By LARA PICKFORD-GORDON Friday, October 19 2012

RESIDENTS of East Port-of-Spain flocked to the Mango Rose Homework Centre in Picadilly Street yesterday to sign up for jobs under the People and Projects for Progress programme (PPPP).

Minister of National Security Jack Warner launched the programme and start of registration at the St Paul Street Community Centre, Port-of-Spain on Wednesday. Registration was supposed to continue yesterday at the corner of Duncan Street and Independence Square but was shifted to the Mango Rose Homework Centre where registration was scheduled to go until 3.30 pm.

Stephen Young, Unemployment Relief Programme (URP) Manager Region 2 said close to 500 persons between the age of 18 years and 60 have signed up for work on Wednesday.

He revealed that 75 percent of all those who have signed up are female single parents. Young said the fortnightly salary for a labourer was $600 and $800 for a foreman

Mother of five and resident of Beverly Hills, Natalie McHutchinson, thanked Warner and Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar for focusing attention on East Port-of-Spain.

“We never had this. If it was the next government, we would be sitting down wasting our time and the gunshots would still be letting go. They are showing people could put down the gun and change. We have to make sure and put down our foot and do the right thing,” McHutchinson said.

McHutchinson said news of the programme had brought calm to the community. She recalled the sleepless nights caused by crime and the noise of sudden gunshots early in the morning. “I was waking up if I hear anything so I could drag out the children and put them in a safe corner in a house, to see bullet pass through our place.” These days people were “living nice” and could venture into communities which were previously warring. “We don’t have to worry about pow, pow, pow,” she said. Ingrid Danglad, 49, of Morvant said she registered for work as a checker and was told she would be telephoned. “I was not doing anything at home and my daughter went yesterday and registered to go see what the programme was about,” she said. But a male resident of Laventille said that while it is called the Peoples Projects for Progress, he believes it is URP with a different name.

URP Manager (Region 2) Stephen Young said residents would be trained in Grow Box which teaches how to plant a garden in small spaces, tilapia farming and rabbit rearing. There is also a construction programme. URP staff will be working through the weekend processing forms for work to start on Monday. Young said, “We are trying to get bank appointments to get bank cards so they will get payment when they start to work.” Work, he said, will begin at Duncan, George and Nelson Streets in Port-of-Spain on Monday with a “massive cleaning” exercise.