by Joseph Mapp

Introduction
The Marriaqua community is off the blocs with an important health team that is intended to bolster efforts nationally to promote sustainable, healthy lifestyles. The Marriaqua District Health team, which was inaugurated on July 18, 2019, was introduced to the public on Tuesday, April 2, 2019 at the opening of the Levi Latham Health Complex at Mesopotamia.

The main aim of the ‘Health Team’ is to help the people of the various communities within the district to practice a healthier lifestyle and become more productive, as a result. The Health District, encompasses the Health Centers of Evesham, Mesopotamia, Richland Park, Greggs, Lowmans (windward) and Calder, spanning the constituencies of Marriaqua, South Central Windward and South Windward.

Community

Development
The functioning of the District Health Team, a totally voluntary grouping, must be placed fully within the context of Community Development, which the United Nations defines as “a process where community members come together to take collective action and general solutions to common problems”.

It cannot be over-emphasized that community development is a process. In it, people come together to take action on what is important to them. Hence, the Health Team, with its focus to make a seminal input into the Community Development aims to do the following:

(a) Work closely with community members to co-design, develop, implement and evaluate care, facilities and strategies to meet the health needs identified at the district level.
(b) Annually assess the health of the community and determine priority areas for interventions
(c) Facilitate the implementation of specific projects and programmes at the community level.
(d) Work collaboratively with other community groups, service organisations, and public agencies especially primary health care management teams.

The executive members of the Health Team are:

President – Joseph Mapp
Vice President – Samuel Joyles
General Secretary – Stanley Stephens
Assistant Secretary – Marva Hector
Treasurer – Josephine Ollivierre
Public Relations Officer – Kelitha Henry
Chaplain – Ps Adolphus Isaacs
Committee Members – Sr Vicklee Joseph
Eucille Joseph

They will serve for a two-year term.

Membership is open to persons who are desirous of joining the Health Team. They can contact any member of the executive or any Health Centre within the Marriaqua Health District, outlined above

The will of the People

It is often said that the greatest asset of any nation is its people. Any development starts with the people. They must have the right knowledge, skills and attitude that are needed for the time in which they live. These assets must then be harnessed in a process that would bring about development. The people must be properly motivated to act to achieve an established goal through sound education. This is more than just the pursuance of a course of study. It will arouse latent energy that lies within them and this power must be properly mobilized and channeled in the right direction. In this way it can safely be said that knowledge is a great power.

An Engine of Growth

Within the villages which comprise the Marriaqua Health District are people of all ages and professions, with a vast amount of knowledge and skills. They range from children in schools to retired workers.

Most of the retirees are aware of the processes that are involved in getting things done and there’s a need for them to be refocused in an attitude of giving back something to the community without looking for material returns, thus continuing the community development thrust. The retirees who are members on the Health Team has this goal in mind- in this way the Health Team can become a catalyst to facilitate growth and productivity. We urge you to: Support the Health Team! Let it flourish.