WESTMORELAND, Jamaica – It was a joyful moment for Davian Hopwood as she helped Mark Golding, president of the People’s National Party (PNP), to lay a few blocks for her house currently under construction in Westmoreland.

The building is the fulfilment of a promise made by Golding during his presidential campaign bid to assist party workers who have fallen on hard times.

The block laying for the one-bedroom concrete house in Petersfield was done on Saturday by Golding, and supported by region six leadership and the trustees of the OT Fairclough Trust Fund, which was named after Osmond Theodore Fairclough, for his distinguished contribution to the party and country.

Hopwood, who lost her mother at age 11, has been a party activist since 1997. She has been living with her grandmother, bearing five children over the years. A grateful Hopwood, who does hair braiding to earn a living, started constructing her house five years ago, but was unable to complete it.

“I am feeling very good. I am feeling so good. Words can’t even explain. I just don’t know how to tell you how I am feeling, but I am really, really happy,” she expressed, adding, “And I am so grateful for Mr Mark Golding. He is the one who made it possible for me. I am so grateful.”

Golding, for his part, said he is elated for Hopwood.

“Today is a historic day because it is the first project that the trust fund is sponsoring and doing work on. Here in Petersfield, we helped a worker of the party who has been trying for some time to get her house up to scratch and she hasn’t been able to do so on her own. And so, we put some strength behind that and I am very happy that she will be getting her home,” expressed Golding.

Golding said the project, which is expected to be completed in approximately three weeks, is being supported by community members who have put in work free of charge.

“It was a real heartwarming thing to come to their home and see the house spot and the foundation that would have been started and the fact that we can now take it through to completion. And, what I love about it, in the true spirit of Michael Manley, the community has come on board. They have supported the project. Persons are working without charging for their labour and we (party) put in the material. And so, it is a great day and I am very happy about it,” stated the party president.

Patrick Forrester, the councillor-candidate for the Petersfield Division, said Hopwood is a dependable worker.

Hopwood, who is a delegate, has served as indoor agent and canvasser, serving former Members of Parliament Dr Karl Blythe, Roger Clarke and Dwayne Vaz.

The fund, which was launched in December of last year, is one of the initiatives Golding promised to deliver on in his first 90 days in office as president.

When completed, Hopwood and her family will be able to enjoy their one-bedroom house with a bathroom, verandah and a living room.

Anthony Lewis