The 2002 Governor-General's Achievement Awardees for the county of Middlesex were given awards at the Caymanas Golf and Country Club yesterday. Here, from left, are Adolphus Bacchus, St. Catherine; Jacob Robinson, Manchester; Norma Creary, St. Mary; Governor-General Sir Howard Cooke; Joyce Hastings, Clarendon, and Frank Haughton, St. Ann, pose with their awards. - Norman Grindley /Staff Photographer FIVE OUTSTANDING Jamaicans from the county of Middlesex were yesterday awarded in the 2002 Governor-General's Achievement Awards for their phenomenal contributions to their communities, despite severe hardships.
The awardees Frank Haughton from St. Ann; Norma Creary, St. Mary; Joyce Hastings, Clarendon; Jacob Robinson, Manchester, and Adolphus Bacchus, from St. Catherine were recognised in an accolade-filled ceremony at the Caymanas Golf and Country Club in St. Catherine.
In citations read by the Custodes who chaired the parish committees that selected the awardees, the audience got the full appreciation of their struggles and accomplishments.
Mrs. Creary, whose mother worked as a housekeeper to send her to school after her father's death, has helped in St. Mary's cultural development, striving to achieve happiness for others through numerous community efforts. Mrs. Hastings, the daughter of poor small farmers, adopted her father's love for culture and is today Principal of Treadlight Primary School as well as tutor in the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission's festival of arts competition, collecting dozens of medals.
Mr. Haughton, designer of several energy-saving and solar heating systems and a local and regional authority on energy conservation, had to drop out of high school early and worked as an apprentice to further his education.
The others, Mr. Robinson, another child of small farmers, survived his father's death and mother's blindness, to become teacher and principal at Harry Watch All-Age School. Here he had many successes, including improving on an enrolment of 300 students to over 800. Mr. Bacchus, 'Dolly', is a business owner and St. Catherine Cricket Club president, even though he had to drop out of primary school after the fifth grade.
Guest speaker and Registrar-General's Department head, Dr. Patricia Holness, encouraged the awardees to extend a helping hand to those who want to follow in their footsteps.
She said that the values of honesty, resilience and giving without expecting a reward should be shared, to encourage those who are struggling.
"It's only when you give of yourself that you truly give," she said.
Mrs. Creary promised that the awardees will continue to serve their communities as long as the Lord allows.
The Governor-General's Achievement Awards are given each year to persons of modest and humble backgrounds from 14 parishes who rise from poverty to make strides and contributions in their communities. These persons must have never received a national award and must be involved in community activities.
In its 11th year, the awards are sponsored by the Gleaner Company Ltd. and the Building Societies Association, Jamaica National, CIBC, Scotia Jamaica and Victoria Mutual. One hundred and fifty-four persons have been honoured to date.
