DON'T BE SURPRISED if you see Minister of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports Reginald Farley hanging out on the block or under a dunks tree with the boys.
He said on Sunday night at the Youth Development Programme's tenth anniversary dinner at Savannah Hotel, Hastings, Christ Church, that he intended to spend more time away from his office and on the 58 blocks across the island.
Farley told the DAILY NATION after the ceremony it was "fundamentally important to cement" the relationship between the department and the block boys, and visiting them would be no different than his visits to schools or "catching a game".
"I will be doing everything the youth commissioners do," he said.
"I will not go every day but from time to time. I like to keep in contact with the ministry's clients and see what is going on. I visit schools, I go to games and not only to big finals but weekend games and I interact with sportsmen.
"So visiting the block is akin to doing something normal and anyone who questions it should question why I go to schools."
During his address he highlighted the work of The Block Committee and Project Oasis, saying they were success stories of which the commissioners should be proud.
He said he firmly believed that despite "unkind" comments, the initial $1 million allocated to the programme was money well spent.
"All of this reinforces that all the persons who did not make it, those who were disillusioned, who drift away, did not have the guidance to help them," he said.
He also spoke of the "talented" people of the culinary course conducted at the PomMarine Hotel, who came off the block and honed their craft in two months to serve up a five-star meal recently at their graduation.
The commissioners in the Block Programme make referrals to educational institutions, and get people to sign up for courses in cookery, bartending, small engine repairs, computer repairs and electrician installation.
Participants also do small business courses at the Ministry of Education, as well as anger and financial management courses.
