Ebony Vale Gets CAP

The community of Ebony Vale in St. Catherine became the 191^st recipient of a Community Access Point (CAP) on October 30, when the $4 million facility was opened by Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining, Hon. Phillip Paulwell.

The Minister said that establishing a CAP in the area signals a belief in the development activities being embarked on by the leadership of the community.

He pointed out that the facility was made possible through the 10 year-old Universal Service Fund (USF), which has so far garnered $12 billion in revenue.

“This is to ensure that every single Jamaican has access to the very latest technology and what you have here [in Ebony Vale] is a state-of-the-art system,” the Minister said.

Mr. Paulwell pointed out that the $1.4 billion Tablets In Schools pilot currently underway, where some 38 schools and institutions will be outfitted with tablet computers, is complementary to the establishment of CAPs, as students do not have to wait to get to school to access the internet to do their homework or conduct research, as they can head over to the nearest CAP to get their work done.

The Minister also encouraged community members to take advantage of the CAP and the benefits it offers.

He called on parents to begin seeking deals on tablet computers to be used as Christmas gifts for the children.

“We pay for all the books now. Students no longer have to carry books, they are now all on the tablet.  We will continue to take care of the books and the internet facility. Those of you who are thinking of Christmas, I am seeing some good deals on tablets… the prices are coming down.  The best investment you can make for your children is a tablet computer,” the Minister said.