‘Putting his money where his mouth is’

KINGSTON, Jamaica—Member of Parliament (MP) for St Andrew East Central, Dennis Gordon, has revealed that he has given up 25 per cent of his salary to a faith-based initiative managed by Bishop Herro Blair. He has also acquired a property for $20 million to ensure tenure for approximately 100 residents who faced eviction. “That is leadership empowering people,” Gordon said Tuesday during his contribution to the 2026/27 State of the Constituency Debate in the House of Representatives. The Opposition member told Parliament that he has allocated over $10 million to educational grants, approximately $3 million to healthcare grants, $4 million to economic enablement, $4 million in housing assistance, $2 million for mitigation works, and $2 million for sport and welfare programmes, among other assistance, including from his Constituency Development Fund (CDF). On education, he said it is “one of the greatest weapons against the evil of poverty”. He added that “investing heavily in education provides a pathway to elevate families trapped in poverty”. He also pointed out that many of the students who did well in the Primary Exit Profile examination have been enrolled in the most celebrated high schools in the Corporate Area, while many high school graduates are now enrolled on various university campuses. Gordon told the House that scholarships across 45 churches are a game-changing formula. “That is what investment looks like: not data, not a slogan; it is a progressive, reformed gateway,” he remarked. “We must do more; our children need an educational framework that guides them from school into adulthood: academics, skills training, technology, scholarships, mentorship, internships, ownership, and entrepreneurship support,” said the first-term MP. According to Gordon, no one’s financial reality should determine the quality of education received. The executive chairman of the JACDEN Group of Companies, Gordon, told the Parliament that communities cannot flourish if their population is ailing and lacks access to quality, affordable healthcare. “Access to a first-world primary healthcare system that offers screening and greater emphasis on preventative care to support our most vulnerable should be binding,” he said. He noted that it was for this reason why the JACDEN Medical Unit, “staffed by the finest medical professionals, is deployed to communities to provide quality care at no cost”. Gordon also called for more support for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), noting that “we often focus on people looking for work, not those creating jobs. “Our MSMEs are the national entry point for employment,” he said, while also stating that he was committed to a revolving fund to support business incubators. Gordon said MSMEs need investment capital, market research protocols, and training in prudent financial, technical, and interpersonal management skills to help them move from survival to growth and expansion. He also called for an increase in the CDF. During his presentation, Gordon addressed what he called the ‘seven-misery index’, which he described as youth unemployment; poverty alleviation; infrastructure and security; urban renewal; education and youth development; health and wellness; and MSMEs.