PALM BEACH – After one year launch in March 2005, the members of the Caribbean Educators’ Association, Incorporated (CARE) have completed an eventful year resulting in awarding scholarships to two graduating high school seniors of Caribbean descent, and donations of school supplies and toys to the Woodlawn School of Special Education in Mandeville, Jamaica.
President of the organization, Dr. Janice Cover, commended the members for the dedication and commitment through the growing stages of the organization, as she addressed audience at the first annual banquet recently held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Palm Beach, Florida.
The scholarship recipients are Mr. Kaidero Hutchinson, a Jamaican national of Pahokee Senior High School, planning to attend Florida State University in Tallahassee, and Miss Judith Olicia Monroe, a Bahamian national, student at the Boyd Anderson High in Fort Lauderdale going on to the University of Central Florida in Orlando.
Dr. Cover also indicated that the members of CARE have begun discussions with the Jamaican Government Education Reform Task Force to provide professional support and development to educators in Jamaica.
CARE’s membership comprises Caribbean nationals representing teaching staff at all levels of education in Palm Beach county. Membership is open to persons in other counties in the Florida state.
Addressing the audience at the banquet, Jamaica’s Consul General, Mr. Ricardo Allicock lauded the members for the realization of CARE and good work demonstrated so far.
In congratulating Jamaica’s Prime Minister designate, Hon. Portia Simpson-Miller, and the newly appointed principal of the University of the West Indies, Ms. Elsa Leo-Rhynie, he spoke of the empowering of women in our society, also focusing on them as caregivers as they provide better for our children.
Citing examples of the breakdown of the Jamaican family, Mr. Allicock noted that almost 80% of Jamaican children were born out of wedlock, at the same time the advent of urbanization was also causing family disconnect leaving most households run by women.
While there were improvements in the pass grades of the CXC Examinations in Jamaica, as compared to 2004, the Consul General reiterated that education must be a priority and appealed to parents to inspire and encourage the younger ones by becoming involved and intimately connected with them.
Speaking to the diverse group of Caribbean nationals, Mr. Allicock indicated that Jamaica as well as other countries wants to connect with its Diaspora. The Consul General urged his audience to believe in the Diaspora movement and the roll it represents in the contributions to progress and development in individual nation building and communities.
While he praised the audience for their charitable contributions, the Consul General told them that involvement and success was also evident in the human touch experience.
According to Mr. Allicock, in order for Jamaica and any other Caribbean nation to achieve its full potential was for all interested persons to become involved in efforts of nation building through charitable giving, service and investment opportunities.
Similar sentiments were echoed by the Southeast USA advisory board member of the Jamaica Diaspora Foundation, Mrs. Dahlia Walker-Huntington who also called on persons to increase and unleash the potential of the Diaspora in leveraging change for our communities abroad and at home.
