NASSAU, The Bahamas – Officials at the Ministry of Social Services, and its various Departments, will join forces with other key government ministries and corporations, as it hosts its first Poverty Reduction Outreach and Expo.
Scheduled for Saturday, October 17, at Windsor Park, East and Wulff Roads, the event is part of the Davis Administration’s ongoing efforts towards ending “systemic poverty” in-country through the poverty reduction efforts of various individual ministries, and as a collective.
The Expo is scheduled for 11am-5pm and will include feature presentations from a series of Cabinet Ministers: Minister of Social Services, Sen. the Hon. Barbara Cartwright, who has responsibility for Poverty Reduction in her ministerial portfolio; Minister of Health and Wellness, the Hon. Dr. Michael Darville; Minister of Housing and Land Reform, the Hon. Keith Bell; Minister of Energy, Utilities and Aviation, the Hon. JoBeth Coleby-Davis; Minister of Innovation and National Development, the Hon. Sebastian Bastian, and Minister of Urban Renewal and Community Relations, the Hon. Lisa Rahming.
Senator Cartwright said poverty is a very complex issue that crosses many lines, hence the Administration’s focus on addressing its numerous impacts of poverty from a holistic point of view.
Representation from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in the person of Parliamentary Secretary, Senator, the Hon. Keenan Johnson, in addition to team members from Labour will also be onsite.
“So if you are unemployed, under-employed, looking for a better job, receiving social services benefits or simply you just want to support social services, this expo is for you,” Minister Cartwright said.
“We want the Bahamian people to know that we are recognizing the day and that is good, but it is time for us to take serious action.”
Senator Cartwright said ending systemic poverty requires personal responsibility and individual involvement.
“So if you want to break the cycle, you must take advantage of the various opportunities that are being offered. It is time for us to remove the bars that have our people trapped in poverty. Together we can reduce poverty one step at a time.”
(BIS Photos/Patrice Johnson)
