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Bridging the Gap
By Taneshia Stoney
Social Officer, JSIF
Recognizing that the poor is not a homogeneous group, in board game which allowed families to bond and discuss topics
2010 JSIF in partnership with the Ministry of Labour and Social once viewed as taboo such as prostate checks, pap smear
Security, embarked on its first ever psychosocial intervention testing, HIV/ Aids testing, puberty and domestic violence. All
dubbed “Bridge Jamaica Project”. The initiative was family members would be present and where visits were made
modelled from the Chile’s Programa Puente which employed while children were at school, social workers met with children
management processes, tailored to address specific needs of on the weekends.
targeted households. This Bridge was built on 7 Pillars: Health,
Education and Training, Housing and Disaster Management, The families targeted were those excluded from social and
Family Dynamics, Income, Employment and Personal assistance networks intended for them, lack the minimal
Identification. These pillars reflect a multi-
dimensional approach to poverty alleviation necessities for survival and an adequate
that acknowledges poverty, not only as a lack quality of life. The fundamental intention of
of income, but also as a deprivation of one’s the Bridge Jamaica programme is to provide
capabilities. integral psychosocial support to the family,
a crucial component in overcoming poverty
It would be idealistic to think that the cycle with this group. Through the Bridge Jamaica
of intergenerational poverty can be broken Project, family members were aligned with the
without looking at the psychological and social relevant state agencies that could address
factors surrounding the individual. The Bridge their respective needs, thereby allowing
Jamaica Project represented an atypical them to live with dignity. Based on a needs
JSIF intervention which provided psycho-social assistance assessment conducted for each household a
to households, as opposed to the traditional infrastructure- family could start with any pillar, as the approach focused on
centered and community-specific social interventions. This the requirements of each group:
project provided an opportunity to garner experience in
addressing poverty at the household level, private poverty Education and Training
as opposed to poverty at a community level. While there are
myriad of local programmes to deliver services, and support Eleven (11) heads of household and youth successfully
the well-being of low-income families, access to basic services completed vocational courses in Hospitality Services,
remain a challenge. Cosmetology, Allied Health, Tourism (Tour Guiding) and Data
Operations through a partnership with the HEART Trust NTA.
The Bridge Jamaica Projects targeted 40 PATH families across Four (4) persons from St. Thomas completed remedial studies
five parishes: St. Thomas, Trelawny, St. Catherine, Portland and through the Jamaican Foundation for LifeLong Learning; and
Kingston and St. Andrew. The pilot phase was implemented in they must be applauded for committing to and completing
underserved and vulnerable communities within St. Catherine, the course as there were no dropouts. One mother (the
Kingston and St. Andrew and engaged 10 families over a Valedictorian) in her speech at the graduation lauded the
2-year period. Phase two however targeted the rural parishes fact that now she can assist her 10-year-old daughter with
of Trelawny, Portland and St. Thomas where 30 families were homework.
engaged over a 2-year period. A cadre of social workers visited
the families on a weekly basis in order to assist them “across the Families received education grants to offset the cost of back-to
Bridge”. At the family visits, the pillars were discussed using a -school supplies such as text books and uniforms.
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