Children Take Part in Action Day at Vouch May 19

Some 20 children attached to the Learning, Earning, Activity Programme (LEAP), will be among many persons who will participate in beautifying the play area at the headquarters of the Voluntary Organisation for the Upliftment of Children (VOUCH) at National Heroes Circle, on Action Day, May 19.
Designated as the national activity to observe the special day for Child’s Month, the children as well as members of the National Child Month Committee (NCMC), the Police Officers’ Wives, who donated some of the materials, and the North Portmore Optimist Club will also focus on enhancing the look of the dormitory and holding areas by hanging valances.
For its part, the Jamaica Pegasus opted to provide food for the volunteers during the day.
Speaking to JIS News, Chairman of the NCMC Action Day Planning Committee, Lily Roberts, explained that Action Day was about children pursuing activities to help others in their own communities.
“It is like a children’s version of Labour Day, where they do things to benefit themselves, their schools and community,” she added.
In selecting VOUCH as the focus for the national activity, Mrs. Roberts informed that the organisation was very dear to the original founders of the NCMC, Lady Sylvia Foote and Mary Issa, for whom the day care centre is named.
Children’s Advocate, Mary Clarke, will be on hand to officially launch the day’s proceedings at the opening ceremony, which begins at 9:30 a.m. at VOUCH.
Although the national activity will be at VOUCH, it is intended to be celebrated as an islandwide event. Mrs. Roberts noted that schools had been notified to encourage students to participate in activities to observe the day.
She further informed that McGrath High School in St. Catherine would be upgrading their bathrooms. “They will continue this project into Labour Day,” she said.
Students at Independence City All-age School will be visiting the ‘Friends’ of the Family Nursing Home in Portmore to work with the elderly. In addition, she said there were a number of schools, such as Kingston High School, which would be using the day to beautify the institution.
For those schools still undecided, Mrs. Roberts urged them to use the opportunity to do something for their school. “Get involved,” she appealed.
Action Day is part of several activities organised by the NCMC during this month to educate the public about the needs of children under the theme, ‘Restore the Family – Save our Children’.