August Town ZOSO communities: the long-awaited transformation begins
One year almost to the date, the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) this month kicked off the build phase of the August Town zone of special operations (ZOSO), focusing on the troubled communities of African Gardens and Goldsmith Villa.
Major infrastructure works have started to rehabilitate roadways and sidewalks; regularise the water supplies network; rehabilitate the drainage system and install fire hydrants under the Government of Jamaica-integrated Community Development Project II.
A JSIF press statement said the sub-projects will cost the Government approximately $200 million and were projected for completion within six months. CEAC Solutions Company Limited are the consultants for the African Gardens and Goldsmith Villa West areas, while Contraxx Enterprises Limited is the contractor for African Gardens and Stone Plus Limited for Goldsmith Villa West.
The projects got the blessing of Member of Parliament for the area Fayval Williams and the managing director of the JSIF and deputy chairman for the ZOSO Omar Sweeney on a recent tour of the communities.
“The road rehabilitation facilitates greater permeability and better policing service and response time to emergencies,” said Sweeney who argued that suitable roadways, water and sewer supplies were a social need.
St Andrew Eastern MP Williams, who is also education minister, said she was overjoyed that the work had begun, adding: “It gives hope. It signals that the Government is working for the people.” She expressed appreciation to the JSIF team for overseeing the process and looked forward to the completion and transformation of the areas.
The overall build phase of the ZOSO will also include the rehabilitation the August Town Primary and Hope Valley Experimental Schools; a safe passage to school project; community parks and green spaces, in the addition to other necessary infrastructure works which will commence later this year.
The projects are being implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Education & Youth, National Works Agency and the National Water Commission.
