A CHARITABLE organisation run by a group of Jamaican/Canadian women has received a donation from a defunct Canadian police race relations organisation.
Women for PACE (Canada), which has adopted 80 basic schools in Jamaica, was presented with a cheque for Cdn$5,000 by Dieter Schachhuber, former Secretary/Treasurer of the Canadian Centre for Police Race Relations (CCPRR).
Making the presentation recently at the office of the Jamaican Consulate in Toronto, Mr. Schachhuber noted that the centre had closed after eight years because of a lack of funding from government agencies. According to the centre's Constitution, he said, charitable organisations should be the recipients of any remaining funds.
In thanking officers of the CCPRR, president of PACE (Project for the Advancement of Childhood Education), Delrine Jones, said her organisation promoted the concept of a head-start for young children before the age of formal schooling. "We try to show how important it is for government and organisations to start looking at basic school children because they are going to be men and women of tomorrow," she said.
Giving an overview of the organisation, Mrs. Jones said members and friends of PACE who have adopted basic schools contributed approximately one dollar a day to their adopted school.
Canadian
connection
Each year, the David Appelt Bursary is given to a student pursuing early childhood education at a Canadian college, while the DRB Grant Scholarship is awarded to a student at Jamaican institution. A toy drive each Christmas brings in hundreds of toys and teaching materials for children in Jamaica and Canada.
Founder, Dr. Mavis Burke, noted that the organisation started in 1987 in response to a request from Jamaica to Jamaican/Canadians that they help with pre-schools in Jamaica.
"The funds we have used are contributed not only by Jamaican/Canadians, but by many Canadians who have never been to Jamaica and many friends of Jamaica and Jamaicans. We hope that your contribution will add to our Canadian connection. We know the organisation you represent has done a lot of valuable work," she said.
Consul-General Herman LaMont noted that the Jamaican landscape has benefited significantly from Women for PACE's contribution to early education and its partnership with the Ministry of Education.
Jamaican-born Bromley Armstrong who recommended Women for PACE as one of the recipients of the residual funds, chaired the CCPRR for six years.
