MIAMI, United States — Where other people saw only poverty, Edward Seaga envisioned the neighborhoods that could be. As Jamaica’s fifth prime minister, Seaga brought his vision to life through skills training and urban development.
Seaga, who led the Jamaica Labour Party from 1974 to 2005 and served as prime minister from 1980 to 1989, was born on May 28, 1930. He received his education at Wolmer’s Boys’ School in Jamaica before graduating from Harvard University in 1952 with a bachelor’s degree in social sciences. He began his political career in 1959 and became the longest-serving member of Parliament in Jamaica’s history.
Reducing Poverty in Jamaica
During his time in office, Seaga initiated many economic and social programs and institutions that significantly contributed to Jamaica’s growth and development. These include the National Gallery, the Urban Development Corporation, the Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), the Student Loan Bureau, the Jamaica Stock Exchange, the Jamaica Festival Movement, Ex-Im Bank and the Jamaica Mortgage Bank. The economic benefits of some of these institutions are clear; the Jamaica Stock Exchange, for example, helps businesses find investors to build the economy. Others offer more indirect benefits; the Student Loan Bureau, for instance, helps students from different socioeconomic backgrounds pay for their classes, which in turn helps them attain higher pay in the workforce.
Skills Training and Workforce Development
Prime Minister Seaga formed the HEART/National Training Agency (NSTA) center in July 1982, which continues to serve as Jamaica’s leading national center for skills training, education and workforce development. In his 2010 autobiography, “My Life and Leadership – Volume 2,” Seaga called HEART one of his favorite institutions, writing that it “saved thousands of youths by giving them a second opportunity to create a better life.” Since its founding, HEART has grown substantially, enrolling more than 108,000 trainees and certifying upward of 41,000 individuals annually. The organization now includes roughly 30 institutions and covers more than 80 community training intervention programs. Seaga created the program to address what he called Jamaica’s “consistent underdevelopment and unemployment challenges.”
Urban Renewal and Housing
Urban renewal and housing were key parts of how Seaga addressed poverty in Jamaica. In the 1960s, he oversaw the redevelopment of Back-O-Wall, a large informal settlement, transforming it into Tivoli Gardens, a modern low-income housing community. In 1968, he helped establish the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), a government agency that buys land and builds public facilities to meet community needs. Under Seaga’s supervision, the UDC acquired significant tracts of prime land. Through the UDC, the agency supported major waterfront development projects in Kingston, Ocho Rios and Montego Bay, including resort, residential and community developments, and helped build Negril into one of Jamaica’s major tourist destinations.
Legacy and Impact
Seaga cared deeply for the poor in Jamaica. Before his death, he advised current Prime Minister Andrew Holness, “Whatever you do, do not forget about the poor.” Seaga left a lasting impression on Holness, who said Seaga focused on “taking the theoretical foundations of his studies in anthropology and applying them in the laboratory of life policy in action,” adding that Seaga “had a genuine care, love and passion for people.”
Although Seaga died in 2019, his impact remains visible throughout Jamaica today. Seaga wanted Jamaicans to find jobs, build satisfying careers and live better lives, and his successors, including Holness, continue that work, to reduce poverty in Jamaica.
– Debra Pierre
Debra is based in Miami, FL, USA and focuses on Celebs for The Borgen Project.
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