The Tribune

By KEILE CAMPBELL

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

THE Community Empowerment Project hosted its first graduation ceremony at First Baptist Church where participants had taken classes, gaining skills in mathematics, English, baking, jewellery making, grooming, and straw plaiting.

St Barnabas MP Shanendon Cartwright  said that the programme aimed to enhance the skills of elders for their development and further contribution to their communities.

“It’s truly inspirational because it continues to remind us that no matter their age or where you are in your development that you have the opportunity to grow and to improve your skill set and your competencies,” he said. “So this is something that is vitally important, this meshes with a number of things we’ve been doing in the constituency in terms of continuing education, so this is truly inspirational today.”

Education, Technical and Vocational Training Minister Glenys Hanna-Martin spoke to the graduating class of more than 20 women, saying the programme came about when Carol Roach and Dr Nevelene Evans approached her with an idea to “fill a gap” for people already out of school.

“They wanted to create a programme that would allow men and women in the community to be empowered and to be able to engage in the cottage industry, self-sustaining, self-employment developing skill sets,” she said.

“They were impassioned, determined, and made the sacrifice to do what is necessary for what happens here today.”

Dr Joan Wilson, one of the instructors, said: “I have never seen such excitement – if I had this 40 years ago when I was in the public schools I would’ve been blown away – but these people because they are actually getting a second chance, they are so excited, they are so hungry.

“They are doing homework, they’re asking for homework and they are working out those problems, they are getting through, and they are now learning concepts that they’ve never learned before, so now that they get it, they can pass this on to their children, their grandchildren and others in their home that they have influence over.”