• Where Kingston meets the Blue Mountains

 Bringing communities together

for 

social and economic

development

AIMS : 1. To strengthen the voice of the communities in the

area 2. To provide an avenue to voice common concerns 3. To unite communities, businesses, service

organizations and NGOs within the area in a common purpose

4. To foster social and economic development 5. To provide a bridge between the communities

within the area and government bodies, service agencies etc (including the Parish Development Committee)

PDAC was brought together by the SDC in 2001 as an umbrella body to represent the interests of the following communities which have a natural connection with Papine:

  Papine August Town Gordon Town,

Irish Town Mavis Bank Woodford

Maryland St. Peter’s Content Gap Dallas Constitution Hill

PapineAugust Town Gordon Town Irish Town avis Bank Woodford Maryland St. Peter’s Content Gap Dallas Constitution Hill

On 13 October 2010 PDAC became a non-profit company. This allows PDAC to better apply for grants for projects in the communities.

We used to have general meetings every month, but now only very occasionally.

What would make you want to attend a PDAC meeting?

PDAC has a constitution dating back to 2004.

But to make the work effective, we need more community members to attend the meetings and volunteer to work on the various committees – projects, education, youth & sports, environment

COMMUNITY MEETINGS continue to take place in many of the districts that make up PDA. MPs and Councillors sometimes attend the meetings of the CBOs (community-based organisations)

Visits to various communities to hear of the challenges facing local people are a necessary part of community activism

Meetings with the local business community are also important. Here we see a business luncheon hosted at Llilian’s restaurant at UTECH.

Every year since 2005 there has been an annual concert in Papine Park, mostly to allow local school-children and others to show their talent. This year it includes a fashion pageant.

COMMUNITY TOURISM

Hiking down from Holywell to Gordon Town…

There is plenty of scope for alternative tourism in our area, including in August Town (Bedward)

• Kintyre Ornamental Fish Project – 2011

• At the end of September 2011 a 16-vat ornamental fish facility was completed at the Kintyre Community Centre. It was a J$1.2m project funded by the EU through JSIF.

• Kintyre Ornamental Fish Project – 2011

• Designed for 20 residents of Kintyre and Highlight View, 11 started the training but only 4 completed. They were rewarded with a HEART-NTA Certificate and the opportunity to run the fish farm, partly for themselves, partly for the community.

• Kintyre Ornamental Fish Project – 2011

• But it wasn’t just training. Derrick, Rechardo, Ray and Roderick put in a lot of hard work installing the vats and plumbing. We wish them well.

The NSWMA has plans for Papine Park – now the money needs to be found!

The Architecture students at UTECHhave plans too - pedestrianising either the north or south of the square.

What do you think should be done?

Challenges in the PDAC area…

No-one to fix our roads, except ourselves…

Sometimes no road at all, so we have to carry heavy loads…

More challenges….

Improper disposal of garbage, or garbage not collected…

Breakaways so bad that community labour cannot fix them…

More water damage to houses, roads and gully walls

Serious damage in the Hope River – no driving road to Kintyre and the land disappearing all around

But something is being done – reclaiming the road in Hall’s Delight and a gabion basket wall near August Town

Plenty of other good things going on too…

Making wine from ‘tinking toe’!!!

Homework centres helping our children to learn…

Information fairs are held regularly to share knowledge on health and other matters – the top one here is at the School of Hope

MRI computer-based learning centre in Irish Town – a great achivement…

Education for bee-keepers in Dallas, proudly receiving their certificates

A Ganar classes being held in Kintyre as a student takes charge!

Even so, much help is still required by those trying to offer classes and run basic schools…

Where do you think the help can come from?

There is so much more we can achieve if we come together. Please consider representing your community at our meetings.

With the help of our two new MPs and new KSAC councillors, let’s see if we can make the greater Papine area the very best part of Jamaica!