Cudjoe: Destitute gets priority for self-help grants

MINISTER of Sport and Community Development Shamfa Cudjoe told Moruga/Tableland MP Michele Benjamin that the less money the Government had to spend to repair roads damaged by fire, the more funding it could put towards self-help grants for needy individuals.

The exchange took place on Friday night during the sitting of the Standing Finance Committee of the House of Representatives when budget estimates were examined item by item.

It began when Cudjoe told Tabaquite MP Anita Haynes that just because someone was formally approved for a self-help grant did not mean they would be getting it in a hurry but rather simply that they had "checked all the boxes" for formal eligibility.

She said that thousands of applicants have been told their application had been approved. She admitted that maybe the language used in the ministry replies needed to be changed. Cudjoe said someone earning $50,000 per month might check all the boxes to qualify for a self-help grant to fix their kitchen top but priority would be given to a destitute old lady trying to stop flood waters coming into her house.

"Priority is for the destitute," Cudjoe said. Haynes interjected to say she knew of many applicants who were destitute but had not yet been helped. She knew a family headed by a single-mother in Mayaro who were about to lose their home owing to a landslip.

"There is still a space where urgency is not being met," Haynes said. Cudjoe said the ministry relied on its field officers in all this. Benjamin said she knew of many applicants who had lost their homes to fire, plus many badly affected by landslips. She said it was heartbreaking for her to see televised award functions for recipients but none of her constituents being given priority.

Benjamin seemed to be close to tears when making her plea. Cudjoe did not acknowledge the emotion of the plea, but on the contrary declared that the less money spent to repair roads damaged by fire meant more was available for grants for social beneficiaries.

This was clearly a quip at Benjamin who had once turned up to lend moral support to constituents who had blocked during a fiery protest over poor roads in Moruga constituency.

When asked about accessibility of various grants, Cudjoe said her ministry would happily accept applications from all quarters. Benjamin asked about grant applications from Potential Sports Club and Merikins Sixth Company, but Cudjoe said she had not received those applications and advised all applicants to check their junk e-mail as the ministry always seeks to reply to requests.

Likewise, when Benjamin asked how her youthful constituents could apply for a programme on promoting employability, Cudjoe said her ministry would love to go to her constituency to do a workshop.

Cudjoe spoke about her ministry's M-Power programme where older men visited young males to serve as role models and share life lessons in a form of mentorship. Topics included the role of a man, family life, domestic violence, and averting crime and violence. She said that just as many programmes were available for women, men also must be helped in their development.

Couva North MP Ravi Ratiram asked about a $15 million allocation, which Cudjoe said was being partly used to pay some costs incurred last fiscal year. Likewise a sum to build community centres last year grew from an initial to final estimate of $10 million to $51 million owing to past commitments being brought forward to 2023.