Officials from the Department of Constituency Empowerment are out and about gathering information on the type of services available in various communities, how effective the services are and what gaps need to be filled.

The mandate of the Department of Constituency Empowerment is to be an intermediary body between the government and the various entities that serve the public. It also helps to build capacity at the constituency level to help individuals access relevant services while communicating the needs of residents back to the relevant authorities.

On the July 07 edition of the radio and television programme InFocus, Derek Fyfield, Constituency Empowerment Support Officer, said getting information is a challenging task at times, as some persons do not cooperate during surveys and other engagements.

Derek Fyfield

“Persons who support different parties than the government are staying back and saying it is not for them because it is for the government supporters,” he stated. “That is not so. This department is for everybody. … We don’t see colour; we don’t see party. We see individuals and every individual has needs, and we are here to meet that need to enhance their lives.”

Colincia Levine, Director of Constituency Empowerment, said that the legacy and reputation of the department led many to question the operations of the department. However, the new staff is currently working to forge a new identity.

Colincia Levine

“We do understand that in every revitalization there will be push back and so we are here to encourage the country to give us a chance, give us a try, dialogue and let us know,” said Ms. Levine, noting that a number of public activities and a media tour are an essential part of spreading the word about the department. “We are undertaking these activities to spread awareness and to help in the rebranding of the department so that all citizens need not worry about political bias. We are here to serve all.”

InFocus airs live on ZIZ Radio and Television every Wednesday at 1 p.m. It is also streamed live on ZIZ’s and SKNIS’ YouTube Channels and Facebook Pages. The show is rebroadcast on various local and regional stations and outlets at different times and days.