By Chester Francis-Jackson, ContributerIT STARTED as a conversation between two teenage kids three years ago, one, an American on Spring Break, the other a student of the Mountain View Primary School.
Today, the chance encounter between the two teenagers has lent itself to one of the most ambitious ever, private sector initiatives to be undertaken in Jamaica.
It all started when 13-year-old Anders Jones, the son of international financial consultant Mark Jones, decided to donate a computer to the Mountain View Primary School, so that the students at that institution would become techno-literate. Well, what should have been a one-time donation, evolved into a major project that included the construction of a building to house a computer lab. The computer lab now houses 10 computer stations.
TEEN INSPIRATION
The Mountain View experience resulted in the formation of 'Teens For Technology', a group of civic-minded teens from the Boston area, with the specific mandate to provide a computer Lab for 100 Schools and institutions of learning, across Jamaica. Their stated mission is to complete this program, by the year 2006.
My dears, the absolute altruism and sterling effort, of a group of teenagers whose average age at the beginning of their project was 13, actually boggles the mind, and then some.
It was to laud this positive act of character and charity, that on Thursday evening, businessman and philanthropist Robert MacMillan, hosted the members of Teens For Technology, and their supportive (and undoubtedly proud parents) at his swanky St. Andrew home, at a cocktail reception.
Back on the island to complete their 100 School program, the Teens, headed by Anders Jones who founded the organization along with Philip Poorvu, Hanna Kurth, Carrie Rich, Ryan Jones, Marsha Dawn Walters (to date, the only Jamaican teenager who actually volunteered to join the programme), along with their parents and guardians Mark Jones, Andrew Hunter and Cynthia Egan, David Poorvu. Cherie Jones, Ervin Rich and Courtney Walters, joined a group of supporters and admirers at the poolside of host, Robert MacMillan, for an evening of libations and relaxation.
With caterer to snob-society, Maree Sigurdson, providing an absolute smorgasbord of a delicious fare of nibblies, and guests being waited on by two of Kingston's leading waiters, Richard Douglas and Dwight Henriques, there was nary an empty glass to be found all evening.
It all made for a most fabulous affair and then some!
And then there was the company! Dears, fabulous society at its very best! Among those out, included: Glynne Manley; Senator Noel Monteith; Minister Phillip Paulwell; MP Delroy Chuck; British High Commissioner Peter Mathers and Mrs. Elisabeth Mathers and their daughter the lovely Philippa Mathers; Honorary Consul General of the Thai Kingdom the fabulous Thalia Lyn; The Rev. Monsignor Father Richard Albert; Texan Ranchers the fabulously wealthy Dennis and Jane Joslin; socialites emeritus Roy and Sylvia Collister; Ruddy Shoenbien and renowned artist Judy-Ann MacMillan and Michael Campbell; the fabulous Lorna Myers; Paul and Becky Stockhausen; Patrick Wong and the charming Peta-Gay MacMillan.
; the charming Diana Stewart and her vivacious mom Jo-Jo Paige; the charming Jennifer Lim; the supremely elegant Carol MacMillan and her sons Travis and Elliott MacMillan; Leicester and Belinda Levy, with their simply fabulous daughter Gillian Levy; Lolita McGann Evans; John Burrowes and the lovely Judy Angel Markes; Capt. David McRae; the drop-dead-gorgeous Cecile Levee; D. Read; Keith Collister and his companion, the absolutely stunning looking Carol Pessoa; Rosa Ramsay; famed photographer Brian Rosen; Air Jamaica's Will Rogers, Marjorie Robinson and Sheila McDowell; Jimmy Josephs; Matthew and Vynette Ziadie; Stella Rosen and her daughter Stephanie Rosen; the lovely Anna Chin; Lisa Marzouca and her daughter Jessica Marzouca; Simon Levy and the lovely Alexa Budal; and the lovely Glena Russell; among several others.
And here's to a continuing good cause!
