MINISTER OF EDUCATION Ronald Jones has called on Barbadians to “reconnect” to the island’s traditions of giving, sharing and caring.
He made the appeal yesterday at the Ministry of Education when the law firm, FirstLegal Attorneys, offered help to ten students.
He said that even in the difficult economic circumstances, Barbadians should reach out to those in need and not be “tight-fisted”.
He complained of “a general paucity of giving” in the country, saying that “much more” could be done to help people in need.
He pointed to the Barbadian tradition of cooking more food than the family required so that anyone dropping in could have a meal.
FirstLegal Attorneys presented uniforms, shoes, school fees, stationery and art supplies to students between the ages of 11 and 18.
Principal of the firm, Ona Harewood, said the “back-to-school initiative” started as an in-house effort to assist some of her clients who had lost their jobs and/or were experiencing severe financial hardship.
Some clients who could afford it had contributed to the effort and donations were also received from businesses, she said.
The plan is to make the initiative an annual one and include more students, she said. (TY)
