Ten Wards Of The State In Tertiary Institutions Receive Scholarships

Ten wards of the State, who are pursuing tertiary-level education, have been awarded scholarships in the amount of US$40,000 by Children of Jamaica Outreach Inc. (COJO), a New York-based Jamaican charity.

The awardees were nominated by Children’s Officers from various children’s homes, based on academic performance. They are pursuing studies in the field of education, law, nursing, psychology, architecture, and logistics.

The students, who hail from Kingston, St. James, St. Ann and St. Andrew, were each presented with their awards at COJO’s Annual Scholarship Awards Luncheon, at The Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, on Wednesday (September 11).

In her address, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), Rosalee Gage-Grey, saluted COJO for its dedication to Jamaica and for its continued investment in the education of wards of the State over the years.

Noting that the CPSFA has a record of over 130 of its children pursuing tertiary education, she emphasised that the agency, with the support of other groups like COJO, remains committed to ensuring that all wards of the State are provided with the necessary tools to help them progress further in life.

“It is our primary goal to equip all our children with an education and the requisite skills needed for the future,” Mrs. Gage-Grey said.

She further added that the CPFSA has placed greater emphasis on the Transitional Living Programme for the wards, to help them to live independently and to function well in society.

Mrs. Gage-Grey also congratulated the awardees.

For her part, Chief Executive Officer of First Global Bank, Mariame McIntosh Robinson, called for an educational revolution that will increase access to high-quality education for all students, regardless of their economic background.

This revolution, she said, is also needed to ensure that the nation’s youth are actively and appropriately guided in becoming productive citizens in society.

Turning to the awardees, she congratulated them for their hard work and determination in pursuing their goals, before leaving them with three useful tips.

“The first one is to have confidence and the courage to pursue your passion; work hard, and tip number three, focus on building your personal brand with integrity,” she said.

In the meantime, Founder of COJO, Gary Williams, while expressing gratitude to the various corporate companies and members of the Jamaican diaspora who assisted, pledged to continue helping the wards of the State.

“It is very important to give back to our community and I focus mainly on the children, because I feel like a lot of these kids have been neglected and because I worked for Alpha Boys’ many years ago, as a youngster I see the need. I almost became a ward of the State and a lot of people helped me,” he said.

COJO is a Jamaican non-profit charitable organisation based in New York. Its mission is to help improve the health, education and general well-being of underprivileged children. Over the past 25 years, the volunteer-driven organisation has supported a number of institutions in Jamaica and the United States.