Haye

Today, The Gleaner presents the thoughts of Angela Haye, executive director of the Hanover Educational Institute and president of the Hanover Parish Development Committee, on some of the positive aspects of the nation.

AS A returning resident, I was asked on several occasions why I returned to Jamaica - the country of my birth. The answer is simple: Jamaica is, in my opinion, a fantastic country. It is a country that gives me soul, imagination, peace and, above all, love.

In this country, each one of our children is unique and special. I have found that the best way to get misguided students to love and value themselves is to strategically chip away at the labels that have been placed on them, whether self-imposed or not.

For example, we help our students to understand that life is what we make it; to understand that God does not exist outside of ourselves, but that we are one with God; to understand that there are no saviours that are going to come and rescue us, but that we are our own saviours and the way to succeed in this life is to live a life of truth. We help them to understand that although academics is very important, it is only a piece of the total human development.