UTech, Jamaica Students Receive Care Packages from the Save Our Boys and Girls Foundation

Ashleigh Mitchell (right), 3^rd Year Midwifery student, CSON, accepts a package from the Most Honourable Mrs. Juliet Holness, founder of Save Our Boys and Girls Foundation, during a presentation of care packages to nursing and midwifery students in need.  The presentation was held at the University’s Papine Campus on Tuesday, May 19, 2020.   Professor Colin Gyles, Acting President, UTech, Ja. looks on.

Responding to a request from the Caribbean School of Nursing, University of Technology, Jamaica,  for support for students in need, the Most Honourable Juliet Holness led -  Save Our Boys and Girls Foundation, today made a donation of 53 care packages for midwifery and nursing students at the University’s Papine Campus. The donation comes in light of challenges students of the University have faced in relation to the COVID-19 crisis.  The care packages consisted of food items donated by Rainforest Foods, personal care and sanitation items and ground provisions, which Mrs. Holness explained were donated by farmers who have made several contributions to the efforts of the Foundation she leads.  Students of the CSON, Western Campus will also receive care packages. 

Sharing the reason she was moved to make the donation to tertiary students, Mrs. Holness explained that “our normal activity focuses on youth, children in particular, but with the advent of this particular pandemic, our team at the Save Our Boys and Girls Foundation saw it fit to use some of our resources to reach out to those who are in need outside of our regular cohort of little boys and girls.”

Professor Colin Gyles, Acting President of UTech, Jamaica, thanked Mrs. Holness and the Foundation on behalf of the students, noting that this was “a time of challenge, where we most need to band together to fight the scourge of COVID-19.” Professor Gyles said that the gesture was most appreciated, especially as it was directed to those who are in training to take up positions in the health care sector.  

Mrs. Holness called on the students who had benefitted from the donation to also give back in  meaningful ways to their own communities and to the nation. “Save Our Boys and Girls Foundation will continue to respond, and when you have any free time available, let us know, because your services, both when you are in school and when you are fully trained, will always be welcome in the communities that I serve each day,” Mrs. Holness said.

Ashleigh Mitchell, 3rd Year Midwifery student, CSON expressed profound gratitude on behalf of her fellow students.

Timera Smith (right), 3^rd Year Midwifery student, CSON, accepts a donation of bananas from the Most Honourable Mrs. Juliet Holness, founder of Save Our Boys and Girls Foundation, during a presentation of care packages for students in need at the University’s Papine Campus on Tuesday, May 19, 2020. Looking on is Professor Colin Gyles, Acting President, UTech, Ja.

Professor Colin Gyles (left), Acting President, UTech, Ja. looks on as Jerene Brown (left), 1^st Year Midwifery student, CSON, accepts a package from the Most Honourable Mrs. Juliet Holness, founder of Save Our Boys and Girls Foundation, at the University’s Papine Campus on Tuesday, May 19, 2020.

Students and members of  Faculty and staff of the Caribbean School of Nursing, observe social distancing for a group photograph with the Most Honourable Mrs. Juliet Holness, and Professor Colin Gyles.