Homeless secure post-World Cup jobs

About a dozen individuals who were hired for the clean-up campaign during the ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup have successfully secured well-paying jobs in the bustling 2024 Crop Over season, marking a significant step towards reintegration into mainstream society.

Kemar Saffrey, head of the Barbados Alliance to End Homelessness, told Barbados TODAY: “It was a good season for us; a majority of them were gainfully employed from other persons seeing them on the road, so they are getting employment. I think of the 12 or 13 of them, only three are still to be gainfully employed.”

The initial project, a collaborative effort between local World Cup stakeholders and the BAEH, aimed to provide employment opportunities for homeless persons in the Bridgetown area. Its success has laid the groundwork for a more comprehensive approach to assisting homeless individuals in rejoining the workforce.

Saffrey explained: “I think we have set the tone for it. I think it is very [good] that these individuals are given opportunities to work as a way of pulling themselves out of homelessness. I can tell you that we have been doing our best in terms of getting them reintegrated, to make themselves ready and presentable [for their jobs]. We are ready for them to get back into mainstream society.”

The positive outcomes have sparked interest from potential employers. “We are seeing people calling, we are seeing people coming by [and] people want more staff,” Saffery noted. He emphasised that given the opportunity, many homeless individuals are eager to become active members of society again.

Despite this success, the homelessness charity continues to face high demand for its services. Since the shelter began operating 24 hours a day in November 2023, there has been no notable decrease in requests for assistance.

“We’ve not seen any drop in numbers. There are people calling every day, people seeking shelter every single day, and there are families seeking shelter as well,” Saffrey said. “We do have a lot of requests on the table for food and clothing, so we are still definitely seeing an increase in people seeking shelter. It may not be as overwhelming as in previous times, but every day there is [an] ask for shelter.”

(shamarblunt@barbadostoday.bb)