GOVERNOR-GENERAL Sir Howard Cooke on Friday launched a global fund-raising project for the St. Elizabeth Homecoming Foundation, with the aim of raising $50 million annually over three years to assist with the development of the parish.
The Foundation was presented with $1 million as a jump start to achieving its goal of initiating several community-based projects in the parish.
In lauding the work of the Homecoming Foundation, Sir Howard said, "what the St. Elizabeth story has taught us is that we all need to be part of the process of social engineering of our country."
The Governor-General added that "the members of the St. Elizabeth Homecoming Foundation are showing us yet another example of how persons can be pro-active in the development of their community and in the upward social mobility of its citizens."
Glen Bloomfield, chairman of the Foundation, said that "through the efforts of the St. Elizabeth Homecoming Foundation, the self-esteem and self-worth of pensioners have been enhanced and accentuated." He also noted that "many developmental projects have been initiated and at the moment the parish is poised for a take off in education, tourism and farming."
The Foundation chairman said the money raised will be used to provide educational assistance to needy students in the parish, establish computer labs in at least 60 primary schools in the parish, provide skills training for youths in hospitality, auto mechanic, agriculture and other areas, and assist with improving the quality of health care in the parish.
