Partners involved in the project.
PHILIPSBURG--The pilot programme for a legal help desk will be launched at Gaston Boasman Community Help Desk for the elderly and disabled in Hope Estate in September and eventually will expand to other community help desks.
The community-based initiative will provide essential legal assistance to the community, extending the help desk’s existing services to address legal needs. The legal help desk will provide legal guidance, resources and support to individuals who previously may have struggled to afford legal representation. In anticipation of the September launch, the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor VSA will conduct awareness campaigns over the coming weeks to ensure that the community understands this new legal service.
The initiative is a collaborative effort led by Unified Resilient St. Maarten Movement (URSM) Member of Parliament (MP) Sjamira Roseburg, in collaboration with VSA Minister Veronica Jansen-Webster, policy advisor Herbert Martina, Department Head of Community Development, Family and Humanitarian Affairs Chantale Groeneveldt and staff member Elba Flanders.
Roseburg said this addition to the community help desk fulfils a vision she has nurtured for years: to make legal support accessible to all, regardless of their financial situation. “This has always been my dream,” she said. “To see it coming to life within our community help desk, thanks to the collective efforts of dedicated legal experts and government officials, is incredibly powerful. We’ve worked tirelessly to integrate this service for the people of St. Maarten.”
