Civil Servants of The Year Hand Over Equipment and Educational Items to Basic School

The National Baptist Basic School on Greenwich Street in Kingston, today (September 29), received well-needed equipment and items, initiated by the three First Heritage Co-Operative Credit Union (FHC)  Civil Servants of the Year for 2019, in collaboration with partners.

They included a new desktop computer, printer and educational items, and $50,000 from Sagicor for the purchase of school desks and chairs. Items from the Administrator General’s Department were also donated, and the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) handed over charts and booklets for the students to read.

The Civil Servants of the Year also committed to donating approximately $200,000 worth of sanitisers to the school, to be provided by partner Caribbean Flavours and Fragrances Limited on Spanish Town Road where the ceremony was held.

On hand to present the items were Acting Director, Research, Print and Production Division, JIS, Celia Lindsay (Management); Customer Service Officer, Administrator General’s Department, Sophia Levy (Middle Management); and Acting Records Officer, Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard, Candice Henry (Technical Support).

The activity formed part of their outreach activities during their reign.

Principal, National Baptist Basic School, Pauline Davis, told JIS News that she was elated about the donations made to her “community school”.

“I want to thank everyone for being a part of this, who took time out during the pandemic to really think about us. I’m humbled when persons can take time out, especially during the strange times we’re living in, because I know it [the pandemic] has affected everybody,” she said.

Ms. Davis said she hopes when the pandemic ends, the donors will be able to visit the institution and share in their joy with the students.

General Manager, Caribbean Flavours and Fragrances Limited, Janice Lee, said they chose to donate hand sanitisers as part of their good corporate citizenship goal.

“We are very involved in education at all levels. Over the last six years, we have been sponsoring various schools. We decided to partner on this project, because we are very concerned about what’s happening now and we want to be a part of the solution,” Mrs. Lee told JIS News.

Caribbean Flavours and Fragrances has also been giving hand sanitisers to a number of other schools in recent months.

Meanwhile, Ms. Henry, who spoke on behalf of the Civil Servants, said they are happy they could help.

“When we heard of the school in need, we jumped to give assistance,” she told JIS News.

“Usually [for the reign], we are required to do one [outreach] project, but we decided to do two projects. We decided on this project, because we wanted to give back to the children and mould the minds of young people,” she said.

The three Civil Servants of the Year also spearheaded a project for the benefit of girls at the Homestead Place of Safety for Girls, in July.

The Civil Servants of the Year are selected annually by the Civil Service Week Steering Committee in the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service with sponsorship from the FHC. As part of their reign for the year, they are to plan and execute a community project.