Glen Christian gives back to Brandon Hill
Published:Saturday | July 5, 2014 | 12:00 AM
Horace Fisher, Gleaner Writer
Hundreds of tales have been told of rags to riches. However, none is as intriguing as that of businessman Glenford Christian who, as a youngster, journeyed from the cool hills of northern Clarendon to Kingston to find greener pastures ... and indeed, the grass did prove to be greener in the city for him.
Through sheer grit, sweat, and tears, the Brandon Hill country boy went from delivering mail to some of Jamaica's corporate giants to joining the ranks of Jamaica's business elite through the acquisition of CariMed and later, Kirk Distributors. However, Brother Glen, as he is affectionately called, didn't throw the proverbial stone behind him when leaving his hometown.
Social re-engineering
Christian, a passionate philanthropist and firm believer in community social renewal, has reinvested close to $100 million to date in the social re-engineering of Brandon Hill through the construction of the state-of-the-art Evelyn Mitchell Infant School; the establishment of the Brandon Hill Evening Institute; and various projects at his alma mater, Brandon Hill Primary School.
"Today, I come to celebrate the generosity and good sense of Mr and Mrs Christian. Mr Christian is from this very community. He should be an example to all of you, and anyone of you can be just like him. They could (have) gone anywhere with their resources, however, they chose to come back to their roots," declared education minister, Ronald Thwaites, at the recent opening of the Brandon Hill Primary School computer lab.
"The Ministry of Education commends the CariMed and Kirk Foundation for the establishment of the state-of-art Evelyn Mitchell Infant School and Centre of Excellence. We further commend the CariMed and Kirk Foundation for extending your support to the primary sector by refurbishing and equipping the Brandon Hill Primary School's computer lab - a school Mr Christian once attended," the education minister said in praise of Christian. Christian is chairman of the foundation.
Glen Christian's latest support in the development of Brandon Hill included 20 computers, one multi-functional printer, one projector, a scanner, and the refurbishing of the lab-work station. Christian's foundation also equipped the Evelyn Mitchell's Infant School with five computers and work stations and other computer-related accessories.
Technology as foundation
Speaking at the opening of both computer labs, Christian said he recognised that in today's world, information technology was a strong fundamental component of all levels of the education system.
"The future demands and direction of our education are primarily driven by the speed and impact of technology, which challenges the way we live and operate. If we as a society/ nation fail to embrace technology, we are then headed in the wrong direction," Christian warned at the opening and handover ceremony of the computers.
He added, "The rapid and constant pace of changes in technology is creating both opportunities and challenges for schools. Therefore, we must ensure that our students are equipped with the latest in technology for current and future roles."
The Brandon Hill-born businessman said the CariMed and Kirk Foundation would replicate the winning design of the Evelyn Mitchell Infant School, (named in honour of his mother) which just won the Governor-General's award for excellence in architecture and the Institute of Architecture's award of merit, elsewhere.