Minister of State Dawn Hastings-Williams yesterday commissioned the $1,069,000 Lynette Stephens Resource Centre in Mahdia, Region Eight.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of the Presidency, the Centre was named to honour the contributions made by Stephens, a head teacher of the Mahdia Secondary School.
The commissioning ceremony was hosted in the compound of the school dormitory.
Minister Hastings-Williams, who gave the feature address at the commissioning ceremony, commended the Ministry of the Presidency’s Department of Social Cohesion and the residents who spearheaded the idea to honour Stephens and, through consultations, conceptualised the project and worked together to make the centre a reality.
“Residents of Mahdia, you must applaud yourselves for coming up with this wonderful project…This project proves that governmental developmental actions are to be made in consultations with the intended beneficiaries. I am elated and salute you the donors because you have exemplified yourselves through this public private partnership. So, I thank you for coming on board and making this Resource Centre a reality,” Hastings-Williams was quoted as saying.
She also pledged to ensure the centre has internet access in the near future, while noting that since 2015, the Ministry of Public Telecommunications has established in excess of 170 information and communications technology (ICT) hubs across all ten administrative regions.
Natasha Singh-Lewis, Coordinator, Department of Social Cohesion, outlined the project’s history and noted that it was conceptualised in 2016 and was a collaborative effort between the Department, the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) and the business community in the region, making it a “demonstration of the mission of Social Cohesion in action.”
Also present at the commissioning was Mayor of Mahdia David Adams, who said that he believes that opening of the Resource Centre is timely as it will equip the students with the knowledge they need to succeeded and provide them with a sound education. “Facilities such as this is designed to bridge the disparities that exist between the hinterland and the coastland… This facility is an investment in you, the youths of this Region. You are the future leaders of this county and we are committed to providing an enabling environment for you to gain the highest quality of education to leader this nation in the future,” he was quoted as saying.
The statement noted that the residents, RDC and business community raised funds for construction of the centre and to equip it.
