Labour Day Project

Thursday May 23, 2019

Location: August Town SDA Basi School

Members in attendance for the Project were: Miss. Sharlene Brown – IEEE Jamaica Section WIE Affinity Group Chair; Ms. Karlene Black – Member, WIE; Dr. Damih Wickramanayake – IEEE Area 9 Chair and Dr. Prathiba Mahanamahewa – Non-Member and Dean of Law, University of Technology, Jamaica.

The Forestry Department of Jamaica distributes plants (flowers) and fruit trees annually to be planted for various planned projects on Labour Day which is celebrated nationally on May 23, 2019, each year.  The flower plants are usually free, however, the fruit trees are at a minimal cost.

The WIE approached the Hon. Minister Mrs. Fayval Williams, Minister of Science Energy and Technology (MSET) for her suggestion of a school in an underserved community for the tree planting activity.  Minister Williams suggested the August Town SDA Basic School and provided the contact information for the Principal: Ms. Latrieka Murray.

The project was then introduced to the Section for collaborative effort and funding for the fruit trees.  The Section supported the funding of the fruit trees and planting the trees at the Basic School.

The following fruit trees and flowers were planted on the grounds of the August Town SDA Basic School by WIE and Jamaica Section:

Fruit Trees

  1. Jack Fruit Tree
  2. Sweet Sop Tree
  3. Java Plum Tree

Flowers

  1. Lignum Vitae (National Flower)
  2. Pride of Barbados
  3. Poor Man’s Orchid

The school has general maintenance personnel who will be in charge of maintaining the Fruit Tree and flowers.  In addition, we have spoken to the Principal to assign students to the trees who will take special care of the trees (watering) and the WIE/Jamaica section will reward the student whose tree has grown the best.  This is just a motivation to students to take care of their property.

The school currently has a garden with vegetables to which they consumed daily.  The IEEE WIE thought it would be good to enhance their vegetable garden with fruit trees and hence the objective of the fruit trees.  In addition, we thought the flowers will also contributes to the beautification of the school’s environment.

We also enquire from the Principal their technological needs.  The school has two Computers, however, the computers and the monitors at times malfunction and the school currently uses a Television screen as the monitor for their computer.

Our Area 9 Chair, Dr. Damith Wickramanayake who was in attendance at the trees planting project, briefly examined the computers and pledged to further examine at a later date to ascertain whether or not repairs could be done.  In Communication with the Minister of Science and Technology, regarding the computers in the school, she advised that if the computers are not in working condition and cannot be repaired, the school could apply for computers from the Universal Access Fund.  This was communicated with the school Principal, Ms. Murray.

Preliminary discussions were held with the honorable Minister of Science, Energy, and Technology, Mrs. Fayval Williams regarding the IEEE Jamaica Section  Women in Engineering inaugural Opening ceremony to be held on June 26, 2019.

Sharlene Brown

Sharlene Brown – IEEE Jamaica Section WIE Affinity Group Chair