IN his continuing push to improve the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH), Minister of Labour and Social Security Pearnel Charles Jr will host the second in a series of town hall meetings on Wednesday at the St Gabriel’s Anglican Church Hall in Clarendon.

The town hall meeting will underscore a pivotal focus on engagement with existing PATH beneficiaries and local organisations to gain optimal feedback towards the transformation of the programme.

While pointing out that Clarendon is the parish with the second-highest number of registered PATH beneficiaries, Charles Jr emphasised the importance of getting feedback from these individuals, numbering 33,530 as of December 2023.

“This town hall signifies a strategic opportunity to engage stakeholders in the transformation of PATH through their invaluable insights from experience,” said Charles Jr.

The town hall will also welcome key stakeholders, including non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as Food for the Poor and local agencies, including the Social Development Commission (SDC) and the Poor Relief Department, to provide necessary contributions to the ongoing discussions surrounding the improvement of PATH.

The minister argued that partnering with stakeholders will fortify Jamaica’s social safety net programme and foster lasting relationships aligned with PATH’s objectives.

“This partnership is a step in a positive direction; the aim is to create lasting relationships between agencies whose mandate and commitment to socio-economic development directly aligns with the objectives of PATH,” said Charles Jr.

“Our goal is to improve how we deliver the benefits of PATH to our people. This is why we are committed to implementing a strategic solution that will foster a more responsive, effective and progressive programme addressing the immediate needs of the poor and vulnerable families across the island,” Charles Jr added.

During the inaugural town hall meeting held in Brown’s Town, St Ann, on January 31, the ministry actively involved residents, thought leaders, and representatives of educational institutions across the parish in discussions regarding areas of the programme requiring transformation.

Following those discussions the ministry unveiled plans for strategic initiatives aimed at improving the data collection process and enhancing monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to sustain the programme’s effectiveness.