Association of Community Based Organizations Ltd
The Association of Community Based Organizations Ltd carries out it mission through five programme areas, they are as follows.
Video Animation & Advocacy
Video Animation component plays a vital role in all the programme areas. One member from each community club is trained to master the art and in turn focus the camera on community issues and activities. This intern is shown to members in the different communities to stimulate discussions, identify problems and seek solutions. Hence, a number of video have been produced and have been screened in various communities.
The productions includes:
(i) Bad Boy Gilbert
(ii) Bad Road Conditions
(iii) Typhoid Prevention /Mosquito Control
The video is also used to raise funds from community activities across the parish. The funds are deposited in an account called Rural Video Animation, to help to carry on the work of the AOC.
The productions includes:
(i) Bad Boy Gilbert
(ii) Bad Road Conditions
(iii) Typhoid Prevention /Mosquito Control
- The “Play way Method”`
- Basic School Labour Day Projects
- Community Centre in Westmoreland
- Profile on Galloway and Pedestrian Crossing
- Sexually Transmitted Diseases
- A.O.C. Documentary
- Poor Development of Galloway Property
- Sustenance of the Sugar Industry
- Roaring River Water Supply
- AOC Summer Camp Jamboree 2002 / 2003
- Historical People, Places & Things
- Proper and Improper Parenting
- Adolescents at Risk
The video is also used to raise funds from community activities across the parish. The funds are deposited in an account called Rural Video Animation, to help to carry on the work of the AOC.
Education, Training & Environmental Sensitization
This committee places emphasis on consciousness–raising and animation techniques through:
(a) Training through Club Meetings
(b) Workshop and Seminars
(c) Networking
(d) Film show and Discussions
The AOC Video Animation & Advocacy and Education & Environmental Sensitization Programme areas work hand in hand as it’s through the medium of video that we sensitize the communities on issues affecting and relating to their environment. The camera is used to capture some of these problems eg. Improper garbage disposal, poor development practices and pollution of water supply, which we show back to the community and lead discussions. The same method would be used where good practices are discovered.
AOC seeks to develop the reading and research ability of its members through its Robin Whittlesey Foundation Library host in the Petersfield Community Centre. Members are encouraged to use this Library, which will sensitize them towards reading. The Library is used by not only members, but the community in general, Early Childhood, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary students.
AOC has a Computer Lab which facilitates the training of community members in the use of computer, to enable them to exploit the opportunity in the Information Technology Industry. This has three distinct components.
a. Parental Technology Support:
These training targets parents to be better able to assists their children with their school- work.
b. Literacy Training:
A special effort has been made to train some community members as animators for our Adult Literacy Programme. Previous efforts to conduct adult literacy classes have been met with much resistance. This because of the stigma attached to the JAMAL concept. We have found, from a recent effort to use the computer to teach adult Phonics, Basic Language and Numerical Skills, an overwhelming response from the adult population of the community. Upon close examination, we realized that most persons wanted to access the classes but felt comfortable to come under the guise of coming to computer classes. We have since found compact disc (CD) software that has stimulating approaches to learning remedial Math and English. As such, we train a batch of computer animators who carry out Adult Literacy Remedial classes as well as any other such computer training needs that may arise.
c. General Computer Training:
This takes in training of Early Childhood students to the General Public in the Introduction to Computer. This covers the areas of Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Publisher and Power point.
(a) Training through Club Meetings
(b) Workshop and Seminars
(c) Networking
(d) Film show and Discussions
- Video Computer Literacy
- Environmental Sensitization
- Reading & Writing and Research
The AOC Video Animation & Advocacy and Education & Environmental Sensitization Programme areas work hand in hand as it’s through the medium of video that we sensitize the communities on issues affecting and relating to their environment. The camera is used to capture some of these problems eg. Improper garbage disposal, poor development practices and pollution of water supply, which we show back to the community and lead discussions. The same method would be used where good practices are discovered.
AOC seeks to develop the reading and research ability of its members through its Robin Whittlesey Foundation Library host in the Petersfield Community Centre. Members are encouraged to use this Library, which will sensitize them towards reading. The Library is used by not only members, but the community in general, Early Childhood, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary students.
AOC has a Computer Lab which facilitates the training of community members in the use of computer, to enable them to exploit the opportunity in the Information Technology Industry. This has three distinct components.
a. Parental Technology Support:
These training targets parents to be better able to assists their children with their school- work.
b. Literacy Training:
A special effort has been made to train some community members as animators for our Adult Literacy Programme. Previous efforts to conduct adult literacy classes have been met with much resistance. This because of the stigma attached to the JAMAL concept. We have found, from a recent effort to use the computer to teach adult Phonics, Basic Language and Numerical Skills, an overwhelming response from the adult population of the community. Upon close examination, we realized that most persons wanted to access the classes but felt comfortable to come under the guise of coming to computer classes. We have since found compact disc (CD) software that has stimulating approaches to learning remedial Math and English. As such, we train a batch of computer animators who carry out Adult Literacy Remedial classes as well as any other such computer training needs that may arise.
c. General Computer Training:
This takes in training of Early Childhood students to the General Public in the Introduction to Computer. This covers the areas of Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Publisher and Power point.
Village Tourism for Education, Volunteerism & Development
The Association of Clubs is conscious of the fact that tourism is the greatest of our foreign exchange earner in the country, and one of the industries that can create employment if dealt with creatively.
In collaboration with the Amizade Global Service - Learning Program we has created the above Programme, where universities, colleges, high school students and their Professor/ Lecturer in various fields of education but more specifically community development and socialization have been working with us over the past six years. They volunteer in construction, landscaping, teach & mentor in High Schools, Primary Schools and E.C.I., provide services in Hospitals, Clinics and Infirmaries. For the year 2009 in the month of March only, we had a total of 47 volunteers, they volunteer on projects such as:
- Coke’s View Primary School - Refurbished & painted a canteen and teaching IT.
- Galloway E.C.I – Break ground and put in infrastructure for a 24 X 16 classroom and teaching.
- Shrewsbury E.C.I – Painted School.
- “Pride of Petersfield” Park – Landscaping.
- Petersfield and Godfrey Stewart High Schools – Teaching, Mentoring and Motivational talks.
- Petersfield Community Centre – Teach Computer.
We provide lodging, meal, entertainment, cultural education exchange, historical and community tours through lush and beautiful vegetation, internet and videography services.
This help to create employment within our communities.
Culture and Sports
Culture is used as a means of providing entertainment and education .It is expressed in the form of drama, music, dance, culinary arts and role play. These forms are originally created and presented by the clubs at community concerts, workshop, and club meetings. Cultural flash back, this is a feature where knowledgeable elderly persons are asked to share their experiences with the youth. This helps to bridge the generation gap and so doing pass on our rich Cultural Heritage to the younger generation. The AOC encourages entertainment through sporting activities in cricket, netball, football, volleyball, domino, table tennis and quizzes among others. These activities encourage networking and socializing with other groups / communities In order to facilitate cultural and sporting activities, Rural Video Animation donated twenty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) in the form of a grant to the Cultural and Sports Committee. This fund is to be used as loans to individual Clubs. To date the loan to any one club stands at fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00). The club will pay back this with five (5%) percent interest. On the first working day after the function, member clubs are encourage to use this fund as the more it is been use the more capital is generated for their own use.
Frank Morgan Loan Programme & Disaster Preparedness
This programme area was re- named after one of its founding member, Frank Morgan now deceased.
The Frank Morgan Loan programme consists of four components namely:-
We also encourage back yard gardening and economic food plots. We work closely with other agricultural organization such as Rural Agricultural Development Agency (RADA) and the Jamaica 4H Club.
The Frank Morgan Loan programme consists of four components namely:-
- Agriculture
- Small Business
- Housing
- Education
We also encourage back yard gardening and economic food plots. We work closely with other agricultural organization such as Rural Agricultural Development Agency (RADA) and the Jamaica 4H Club.
