ECFH SUPPORTS THE LADY GORDON OPPORTUNITY CENTRE

The Lady Gordon Opportunity Centre was the proud recipient of a new Canon Photocopier/Printer donated by East Caribbean Financial Holding Company Limited at a ceremony held Friday, September 07, 2007 at the school’s Ciceron premises. 

Mrs Anne Jn Baptiste, Planning Officer attached to the Corporate Planning Unit of the Ministry of Education expressed gratitude to the ECFH Group for their continued contribution to the development of St Lucia’s Human Resource.  “I can assure you that the photocopier/printer will significantly enhance the Centre’s instructional programmes, particularly in relation to stimulating and improving the development of literacy abilities of students currently attending the Centre.”

ECFH, represented by Mr Terrence Albert, Communications Officer, in his address highlighted the fact that all children, despite their learning challenges must be given the opportunity to use their God-given gifts. They must be able to better themselves so they can grow up to be well rounded citizens, capable of looking after themselves, and making their contribution to the development of our nation.  He went further to say: “ECFH’s donation of this photocopier, substantiates our commitment to providing tangible support for technical/vocational education programmes that sustain the development of St Lucian youth as has been outlined in our corporate social responsibility programme aptly entitled ‘Enriching Lives’.”

The gift was well received by Principal Dale St Juste who thanked the ECFH Group immensely for their kind contribution.  “It could not have come at a better time” he said, as the Centre had been experiencing some difficulty with their current printers.  “By donating this photocopying machine, you are not enriching an institution, nor are you simply stocking an office with equipment.  Rather, you are providing an invaluable and perpetual resource that will directly and repeatedly serve the students of this school every day of the school year.” 

The Lady Gordon Opportunity Centre whose motto is ‘Creating a Rainbow of Opportunities for Children with Hearing Impairments and Special Educational Needs’ has been in existence from as far back as 1994 as a school for children with hearing impairments.  Due to the reduction of such cases on the island, the school opened its doors to children with other special educational needs.  To date the school caters to approximately sixty students with a faculty of ten teachers and three teacher’s aides.

Mr St Juste expressed thanks to Mr Anderson Lake and Ms Melissa Reynolds of ECFH, as well as Ms Theresa Girard, parent of one of the students for their assistance in ensuring that the school received the much needed machine “and so, the children thank you, the administration and staff thank you, I thank you”.

Principal Mr. Dale St Juste, Mrs. Jn Baptiste of Ministry of Education, student Ms. Anaika Montoute

and Mr. Terrence Albert of ECFH