Of course, there are many organizations, governmental departments, clubs, sports factions, and community initiatives in Anguilla. All are very important in terms of helping the country move forward and producing good citizens who will eventually take ownership and pride in their country. Everyone does their part to help, and every little bit counts.

There are, however, some organizations that are doing a great deal because they can. The Social Security Board is the subject of this week’s article. You, the reader, will see what an enormous impact the SSB plays in youth development and as a whole. Mr. Timothy Hodge, Director of the Social Security Board, was kind enough to answer a few important questions concerning the Board’s function and what it has done and is currently doing for Anguilla and especially the young people.

It is important however, to identify the role of the Social Security Board. According to Mr. Hodge, “the Social Security Board is the statutory body established by the Social Security Act in 1980 to manage the Social Security Fund. The Fund was established to pay social security benefits to persons who work in Anguilla, whether for an employer or whether they are self-employed, and to their dependents. Therefore surviving dependent children can receive benefits if their breadwinning parent dies. The SSB is a model corporate citizen and supports a large number of community projects, many of which are targeted towards the young. The SSB does not exist in a vacuum, it exists within the Anguillian community and has a critical socio-economic role which it is determined to perform. It has a vested interest in having a healthy, well-educated workforce, and therefore whatever it can do to achieve this it will pursue vigorously - naturally this includes programmes for the youth. Additionally, the SSB manages the Social Security Development Fund (SSDF) which was established 20 years ago to fund socially desirable projects. Over the years, the vast majority of those projects have been for sports development, education (especially reading recovery) and other projects which benefit the youth. These include the building of tennis and basketball courts, other sports facilities, supporting the Anguilla Tennis Academy from its inception, building one of the courts for the Tennis Academy, supporting many other sports including cricket, football, sponsoring athletes, etc., Camp BE AWARE (environmental activities), musical instruments and training, swimming campaign, AIDS programmes, and much more.”

It is quite obvious that the SSB is highly committed to Anguilla, its people, and youth. Mr. Hodge also mentioned that the SSB has received, in the past, some criticism for being too involved in community and youth projects. This criticism only derives from using too much of the funds, yet Mr. Hodge stated that these projects cannot, in any way, affect the Board’s ability to meet its commitments to the beneficiaries and currently, the Fund is strong as it is in excess of $150 million.
It is common knowledge that every organization is only as good as the people who represent it. Not only is Mr. Timothy Hodge an upstanding citizen in his capacity as the Director of the SSB, but his staff, according to him, are strongly committed to their country and people. To head an organization such as the SSB is a great responsibility and I asked Mr. Hodge how long has he been the Director and how would he define his role. He replied, “I was the SSB’s first employee in Feb 1981 (as a youth myself, still in my teens) and was instrumental in the establishment of the SS System. I have been Director of Social Security for over 20 years now, since April 16th 1986. As Director, I am responsible for the overall management of the Social Security System. My functions include managing the Board’s staff, property and the Fund. I am also an ex-officio member of the Board and the Investment Committee.” Although he mentioned that the job can be stressful and demanding at times, it is rewarding because the SSB touches so many lives in so many ways. The SSB is the organization that supports so many projects, but I also asked Mr. Hodge to what level does he participate in facilitating such initiatives. He made it clear that he takes a personal interest in all projects and often times he, as well as his staff, is the key element in their development and delivery.
In the future, the SSB will continue to support many community projects. Mr. Hodge said, “The SSB has identified youth at risk as a key focus of SSDF activities in the future. We have begun planning for celebrating the 25th anniversary of SS in 2007 and we will certainly include the young in our activities. We also pledge to have the East End basketball court fully functional shortly, and the tennis court renovated.” Community leaders can always provide insight that youth, in most cases, cannot have because of lack of experience in life. I therefore asked Mr. Hodge to comment on any advice or insight he might have for youth and people of Anguilla in general. Here is his response:
“I believe that youth is a wonderful period in one’s life. The whole future is ahead of the young, and there are infinite possibilities ahead if only the young people of Anguilla prepare themselves to grab them. The future of this country will depend on whether our society produces young people who are good citizens, well-educated, healthy and committed to building the New Anguilla of economic and political empowerment that their forefathers fought and sacrificed for. Or if it produces young people who lack discipline, are not adequately educated or skilled, and are involved in anti-social and criminal activity or other behaviours. It is up to all of us to try to ensure that we and our children will indeed live in and enjoy the New Anguilla, and so we need all hands on deck: churches, social workers, businesses, government agencies, service clubs, everybody! All those who are out to build a new Anguilla must be commended and encouraged.”
I commend the hard work of the Social Security Board, its Director and staff. The SSB is one of Anguilla’s most important agencies because its sole function is the protection and development of the people. If you would like other organizations or people highlighted in this forum, please e-mail at jallen@caribcable.com.

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