MAREP TEAM Profiles

Name: Shayan Paryag

Position: Secretary

Summary of Responsibilites: My duties will include everything that will fall under the responsibilities of a secretary.

I don’t have any hobbies for I try to get involved in anything that is not dangerous, illegal but will allow me to have fun.

Favorite food: Cheesecake.

Favorite quote: “Self love is the cure to self hate”.

Greatest achievement: I am proud of everything I do at MAREP on a daily basis because I know it is honest work. The fact that the programme was designed to assist with poverty reduction it’s enough to be proud of

Name: Handel Williams

Position: Driver &Office Attendant

Summary of Responsibilites: My responsibilities include transporting staff and guest, scanning and binding documents and making sure that all the vehicles attached to the MAREP are properly checked.

Favourtie hobby is playing cricket and I appreciate a bowl of any soup.

Favorite quote is “God helps those who help themselves”.

Greatest achievement:The task I am most proud off is having all MARP’s vehicles in proper working condition for I also share a passion for mechanics.

Name: Aria Cyrus

Position: Accounts Clerk

Summary of Responsibilities: To provide financial and administrative services to the programme in an effective and efficient manner that will ensure the accurate and timely maintenance of accounts payable records and transaction.

My daily task/responsibilities include the following:

Filing, Preparing payment vouchers, Data entry(QuickBooks & Smart Stream), Preparation of Fuel Reports & Purchase Order, Maintaining Fixed Assets Register & Procurement File and Preparing signature pages

Favourite hobbies are hiking, kayaking, shopping, listening music, paintballing.

Favourite food is Oil down.

Favourite quote is “Just Because We’re Magic Doesn’t Mean We’re Not Real” Jesse Williams

Greatest achivement: Being the recipient of the 2015 Programme’s Manager Award is one of my proudest achievement/moment in this Organization.

Name: Zaina Simon

Position: Administrative Officer

Summary of Responsibilities: Provides office support

My daily task/responsibilities include the following:

Responsible for the coordination and execution of general administrative and clerical support duties within the office.

Favourite hobby: Acting.

Favourite fruit: Pineapple (Sweet Ones Only)

Favourite quotes are:

“Surrender to what is, Let go of what was and have faith in what will be”

“Do not judge my story by the chapter you walked in on”.

Greatest achievement at MAREP is being able to attain a distinction in a part Marep funded University of the West Indies (UWI) course in Supervisory Management.

PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT COMPONENT

Name:Binta Viechweg- Greednige

Position: Programme Accountant

Summary of Responsibilities:My responsibilities include the management of the fiduciary aspects of the program.

Overall function of the Unit: It is safe to say that this unit aims at ensuring compliance with the regulations of the state and guidelines within the design documents agreed to at the inception of the program. The unit intends to continue in ensuring that expenditure is justified and remains eligible, thus reducing the burden on the Government of Grenada.

Challenges and Solutions: Finance Officers encounter similar challenges which are common to the nature of the work. Within the parameters of the MAREP, prioritization of activities remains the main challenge. Through improved communication, these hurdles can be resolved.

Favourite Quote:“Variety is the spice of life”

Favourite Foods: Enjoy a varitey of food

Favourtie Hobby: Try new activities

Greatest achivement:Continued learning is my greatest achievement since joining MAREP. Persisting even when the faith of the Programme was doubtful. It is just natural for me to want employees to ‘grow’ professionally through the activities being implemented.

Name: Michelle John

Position: Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Knowledge Management Officer.

Summary of Responsibilities:Responsible for Monitoring the activities of MAREP (VST,RIF Projects, Farm Access Roads, MAED Trainings), Planning Events, Creating Reports, Documenting the Progress of the entire project and informing all on Lessons Learnt. Also I am responsible for the updating and management of the official website and Facebook page and training staff on the use of the M&E System.

Community Issue closest to you: Secondary School Drop Out is a very serious issue that is closest to me. Education is extremely vital in the world today and it is important that all take every opportunity to learn as much as possible. Not possessing a secondary level education can limit youths and can lead them into a downward spiral. Education is the key.

Favourite Quote:“…….. so prove yourselves cautious as a serpent and yet innocent as doves” Matt 10:16 NWT

Favourite Foods: I love Caribbean Cuisine, Italian Cuisine,Greek Cuisine,Chinese/Thailand Cuisine and Desserts

Favourtie Hobby: My favorite hobbies are Reading and Baking.

Greatest achivement:I am proud of assisting with the creation of a website that features all our activities and with the completion of all M&E Activities thus far.

ADMINISTRATION

ACCOUNTS

MONITORING AND EVALUATION

Name: Byron Campbell

Position: Programme Manager

Summary of Responsibilities: Management of the entire Programme

Opportunities Provided by MAREP

VST-Vocational and Skills Training
Job Placement
Advocacy – Youth in Agriculture
Youth Motivational Symposiums
Opportunities for Employment
MAREP also works with the youth through Community Organizations.
Rural Financial Services (reimbursable and non reimbursable finance) namely Rural Investment Fund (RIF) and the Line of Credit (LOC).
Business Development Services and Marketing Assistance

Plans for 2016-2017

Draft Project Outline for MAREP 2nd Phase
Extension of MAREP activities for one year

Favourite hobbies are Swimming, Farming, Cycling.

Favourite foods Mangoes and Fish

Favourite quote:“Bad Breeze don’t blow”

Greatest achievement at MAREP is a large percentage of the Housekeeping Batch 1 Trainees have received permanent employment.

HUMAN AND SOCIAL CAPACITY BUILDING (HSCB) COMPONENT

Name: Asha Julien

Position: Human and Social Capital Building Specialist

Summary of Responsibilities:Responsible for the implementation of activities under the Human and Social Capacity Building and Inclusion of Vulnerable Groups Component. Key activities include training, supervising and providing orientation to the Community and Youth Officers. Consequently, I am responsible for the efficient and effective delivery of planned outputs under this component.

Department Plans for 2016/2017

Continue to provide support for the development and implementation of; Legal Consolidation, Strategic Plan, Constitution, Main Assessment, Empowerment Tool.
Mobilize and recruit youths to participate in Skills Trainings through MOUs with GNTA and CTA.Provide follow-up support with Job Placement for trainees who successfully completed Skills Training programs.
Continue to assist rural organizations with the implementation of Social RIF.

Favourite Quote: "Learning is a gift, even when pain is the teacher."

Favourite Food: Soups; I enjoy almost every kind.

Favourtie Hobbies:Gardening, going to the movies, reading and volunteer work.

Greatest achivement:.Providing Caribbean and National Vocational Qualification Certificates to 149 VST trainees, who successfully completed the necessary requirements.

Name: Danessa Jospeh

Position: Community & Youth Officer ( St. Andrew & St. David)

Summary of Responsibilities:

Assist organizations in identifying and access capacity building training opportunities
Identify and assist youth in accessing skills training opportunities
Identify and implement life skills and personal development trainings
Assist organizations in becoming registered, develop their strategic plans, constitution and implement activities within their respective locations; as well as build social capital and strengthen their strategic alliances
Assist organizations in presenting proposals for financing under MAREP’s Rural Investment Fund Window

Commuity Issue Closest to you:

Reluctance of community residents to partake in the developmental process as a result of political affiliations

Favourite Quote: “Everything happens for a reason”

Favourite Food: Don’t have a preference

Favourtie Hobby: Reading

Greatest achivement:. Assisting young people in accessing skills training and finding permeant employment as a result of the training.

Name: Seville M. Francis

Position: Community & Youth Officer (St. Patrick)

Summary of Responsibilities:

Identifying, and assisting youth with skills and vocational courses.
Assisting organizations with project proposals for financing through the Rural Investment Fund (RIF) window.
Assisting organizations with developing constitutions, developing strategic plans, creating strategic alliances, becoming legally registered, and empowering of organizations with social and capital building.
Providing life skills training and capacity building for individuals and organizations.

Community Issue Closest to you:

The issue that is closest to me is that of the illiteracy level of the people in these rural communities. Because the level of illiteracy is so high it creates a barrier to strengthening and empowerment, to aid in the development of the organization and the community by extension.

Favourite Quote: “With life, anything is possible!”

Favourite Food: Oil Down

Favourtie Hobby: Volunteering

Greatest achivement:. The proudest moment for me , was being able to assist the youth in the different communities of St. Patrick’s to access vocational training, that would enable them to improve their lifestyle by becoming qualified, to gain employment.

Name: Sheena Narayan

Position: Community & Youth Officer (St. John)

Summary of Responsibilities:

Assist male and female leaders and members of rural organizations with identifying training needs and support for strengthening their organizations and achieving empowerment and equity;

-Implement life-skills and personal development training;
-Assist CBOs, Producers Groups, Associations and Cooperatives with organizational strengthening, membership, increase of their financial resources, and human capital building through practical training workshops and support, national and international exchange visits;
-Assist rural organizations to become officially registered;
-Assist CBOs, Producers Groups, Associations and Cooperatives with the elaboration of Community Development or Organizations Strategic Plans and the building of social capital and strengthening of their network of strategic alliances through amongst other the organization of “Round Table Negotiations”

Community Issue Closest to you:

-Difficulties in getting some of the community groups to meet in order to discuss future activities or the way forward.
-Low turn out from group members in Capacity Building Training

Favourite Quote: “When you live for a strong purpose, then hard work isn’t an option. It’s a necessity.” Steve Pavlina

Favourite Food: Shrimp Penne Alfredo

Favourtie Hobby: Socializing with people

Greatest achivement:.Recruitment of young unemployed male and females in the communities which resulted in being certified and receiving job placement.

Name: Keron Phillip

Position: Community & Youth Officer (St. Mark)

Summary of Responsibilities:

Assist organizations in identifying and access capacity building training opportunities
Identify and assist youth in accessing skills training opportunities
Identify and implement life skills and personal development trainings
Assist organizations in becoming registered, develop their strategic plans, constitution and implement activities within their respective locations; as well as build social capital and strengthen their strategic alliances
Assist organizations in presenting proposals for financing under MAREP’s Rural Investment Fund Window
Motivate and mobilize young people into forming Community Youth Organization.

Favourite Quote: “If you want to be Somebody or go somewhere, you better wake up and pay attention”.

Favourite Food: Provision and Salt fish/ Banana pie.

Favourtie Hobbies: Playing Sports (football, Cricket, Volleyball and, basketball), Presenting, Tutoring, Mobilizing and Motivating.

Greatest achivement:.Assisting over 40 young people in accessing skills training and finding permanent employment as a result of the training.

Name: Karreem Salhab

Position: Community & Youth Officer (St.George)

Summary of Responsibilities:

I offer capacity building strengthening trainings to community organizations and also publicize and recruit trainees from the specified communities for any upcoming Skills and Vocational training available by MAREP.

Community Issue Closest to you:The lack of training opportunities available. Education is the gateway to escaping poverty and if more training opportunities were available it will reduce the vulnerability of the community members to the many ills of society.

Favourite Quote: "I CAN, I WILL, I MUST"

Favourite Food: Curried food

Favourtie Hobby: I love singing.

Greatest achivement:.The fact that I was able to identify persons in need of training in the communities, providing them with a second hope.

MARKET ACCESS ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT (MAED) COMPONENT

Name:Abi-Gail Oliver

Position: Business Development Officer

Summary of Responsibilities:My duties involve providing hand-holding and business support services to the Rural Investment Fund (RIF) organizations for grant funding and Line of Credit (LOC) beneficiaries for business loans.

Community Issue Closest to you: Unemployment, which is one of the major problems among the youths.

Favourite Quote: “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi

Favourite Food: I love vegetarian food

Favourtie Hobby: Socializing with people

Greatest achivement:.With the hard work and perseverance towards my applicants, I was the first BDO to allow one of the RIF organizations (Rose Hill Fisher Folk Producer Group Inc.,) to receive their grant funding from MAREP to purchase a 29ft fishing vessel. This, I must say is one of my biggest accomplishments, since it was my initially experience facing the different RIF organizations.

Name:Emon Lessey

Position: Business Development Officer

Summary of Responsibilities:

Assisting farmers, fisher folks, agro-processing, crafts and service enterprise production businesses to increase their assets
Providing business development support services to rural community based organizations, farmers, fisher folks, agro-processing, crafts and service enterprise production businesses.
Assisting farmers, fisher folks, agro-processing, crafts and service enterprise production businesses to access the Line of credit for the first time.

Community Issue Closest to you:

Functional illiteracy - reading and writing skills of beneficiaries that are inadequate to manage daily living and employment tasks that require reading skills beyond a basic level.
Income poverty - where family's income fails to meet the national established threshold.
Structural Functionalism

Favourite Quote: ‘Success is a lousy teacher! It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose...’

Favourite Food: Spicy Foods

Favourtie Hobby: Listening to Music

Greatest achivement:.Helping rural community based organizations, farmers, fisher folks, agro-processing, crafts and service enterprise production businesses get access to financing.

Name:Donnalee Benjamin

Position: Imani Trainee Assigned to MAED Department

Summary of Responsibilities:My responsibilities includes preparing and printing documents, making and accepting phone calls, taking memos, maintaining files, etc.

Community Issue Closest to you:

Unemployment and drug use

Favourite Quote: "Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve "– Napoleon Hill

Favourite Food:Pasta

Favourtie Hobby: Reading

Greatest achivement:.I haven’t been employed in MAREP for a long time hence I haven’t been able to accomplish much but I am very proud of my contribution towards the women in production exposition 2016

Name: Kelian Cyrus

Position: Imani Trainee Assigned to M&E Unit

Summary of Responsibilities:

Community Issue Closest to you: I am passionate about education at all levels and feel strongly about persons whose creative capacity is neglected. I would like to see more affordable avenues in my community and Grenada on a whole where persons can discover and express their intellectuality and creativity. As well as I would like to see more people taking the many opportunities that are already available.

Favourite Quote: "Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve "– Napoleon Hill

Favourite Food:Pasta

Favourtie Hobby: Reading

Name: Shania Alexander

Position: Imani Trainee Assigned to HSCB Component

Summary of Responsibilities:My responsibility as an Imani trainee at MAREP is to assist the Community and Youth officers in accomplishing tasks such as; typing out documents, gathering of information to complete various documents and updating of database.

What tasks are you enagaged with on a daily basis?

Typing out of documents and updating of the database related to HSCB activities
Recruiting of individuals for courses offered at MAREP.
Field visit to idfferent target communitites to conduct mobikization for activities hosted by MAREP and advertising of courses ofered at MAREP
Placing a Call

Community Issue Closest to you:

One of the issue face within my community that is closest to me is Gambling, I strongly think the result for that is lack of employment and Illiteracy background

Favourite Quote:" If you dont build your dreams, someone will hire you to build theirs"; "Life is like riding a bicycle. To kep your balance, you must keep moving"

Favourite Food: Stew Chicken and Provision

Favourtie Hobby: Listening to Music

Greatest achivement:My Most fulfilling achievement at MAREP is yet to be discovered, however being able to gain the knowledge and experience as trainee is extremely great.

Name: Marika Edwards

Position: Imani Trainee Assigned to HSCB Component

Summary of Responsibilities:\My responsibilities as an IMANI trainee placed at MAREP includes that of assisting the Community and Youth Officers (CYOs) with accomplishing tasks

What tasks are you enagaged with on a daily basis?\

Updating of the database for the different vocational Skills Training course (VST) offered by MAREP. It is of great importance that the database be updated to ensure the smooth flow of production and the overall success of the courses.
Making of calls to individuals in the different community and groups within the MAREP target communities.
Answering the telephone to provide information to individuals looking to know more about MAREP and the services available to them.
Attend field visits to various target communities. While on field visit, a number of tasks are perform which includes advertising, mobilizing, recruiting and gathering of information

Community Issue Closest to you: One of the issues affecting my community, which is closes to me, is the level of illiteracy display by members within the community. I strongly believe that the only way out of poverty is through education whether it is skills training or university education

Favourite Quote:“I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Stregthen Me”.

Favourite Food: My favourite food is Oil Down.

Favourtie Hobby: My favourite hobby is reading. Reading is knowledge in its own language

Greatest achivement:One thing that i am most proud of is being placed in an environment where i have the opportunity to help others even in the smallest way possible.

Name:Sabrina Phillip

Position: Marketing Technical Assistant

Summary of Responsibilities:

Assist with the conduct and coordination of market research and inputting/updating of the market database.
Provide technical support and training to Community Based Organizations (CBO’s), Producer Groups and Small and Micro Enterprises (SME’s) in the area of market research and the design of marketing plans and strategies
Organize logistics for participation in product fairs and other strategic opportunities for beneficiaries to contact potential buyers.
Assist CBO’s, Producer Group and SME’s in obtaining market access for their products – direct linkages to sell products to hotels, restaurants and supermarkets.

Community Issue Closest to you:

Inadequate market access for producers

Favourite Quote: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” Phil 4:13

Favourite Food: N/A

Favourtie Hobby: N/A

Greatest achivement:fostering linkages between purchasers and producers for increased income generation.