Mount Moriah gets Literacy Centre

Saturday, July 30 saw the historic opening of the Gwendolyn Kenyon Literacy & Numeracy Centre in Mount Moriah, St Ann. Named in memory of a remarkable citizen of the same name who died last year, Alphansus Davis, guest speaker and adviser to the minister of education, described the opening of the private facility as an excellent move for the community.

The centre was entirely funded by family and friends of late 'Miss Gwen' and houses a fully equipped classroom, a library and a computer centre. Already up and running, during its first week of operation, literacy and numeracy refresher master classes were offered each day. Some 60 adults and children attended on the first day and even more on the second day.

Davis lauded the centre's aim to be a focus for Irish Hill, Mount Moriah and surrounding areas, where adults and children can attend additional classes, given access to the Internet, study quietly and generally help themselves towards the Government's goal to raise basic literacy and numeracy levels across the country to 100 per cent by 2030.

Major drawback

He noted that rural areas like the Irish Hill community face the major drawback of the lack of high quality telephonic landlines used to provide inexpensive Internet connections. "Without these, it will be hard to achieve the levels of computer literacy and the research capability expected of any student in the 21st century," Davis said.

Davis continued: "I believe the centre should be the first of many and that one should always copy good ideas. The establishing of the centre is timely and the need for centres like this is all the more pressing."

Already many adults are asking for special evening classes to enhance their literacy skills and to start computer training, a demand that is both reassuring and refreshing.

Also speaking at the opening, a director of the centre, Everton Walters, highlighted the role of Joan Kenyon, Gwen's daughter, and Wayne Whittaker, her grandson, who conceptualised the centre and drove the project forward. Parents and students within the community have expressed confidence in the initiative. And, director of the centre and principal of the Edwin Allen High School, Pastor Everton Walters, urged parents and their children to make full use of the wonderful resources and to take ownership of it.

Also in attendance were director and daughter of the Miss Gwen, Valrie Davis, who will maintain the horticultural aesthetics of the centre; Pastor Leroy Brown and Professor Alistair Alcock of Buckingham University in the United Kingdom and widower Samuel Kenyon, who said his late wife would be proud to see that her work is being continued.