioned it would be the mentorship programme, because I visited the secondary school yesterday and our students need guidance, we cannot be too busy, we have to leave the office at 3 and say the next hour is for somebody,” he said.
This would mean a lot to the family and the students who would be benefitting from at least one hour spent with them he added.

“These little things we do can mean more sometimes than building a new school [or] even building a new road because that’s one life that could have been wasted otherwise that we have gotten back onto the main street.”

The Club welcomed the Prime Minister’s suggestions which will be discussed further at its meetings.

“This commitment from the government will help facilitate the Club’s request for funding from Rotary International,” the Club said of the assistance to its sanitation program.

Text by Dominica Vibes News

Please have a look at the Photo Album: PM Visits Rotary Portsmouth