By Lila Jones | Project Associate
We are happy to report that in July 2015, the Caribbean Education Foundation (CEF) finally secured the space in downtown Kingston that we wanted for the Learning Center! In August, we had our first Day of Service - Clean Up Day! Several volunteers came to downtown Kingston and assisted our local team. Our painter extraordinaire, Paul, did an excellent job transforming the rooms! Thank you to all our volunteers for your assistance with cleaning up the space! We are grateful for their time and efforts to help make the space welcoming to our disadvantaged children. This month, we are completing the fix up process and begin to transform the space with necessary items for the Center. We will update you on our progress and official opening date!
In the meantime, our CEO, Nikiki Bogle, Esq. has been in Kingston overseeing the final process at the Center space; and attending high school graduations for 6 of our 20 students on CEF Scholarships. The six high school graduates have been funded by CEF for the past five years to gain meaningful access to education. From 2010-2015, CEF Scholarships paid their school fees, text books, school supplies, lunch and transportation. We cannot believe that they graduated this year - - 5 years went by very quickly. They were 11 and 12 years old when we got them into our Scholarship Program and now they are young adults at 16 and17 years old!
In attending the first high school graduations with our team, one alarming fact came from a Valedictorian Speech about the lack of access to technology at a very prestigious public high school in Jamaica. In her speech, the Valedictorian described how it was a huge challenge to get a computer to use in the lab. In addition, she often was hungry at school, because there were countless times that she had to use her lunch money to pay for printing of homework assignments in the school’s computer lab! Their computer lab at the school did not have free printing of homework assignments for students, although a technology fee is included in the paid school fee! Now, if that is one of the wealthy public schools, one can only imagine what is happening at the regular schools. Our CEF Learning & Technology Center will have sufficient computers and free printing for scholars' homework, so children don't have to go hungry at school.
MEET THE GRADUTE: AMOY
We would like to say BIG CONGRATULATIONS to Caribbean Education Foundation Scholarship Recipient, Amoy, who graduated from Ardenne High School in Kingston, Jamaica in 2015! We are so PROUD of her accomplishment!
In 2010, at 11 years old, Amoy was awarded our CEF Paul Bogle Scholarship based on high academics and financial need, to attend public high school, along with 5 other children. She graduated from Portsmouth Primary School. Each year for the past 5 years, CEF has renewed Amoy’s Scholarship, so she could continue to attend high school. Amoy is an impressive young lady, now at 16 years old!
Despite very challenging economic and family circumstances, Amoy has held steadfast in focus to do her best! Amoy would like to pursue medicine at University. In her Scholarship Application Essay in 2010, Amoy said she wanted to be a Surgeon. We are surprised that 5 years later, she has the same plan. Since Amoy received the 5th Highest CSEC Score in English Literature in all of Ardenne High School, we hope she also considers professions such as Law, Professor of Literature, Public Relations, etc. Whichever profession she pursues, we wish Amoy the very best! The sky is the limit! We hope that Amoy keeps focus and becomes a positive force in her community, Jamaica and the world. CEF will continue to renew Amoy’s Scholarship for the next 2 years of Sixth Form, as long as we have funding to do so.
We would like say a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone, particularly our hundreds of Global Giving donors, who have contributed funds to the Caribbean Education Foundation (CEF)! A “Special Thank You” to Boston J.U.M.P. charity, which has helped to sponsor Amoy’s CEF Scholarship in the past. We truly appreciate your support! Our CEF Scholars such as Amoy graduating from High School is the reward for your kindness, generosity and love. Please let us continue to make each CEF Scholar have meaningful access to education in Jamaica!
Heartfelt Thank You to all you Global Giving donors who have helped to bring the CEF Learning & Technology to life! We will now be able provide much-needed assistance to needy children on the second phase of our education project.
Links:
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
