Children of Staff of Cornwall Regional Hospital Get School Grants

MONTEGO BAY — Children of staff of the Cornwall Regional Hospital in Montego Bay have received educational grants to assist with their secondary school expenses.

The grants, which total $80,000, were handed over by members of the Women’s Committee of the National Workers Union (NWU), which represents the employees at the hospital, during a brief ceremony at the facility on August 3.

The awardees are: Brittania Allen, Sherika Dunn, Jamelia Lawrence, Raphie McBean, Shamoure Bailey, Ryan Duncan, Zidan Clarke, Princess Blake, and Shanique Drummond.

Seven of the students, who will be attending high school for the first time in September, received $10,000 each, while the other two students, who are already in secondary school, received $5,000 each for good performance.

President of the organisation, Princess Lee, informed that three years ago, the delegates of the NWU at the hospital, “decided to take on the task of playing their part in the education of our nation’s future leaders. We realised it was not an easy task but…we committed ourselves to a project and have been able to make meaningful contributions to the lives of our workers’ children, who have been successful in the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) Examinations."

“We are appealing to these students to continue to do well and if they continue to do well then we will continue to help them in their endeavours.” Mrs. Lee said.

Senior Administrator at the Hospital, Dawn Harvey, commended the NWU Women’s Committee for the work that they have been doing over the years.

“The NWU Women’s Committee has been outstanding in their efforts to assist young people to move on to better things. They are firmly committed to the task of ‘each one, help one’,” Mrs. Harvey said.

She further encouraged the recipients to “think big, stay focused and seek to do well in school”.

Zidan said he was happy to receive the grant. “Even though my mother works very hard I know that she is not able to meet all my needs so I have to thank the NWU Women’s Committee for what they have done for me,” he stated.

Each awardee was also presented with a gift package from the hospital’s Christian Fellowship.

By ALDEEN CAMPBELL, JIS Reporter