PHILIPSBURG – Starting off her tenure in Parliament, Member of Parliament recently visited the St. Maarten Development Fund (SMDF) to learn more about the organization, and particularly its work in Community Development. During the visit, SMDF Managing Director Keith Franca and Program and Development Manager Makhicia Brooks briefed the MP about the organization’s work in social development. This includes its grants to some twenty-four (24) non-profit organizations and various projects executed.

In the area of community development, SMDF shared with MP Richardson the Fund’s Community Engagement and Disaster Risk Reduction project which began this year. Since the project’s launch, SMDF has been working to develop the capacities of Community Councils so that the councils may be assets to the residents of communities and serve on their behalf to have key community issues resolved. With its project plan in place and activities underway, SMDF will be continuing its efforts in Community Engagement in 2020.