Hi all my beautiful Treasure Beach Community!!! I am happy and very excited to say that my donation of refurbished laptops and toys have departed the US and are on their way to Jamaica!!! I always get so excited when I know they have left and are on the ship headed to my favorite little island It is with great pleasure I would like to give each scholorship child a refurbished laptop to further their education and enhance their lives. Ms.Kennedy will be sending me those names and I will contact each student to pick up their refurbished laptop one afternoon in November at Jakes where I'll be staying this trip. I have several other laptops going to local schools in the TB area. Boxes of toys have been marked for delivery to the Great Bay Salvation Army Preschool and a new school that I've just heard about called Litte Fish. This really is the fun part of my trips to TB, when you see all these beautiful faces jumping up and down when I open those boxes of toys, more fun for me than for them I think

I would like to give a GREAT BIG THANK YOU to Jason Henzel/BREDS for picking up my shipment and storing it until I can get down to JA to distribute to the children. Also a VERY BIG THANK YOU to William Mahfood/Food for the Poor for shipping to Jamaica from the US! Without the assistant from FFP this would never have been possible. FFP is an amazing organization!!!!

Much love to all my beautiful Treasure Beach family of friends, you mean the word to me and bring me more joy that you will ever know.

Kindest regards,
Lynnette Henson

That's great news Lynnette! Thanks to all involved!!

Thanks Lynnette, I hope God will continued to bless you one love.

"In about the same degree as you are helpful, you will be happy" ~ Karl Reiland

Congratlations Ms Henson, you have found the key to happiness. You are truly blessed.

It is wonderful the scholarship children will be getting laptops from Miss Henson. She cares very much about the children in the area. As a mother of a student in 8th grade I have a suggestion which is not meant to be derogatory in any way. I know how important computers are to learning. We are fortunate enough to have a home computer. My daughter uses it, and I have seen the advantages it has given her. I understand Miss Henson wants to be able to meet with the scholarship children so she can see their faces and speak to them. Miss Henson said the computers are already on their way to Jamaica. I don’t know how long they will take to reach Treasure Beach, but I believe they will arrive long before Miss Henson is there in November. My suggestion is to have the laptops handed out to the scholarship children as soon as they arrive so they can start to use them as quickly as possible. Getting to use them three months earlier could make a very important difference and give them a head start. Then Miss Henson could meet with these children when she arrives in November. This would allow the children the use of the computers as quickly as possible and it would also allow Miss Henson the joy of seeing their faces and hearing about what a difference the computers are making to help the children learn.

The idea suggested by Philadelphia mother could be a true win-win situation.

As a teacher, I can attest to the usefulness of computers. As a visitor to T/B, I know how important it is to do whatever is possible to give the children advantages that others already have. Receiving the laptops earlier, especially by approximately three months, could make a huge impact on the lives of these aspiring scholars.

I implore Miss Henson to consider the suggestion.

HAN GO PACKI COME

Easton Lee, the Jamaican Anglican priest, poet, playwright/actor, from the village of Wait-a-bit, Trelawny, wrote a particularly comforting poem, in the spirit of many acts of giving & altruism demonstrated round here:

The good book say
show kindness to one another
help you brother an you sister in distress
God for that will bless you abundantly.
Old people say
han go packi come
as you measure to your neighbour
it will measure back to you.
So all dem mean cubbich people
can stay there expecting bounty
when dem hoarding up everything
for dem self.
You must help the needy
and don't be greedy.
Remember--
cast your bread upon the waters
you will find it after many days.
So you give--
so you get.
Sometime the bread no come back just so.
Sometimes you wait long
if you not strong
you give up, lose you faith.
Not mi granny
for, sometime she say
you no get back bread--
you get crackers
you get biscuit
sometimes you get bun, and cheese
sometimes you get back pure breeze
sometimes you get cake
with icenin pon di top
straight out of the master baker shop.
And you wonder and you ponder
what you do to deserve that blessing.
So me don't fret me don't bet
me no get angry
me know say the Good Lord provide.
As long as me have bread
mi neighbour can't go hungry
if me have fire-you have peas-
we can cook
some fi you-some fi me
ascording to the Good Book.
Yes mi dear-me will always share,
for me love cake wid icenin you see.

Lynnette, as you've indicated from the joy in your heart, you and all that have made this donation happen for the truly deserving, have already reaped mounds of "icenin" for the happy expectations you bring.

Miss Henson is an angel for arranging the laptops for the Treasure Beach Foundation scholarship students. Though I know the students would benefit greatly from having them before one third of the school year passes, she may give them out any way she wishes and at any time she wishes.

Oh my...thank you for your suggestions. I will see what distribution alternatives I can come up with, I certainly don't want to seem selfish in wanting to wait until November to distribute my gift.

Just a little background. This is either the 4th or 5th shipment I've sent to TB in the past 8 years. A gift of over 100 used computers have been sent to TB area from me and the company I work for. I just never get to distribute the computers myself and my supporters thought it would be nice for me to do that with this final shipment. I have been able to distribute toys in the past and that was just so fun!

I am a single mom and have raised my wonderful son Leo on my own. Leo is a grown man now, the best son any mother would be proud of When I was younger and raising Leo we lived from paycheck to paycheck. My son never had a computer growing up, we just couldn't afford it, it was hard for me to watch as all his friends had computers, actually heartbreaking for me as a mother. However, he graduated from High School with a 4.0 GPA and continued through college with the same GPA. A computer is not a need to have it's a nice to have. If a child chooses success and has the support of his parent (s), teachers, and community he will prosper.

As you can see the computer donation has so much more meaning to me…to give to a child something my own child never had is a big dang deal. But with that said, I guess it really doesn’t matter who distributes it to the children.

Thank you all for your loving and caring comments and suggestions. I will take those into consideration. I know everyone has the best interest of the children at heart and that’s all that really matters.

Love and peace
Lynnette/Sweetlips

I want everyone to know that Treasure Beach Foundation and our scholarship recipients owe a big debt of gratitude to Lynnette for her generosity and caring. This shipment of laptops is the second one she is directing toward the scholarship students. (The first was several years ago and covered 11 of our students.) The current shipment includes laptops that are more up-to-date; they also (with proper care) should last much longer.

Lynnette and I have communicated numerous times over the years. The information she has chosen to share with this Forum’s readers is what I considered personal, so I never published it—though I certainly acknowledged her on this site for the wonderful contributions she has made.

If Lynnette waits until she arrives in late November to hand out the laptops, that is her option. If she chooses to have the laptops distributed close to the beginning of the school year and then have a celebration with the students when she is in Treasure Beach, that is certainly her decision to make. We are extremely grateful for anything anyone chooses to give—at any time.

Lynnette will choose what she believes is best for everyone involved, and people reading the Forum should respect her decision—as we will.

For what its worth (and all I know about the situation is what I've read here so I may be speaking out of ignorance) handing out technology without training is not always the best way to proceed.

Things can break, people get discouraged when they don't know how to make it work and then quit, etc.

Of course, if anyone wants to send me a plane ticket I'd be happy to go down and help train :-)

My two cents,
Eric

PS: Lynette, I'd like to add my thank you to your efforts to get technology in the hands of the scholarship winners.

Eric are you really serious?
How much will your plain fare be?
Give me an idea of time and date. Myself and my friends would like to help.

I thought there was training. At least at Sandy Bank School and other schools they have computer labs that teach the basics, don't they? As for the technology regarding care for your computer well that is a hard one, I myself am spoiled and have an entire team at my job to assist me with such problems, but I do know there are people in the community that can fix minor problems with computers. Somethings are learned on your own by trial and error and if you get discouraged that in itself is a lesson to be learned isn't it?

These computers are used and aren't worth much really. It's mostly a gift from the heart. They may last a day or they may last several years. We just cross our fingers and hope for the best. Most of the computers being distributed this time around are to students that have already received one and because of the "used" condition of the laptop it has finally died. So there are enough to give each student a replacement and to give one to the new scholorship children. I am afraid though that this is the last shipment so I'm hoping they last a good long while.

Eric I know you would come fix all the broken ones if you could and train all around you to do the same if you could. As I would move to sunny Jamaica and help out the community myself if I could manage to do that, but that is a dream for real So we do our best and share what we can. Is this project sustainable, probably not, but you just never know what might come out of it, and to not do it would just be a shame.

I can't wait to get to TB, just thinking about the view of Calabash and Great Bays makes me smile. Hey to all my Great Bay family, love you, miss you bad bad.

Lynnette, you said you have sent more than 100 used computers to the TB area. There aren't those many scholarship students. Could you tell us where the other ones went?

Oh sure, a lot well actually most went to Sandy Bank school early on when they first opened the computer lab, some when to Mountain Side School, some went to local students. At first I sent down computers and lots and lots of school supplies...then a couple years I didn't receive any computers from the company I worked for. I actually thought the source dried up then they call recently and ask if I wanted 28 used laptops. I almost said no because it's a lot of work getting them there and I've been so busy, but I just couldn't say no.

I wish I could tell you were they all ended up but I can't. I gave them mostly to the schools, but when I would come back for a visit they wouldn't be there. They told me they just died and the life for the used computer was very short. So I kind of thought...well was it really worth all the trouble because they didn't seem to last long. They really are just used computers.

Once I sent down 10 brand new student microscopes for a science program one of the peace crop volunteers was going to start. When I got to the island 5 months later all I saw was 3 microscopes, they told me the other were sent to other schools on the island. I always just hope they get used in a positive way. I did a fundraiser to purchase those little microscopes and I kinda felt bad I couldn't go back home and tell the people who gave money toward the project what really happened. But live and learn is what I say...a lesson is to be learned in eveything we do.

A sustainable program is what I would preferr to support but sometimes it's just not possible. I would rather do something than nothing at all.

I just recently started supporting the Scholorship program because I thought the computers might be more helpful. Eight years ago the Scholorship program wasn't around.

The computer lab in Sandy bank is not their any more and computers has died and gone. Only ones is now in teacher longe. Very sad for the kids. We need more now.

I am not here to rain on anyone's parade and I think it is wonderful these laptops are coming to T/B for the scholarship kids. From what I have heard there has been no functioning computer lab at Sandy Bank for several years. What they do have is a small lab which used to be the teachers lounge and that was set up by Colin James using the laptops given to them by Treasure Beach Foundation when they got the GO-GSAT programs for the kids to study. Then when someone from TBF came down there several months ago he checked out those computers to be sure everything was still okay. The big computer lab that was built used to have computers but I don't think they are there anymore and I don't think they ever had internet service. I am not sure what happened to the computers that were there but I think they never were properly serviced and a lot of them were really old.

My suggestion is if any more computers go to the school someone needs to be in charge of them who really understands computers. My husband has a man at his company who knows how to handle some computer problems over the internet so if there is no one in T/B who really understands software I know it still is possible to do repairs remotely.

I agree with Miss Henson that a program should be sustainable. I disagree that it is impossible. Where there is a will there is a way.

I also think that since all the scholarship students are in high school they already know how to use a computer and they can always ask another student or a teacher for assistance.

I know I will think of something else but this is already pretty long.

There ARE sustainable programs in TB. One that occurs to me is the scholarship program. Treasure Beach Foundation has run it for five years now, and they keep adding more students year after year. One of the parents told me the monthly expense cheques have never been late.

I'm very happy to hear about this shipment of computers. Thank you, Lynette, for your continued efforts and dedication to the children in Treasure Beach! This is a wonderful donation.

I was surprised to read that there is no working lab at Sandy Bank. I thought I'd read something about there being a lab in the school. I won't be able to come to TB before February, but would be happy to meet with anyone to discuss ways to keep a supply of laptops up and running -- storage, security, troubleshooting -- the school I run here at home also relies on donated computers. At this point we are working with a seven year old 20-computer donation, and we've had to keep them going without official tech support, and all but two are still up and running.

(Of course, if someone wants to bring me down to TB with Eric before February, I think I could find the time ... )

The only functioning computer lab at Sandy Bank is what used to be the Teachers' Lounge. It is a relatively small area, but the teachers willingly gave it up for this purpose. We donated the laptops and software for it, and Colin James performed the installation--including Internet connectivity.

The large computer lab attached to the back of Sandy Bank is no longer functional. (There is no good that can come out of affixing any blame for this having happened.) Plus, that lab never had any Internet connectivity.

It is our intention to make this a fully functioning computer lab with approximately 20 working computers. If possible, we will also arrange for Internet connectivity for this lab. One of our people (an IT professional) surveyed the facility this spring and understands the challenges involved. If we are able to get this up and running, we will also do our best to keep it in as good a condition as we can from afar. With Internet connectivity, our IT person can correct most software glitches right from his office in the U.S. He will also spend time in the lab when vacationing in Treasure Beach each year. There are always IT majors among the U VA students who are in TB each spring to assist at Sandy Bank; they will make it a point to concentrate their time in the computer lab. There are also many IT experts who vacation in TB; we will invite them to stop by Sandy Bank to donate a few hours of their time to any necessary instruction and upkeep. Finally, there are people like Stacie who have a lot of experience with such labs, and we will invite them to share their ideas with us.

With coordinated cooperation, I believe we can make the large computer lab something that will be of use to all the students at Sandy Bank--and the teachers will again be able to have their much-needed lounge back.

Wow. Wow wow wow. A new computer lab.

This is great!!

This is the best news about education in TB I have read here in a long time. I realize Treasure Beach Foundation said it is their INTENTION to make this a fully functioning computer lab with approximately 20 working computers. I pray their intention becomes a REALITY. If it does it will help every student and teacher at Sandy Bank.

I have my fingers crossed for this to happen.

IF this happens, when might that be?

A new computer lab would be a wonderful thing. I am not meaning to say anything bad about the scholarship program but this is a program that would help ALL the children of Treasure Beach. If it happens I would not want it to take funds from the scholarship program because I know how useful that has been as a motivator to all the student, not only the ones who win.

I have not meant to "disappear" or avoid answering the question of when a new computer lab might be in place. However, I am concerned about promising something we cannot deliver--or promising something by a certain date and then not meeting that deadline. While we only have a few programs in place in Treasure Beach, we have always done what we promised. We do not want to disappoint anyone who is counting on us.

Please remember we said it is our intention to install a fully-functioning computer lab. If we were based in Treasure Beach I could promise this, but we are doing most everything from afar.

Therefore, I am saying it could be a year from now before this happens. We believe it's better to under-promise and over-deliver.

On behalf of all the scholarship awardees,I would like to thank Ms. Henson for her generous gift. It is highly appreciated, and can assure you that we will take the best care of them. Thanks a million.....may God bless you!!!

Just got these great photos from Ms. Ebanks showing us the scholarship students receiving their computers.

Thanks to all who had a hand in making this happen with a special shout-out to Lynette! May all who received these computers utilize them to the fullest.

Beautiful photos. If only I knew their names or the parents names.
Anyway congratulations on your wonderful gift,well now get down to your studies and show the world what Treasure Beach has to offer.
Hope there is someone with computer knowledge that can help you out if needed.
Good Luck.

Lynette you have a heart of gold. Thank you for taking an interest in the kids and the community. You have put your money and time where your mouth is. Give thanks.