MORE than eight months after Hurricane Melissa devastated St Elizabeth, Reverend Dr Henley Morgan is urging the Government to ensure that in the shift from relief to recovery residents are given a solid opportunity to rebuild their lives.

Speaking during the latest Jamaica Observer Monday Exchange, Morgan said while relief efforts were necessary in the immediate aftermath of the Category 5 storm, the priority must now be strategic investment to help businesses reopen and communities recover.

“We don’t need handouts; we need a hand up,” declared the social enterprise expert with deep roots in St Elizabeth.