Hundreds of students from the corporate area turned out at the ‘School’s In Extravaganza’ hosted by the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) at Orange Park, located on the Kingston Waterfront, on Friday, November 9, 2012 where they received well needed textbooks and other educational material. The items were donated by Project Educate Jamaica, a private sector led initiative.
In his address, Desmond Malcolm, General Manager of the UDC, who was represented by Lenworth Tracey, Deputy General Manager for Economic Development and Corporate Relations, said “Here at the UDC we make development happen. However, it is imperative that we play a crucial role in developing people and that is why we are hosting this very important event here today. We constantly strive to put people first as we give back to the community”.
Also speaking at the event, Mr. Vikram Khemlani, organizer of Project Jamaica said “We are happy to be here today to participate in this important event. We decided to start this nationwide book drive to help provide brilliant young minds with additional opportunities, we would never have imagined it would evolve to this level.”
In his main address, the Honourable Damion Crawford, Minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment said “If you want to develop the nation, it is necessary to develop the people. Knowledge is power and the man who has knowledge is able to change the world. Events such as these hosted on by UDC and other organizations are exactly what we require to move this nation forward”.
The day’s activity which forms part of the UDC’s community outreach programme was aimed at facilitating access to educational resources and services in one convenient location at reasonable prices. Other activities included educational talks, special displays from government agencies and business entities.
The UDC is integrally involved with the planned redevelopment of downtown Kingston which is implemented through the attraction of private sector investments to the City Centre and social intervention initiatives. The ‘Schools In Extravaganza’ is a part of this transformative approach geared towards strengthening the socio-cultural fabric of one of the nation’s core urban centres.