Project Management, Bright and Exciting Opportunity for Young Individuals.

I started out doing Visual Arts at High School, however, I didn't see how Visual Arts was going to allow me to make a living. So, I also did Business. After leaving school I entered into Community Development where I became the President of Mount Lebanus Citizen Association and the Youth Club at the same time at the age of 18. I started meeting and mingling with different people. Through these groups, we were able to foster networking with other agencies within the region and even with the counselor. I started getting training in project management and record keeping, until I was drafted in the Zonal Committee as the Assistant Secretary.

What Is a Check Dam? A Check Dams is a concrete/stone structure that stop silt/soil and let through water. This also act a temporary shield to communities from land slides.

First Step Before Building- Example Minutes for Check Dams meeting:

The meeting was to flesh out plans and strategies for the check dams that are going to be built. In addition, a letter that is to send to Parish Council was asked to draft up by the president, Mr. Vernol Logan and he further added that it is urgent to facilitate a timely completion of the check dams. He also mentioned that we need to start gather stones. However, Mr. Joscelyn Brown, the Project Coordinator, stated that it would be a good initiative to help cut back on the implementation cost so it could spill over to the other check dams. He further added that, picking up the stones at a reduce cost of ($500 per person) rather than buying it from Crusher for $18,000 per yard could save money for another work day. He continued by say in that, the tractor will have an advantage because it can carry the stones to the destination after it has being loaded.

He also made mentioned that, there should be 25 labourers for 26 days who will be pay to complete 2 check dams. He further added that, the committee need to consult with the persons that own riverside places that the stones will be picking up from. In conclusion, he said that, it would be great if the first check dam could start in April.

Follow up Check Dam Committee Meeting.

On the 26^th of February 2011 the Check Dam Committee held meeting at the WROC Forestry Office at 5pm. A total of 9^th persons were present at the meeting, 3 males and 6 females. Mr. Joscelyn Brown, the Project Coordinator, opened the discussion by addressing the urgency that is required to ensure the completion of the check dams on time. He then made clear to reiterate the point that there will be a total of 25 persons to complete the first 2 check dams within the working period of 26 days. He also added that, the project is responsible to pay the 25persons. Thus, he stated that, if the material is available on the work site, the check dams can finish within two weeks. However, Mr. Vernol Logan stated that, without the roads to get easier accessible point to the check dams it will take a longer time to finish them. So, he said that they will be sending a formal invitation to the owner of different places to invite them to a meeting on Saturday at 4-5pm.

Additional Requirement-Re. Plan of action

The Measurement for the Check dams was done today- 4/3/2011 by Mr. Adam Francis at 9:30am.

Letters to send off to land owner’s by the 3^rd of March to invite them to a meeting on Saturday.

Letter to send to WROC by the 7^th March to address relocation of the check dam.

The budget in construction.

From the 5^th of December to the 12, a number of men were deployed to the area of Shortcut Hill to circle weed the plants that were planted throughout the area mentioned above. The Peace Corp Volunteer then reported to me that approximately 25 trees had died out of amount of trees that they had circle weed on the 5th. However, on the remaining days that the young men attended the area of Shortcut Hill to circle weed, they reported minimal lost re the trees. These are some of the trees that were donated to us by farmers through the private planting programme through Forest Dept.

The amount of trees that were targeted was 4, 750. However, each model farm should have 1, 118 trees that should be circle weed.

We have completed Circle weeding a portion of the trees within the Shortcut Hill region. We are looking forward to continue circle weeding in the following year, 2013.

The persons doing the circle weeding complained that the sun is very hot when it reached twelve o’clock, so sometimes they stayed at the check dam site after lunch. But, this was rectified by Mr. Brown who told the young men that if don’t continue weeding after lunch, they would not get any pay. The young men heeded the command from Mr. Brown and resumed without complaining.

Succesfull Reforestation-A report on the tree.

Over the period of 2010-2012 we have been reforesting the area of Shortcut Hill to Highland Head at a timely interval throughout the years. We have planted off the area of Shortcut hill and Highland Head with 3500+ forestry trees and 1250+ fruit trees within the year 2011. These trees were planted on 25 acres of land, which are divided into four Model Farm Groups of 6 ¼ acres. We uses donkey to head the trees to the different model farm groups. Each group was given 1188 trees to plant and had completed in the order Ms. Brown Model Farm Group, School Farm Group, Mr. Mills Model Farm Group and Orville Model Farm Group. Two groups (School and Orville) face challenges in carrying out their roles despite our mobilizing and strategy applied. Therefore we got a group of men who planted the trees on School group 6 ¼ acres and the same group men also planted the trees on Orville 6 ¼ acres.

However, before any planting was done, we had a Reforestation Training that members from the different groups attended. The training emphasizes on planting measurements of forest trees (15 meters apart) and fruit trees (24 meters apart) in a triangle planting pattern, 2011. The training was conducted by RADA.

We started monitoring the trees with the Forestry Rangers from forestry as early as we began. They also advise us on the different strategies we may apply to keep the trees alive. The forestry rangers commended us after examining the trees. From my view the trees were growing bountifully at a survival rate of 85% percent. After the rainy season was over and the land started experiencing severe drought, persons within the community lit a fire that burnt down and destroy approximately 75% of the trees. Some of the 6 ¼ acres plots were destroy completely, excepts for few roots of Quick Sticks.