Marilyn Procope-Beckles, MPH candidate¹, Ron Page, MPH candidate², and Desmalee Holder-Nevins, MPH, CHES². (1) The University of the West Indies, Department of Community Health & Psychiatry, Gibralter Camp Rd, Mona Campus, Mona Kingston 7, Jamaica, 868 639 3338, marpbec@myself.com, (2) The University of the West Indies, Deparment of Community Health & Psychiatry, Gibralter Camp Rd, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica

The social planning method of community organization was applied in an ‘all-purpose market’ setting in Kingston Jamaica, September to December 2003, to address issues of environmental health, and vendor empowerment. Health promotion students from the UWI-Mona, were concerned about risks to the health and safety of vendors, consumers and other community residents, posed by the conditions at the market in an urban low income community. They identified one person on the market management team, and a vendor who served as gatekeepers to initiate the process. A survey among vendors revealed their priority concerns were refuse collection and disposal, inadequate water supply and unsatisfactory toilet facilities. Chronic illnesses among 30% of vendors were of less concern but provided a rationale for them to plan and implement a health fair. At the health fair they benefited from screening, counseling and health education provided by health and other organizations from the community. Other successes included the reactivation of a vendors association to serve as advocates, a cleaner market environment and representation on a local community development committee. Two months post-intervention, vendors were continuing their advocacy role for the solution of other problems and spirits were high, fueled by the sense of achievement experienced from working together and solving problems that initially engendered feelings of hopelessness. Success was due mainly to collaboration between the following key community representatives: the vendors, political representatives, academic institutions, corporate citizens, market management, and the local health department. The community organization model was applicable in this market setting

Learning Objectives: At the end of the session participants will

• Identify social planning steps applied in a market setting
• Explain two achievements from use of the model in the setting described
• Recognize markets as settings for community organization.

Keywords: Collaboration, Environmental Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.