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New BMA Board to Address the Plight of Disadvantaged Children

January 20, 2009

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President of the Atlanta-based Benevolent Mission of Atlanta (BMA), Gail Dunwell, has said that the new 12-member board, which took office on January 1, will place emphasis on partnering with other Diaspora organisations in the United States, in order to provide a more holistic approach to addressing the plight of Jamaican children.
“We will also be concentrating our efforts on schools in dire need in Jamaica and focussing on mentoring to Atlanta’s elementary and middles schools,” she stated.
According to Mrs. Dunwell, the BMA is dedicated to effectively harnessing and leveraging the time, talent, and resources of the Jamaican community in the United States to assist disadvantaged and at-risk children, who possess great potential, throughout the island of Jamaica and in the metro Atlanta area.
“BMA’s goal is to help to ensure that these children are prepared for a lifetime of socially responsible citizenship. Our focus is on elementary and middle school-aged children, with the objective of improving literacy and numeracy among such students, thus preparing them for a successful transition to high school,” she said.
The BMA President added that “our initial focus is on grades four through six. We assist students in making a successful transition to high school. We will also assist children from girls and boys’ homes and orphanages, who attend these primary schools. Our research indicates that we could make significant impact at these grade levels.”
The BMA was formed on March 5, 2006 and over the past three years, has given financial assistance to a number of schools in St. Ann, Kingston and Westmoreland.
The growing Jamaican community in Atlanta, with a population of more than 50,000, has close to 30 organisations, which work to support causes in the island.

Last Updated: August 30, 2013

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