TREASURE BEACH WOMEN’S GROUP FUNDRAISER

Visitors and residents of Treasure Beach and its environs, turned out on Saturday as the Treasure Beach Women’s Group staged an all-inclusive, wine and cheese affair at the TBWG House. The event was staged to launch the group’s fundraising effort to raise money to build a classroom.

The Treasure Beach Women’s Group has been slated to receive a grant from the Universal Access Fund to purchase and install 10-station computer lab. This will enable the group to offer free computer classes to the group’s members and the wider Treasure Beach and surrounding communities.

The Treasure Beach Women’s Group, through the Social Development Commission, was invited to apply for the grant and submitted its grant proposal in October of 2009. A team from the UAF met with the Committee of Management in November and advised that the group had been chosen as one of three projects in St. Elizabeth and the group should start putting the necessary structure in place to house the computer lab.

The Universal Access Fund is a fund established by the government from a tax on cellular telephone calls. The mandate of the fund is to foster the development of e-learning including the improvement of literacy with remedial work, using specialized software and programs to improve literacy and numerical skills.

The evening’s event which raised just over seventy thousand dollars saw patrons enjoying a variety of wines, cheeses, appetizers and sweets. The sumptuous feast was enhanced by a display of art by Ginny & Tom, www.twoboatsgallery.com and entertainment which included drumming by the Shane Drummers, musical numbers by Julie & Scott, performances by Jeanne Genus, a fire show put on by a visitor, a fashion show of clothing made by members of the TBWG’s sewing classes, and lots of dancing!

The only way we can collect on this fund is by providing this computer lab which has to comply with the criteria the UAF has put forth. The lab needs to be burgular barred, air conditioned, and large enough to provide classroom space and storage space for 10 computer stations. This is the first fund raiser of many as we have a long way to go to raise the funds needed to build this classroom. We are still gathering estimates on the cost and will share the total cost with you when we have the information.

Persons wishing to contribute to the TBWG’s classroom building fund in cash, materials, or kind can contact the Treasure Beach Women’s Group at: 876-965-3878; email: tbwgjamaica@yahoo.com

Let us work together as a community to make this dream come true!

You can view photos of the wine & cheese party here or by the link in the Photo Gallery

Congratulations, ladies!! You have done a wonderful thing for the people of Treasure Beach. I hope the community continues to support this exceedingly worthwhile project so it can become a reality.