Building South East Clarendon
Vision & Plans
My vision as Member of Parliament for South East Clarendon is to build a better SEC by increasing employment, improving infrastructure, expanding access to water, education and other resources, in a manner that will heighten the standard of living among all residents in the constituency.
My mission is to build communities and empower constituents to provide for themselves and contribute to the country’s economic and social growth.
“South East Clarendon, you are now my priority. Your issues are my issues, your concerns are my concerns.”
Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr.
As Member of Parliament, my focus areas are:
Building and Road Infrastructure
One of the major challenges in South East Clarendon continues to be poor building and road infrastructure.
With one of the largest proportions of total land used for farming, proper road infrastructure and drainage is crucial in Clarendon. Due to poor road conditions, farmers continue to have a challenge transporting their produce and residents continue to struggle with similar transportation issues. Flooding during extreme weather conditions due to poor drainage and other geographical factors is also a recurring concern.
As Member of Parliament, it is my goal to develop the road network and drainage system to create more resilient infrastructure and reduce the incidence of flooding, and to improve vehicular movement and safety on the roadways to benefit all road users.
I intend to engage the National Works Agency to continue identifying communities as well as major roadways that need significant infrastructure development.
I also aim to continue assisting constituents with building infrastructure through our Building Assistance programme which has already provided several members of the constituency with grants for construction projects for homes and businesses.
Educating Our Youth
Education is one of the strongest tools in eradicating poverty and is an essential factor for the full and effective participation of youth in the processes of social, economic and political development.
My goal as MP is to increase the participation rates of young people, with a focus on marginalized youth, to ensure that they acquire the knowledge, capacities, skills and values needed to fulfil their role as agents of development and good governance.
This is why through our Back-to-School Assistance and Tuition Assistance programmes, we have helped hundreds of students across all levels (primary, secondary and tertiary) with grants and book vouchers to ease the financial burden on parents to provide a full education to their children.
Our internship and volunteer programmes have also helped young people to gain the work experience needed to hone their career skills while getting involved in their community. It is my dream for all children to have equal access to quality education.
Access to Water
Access to water is a long-standing issue for several communities in South East Clarendon.
Water is an essential resource for life and is necessary for public health whether used for drinking, food production, domestic or recreational purposes. Everyone has the right to sufficient, continuous, safe, acceptable, physically accessible and affordable water for personal and domestic use.
In 2022, as a society advancing towards total digitalisation, all citizens should have basic essential amenities. Without access to safe water, the constituency remains vulnerable to deadly diseases and water-borne illnesses.
As Member of Parliament, I wish to improve water access and sanitation across all communities within South East Clarendon to increase community hygiene and reduce the transmission of diseases.
Supporting Small Businesses
Small businesses play an important role in supporting and building their communities.
It is my dream to build South East Clarendon by providing assistance to small businesses through financing, innovation and training to enhance their sustainable growth and competitiveness and foster job creation, in turn strengthening the labour market, reducing the unemployment rate and growing Jamaica’s economy.
With this potentially positive impact on the communities within SEC, it is my hope that more constituents will be encouraged to start their own businesses and further invest in their community.
Community Development
Community development is important because it contributes to the growth of society by improving the lives of its citizens.
It is my goal to build South East Clarendon into a safe community that will be able to attract and keep talent, start and grow businesses, and overcome any issues that arise. This I aim to do through development and rehabilitation projects, social outreach and fairs, beautification projects, and community-building events such as back-to-school treats and sports rallies.
With a developed community, it is my hope that incidents of crime and violence will decrease in South East Clarendon, and all families with have an improved quality of life, therefore raising citizens who will better contribute to the wider building of the nation.
Map of SEC
