Literacy program gets help from H.H.V Whitchurch, Western Union Foundation

The handing over ceremony on Wednesday
The handing over ceremony on Wednesday

In cooperation with The Western Union Foundation, H.H.V. Whitchurch & Co., Western Union’s Agent in Dominica, has joined forces with Hands Across the Sea to help raise literacy levels in Dominica schools. Working together, three schools—Roseau Primary School, St. John’s Academy (Portsmouth), and Castle Bruce Secondary School—will receive literacy support during the 2013/2014 school year.

A Handing Over Ceremony of books for the program, facilitated by the Lions Club, was held in Goodwill on Wednesday afternoon to one of the receiving schools – Roseau Primary School.

H.H.V. Whitchurch & Co. donated US$5,000 to support Hands Across the Sea’s Caribbean Literacy and School Support (CLASS) program. The donation was matched dollar-for-dollar by the Western Union Foundation via its Agent Gift Match program for a total grant of US$10,000. The donation will help the identified schools to get new reading books to enhance their libraries.

The joint support of the Western Union  Foundation and H.H.V. Whitchurch & Co. Ltd. will fund  a large selection of brand new books from leading education publishers, such as Scholastic and Dorling-Kindersley, and Caribbean-niche titles from Macmillan Caribbean and Campanita Books, in a renovation of Roseau Primary’s and Castle Bruce Secondary’s libraries.

For St. John’s Academy, the donation is funding new books.

“We appreciate the hard-work and devotion of those who have been working on this project with us,” said Gerry Aird Managing Director, H.H.V. Whitchurch & Co. Ltd.

The Company, established over one hundred years ago, has and continues to support education, as it is a pillar of national development.

“The Western Union Foundation collaborates with Agents to give back to the people and communities we serve,” said Patrick Gaston, president of Western Union Foundation.  “H.H.V. Whitchurch & Co. shares our passionate commitment to improving child literacy in Dominica. This commitment shows that they share our belief that the path to a brighter future for the children of Dominica begins with a strong foundation in educational programs.”

Since its inception in 2007, Hands Across the Sea’s Co-Founders, Harriet and Tom Linskey, have been dedicated to raising the literacy levels of eastern Caribbean children, from pre-school to high school, through its CLASS program. In total, Hands Across the Sea has shipped over 126,000 new and near-new books and 285 boxes of teaching resources to 175 schools and community libraries, reaching more than 31,000 children.

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1 Comment

  1. Toure
    October 31, 2013

    Thanks for the kind gesture and continuing support of our children. May God continue to bless and prosper your various companies so your hands may stretch longer and wider,thank you much.
    To those who will be using and taking care of these resources, be very appreciative and thankful,take great care of them and use them for your enlightenment and growth.Castle Bruce secondary ,teachers, students,volunteers,helpers and supporters,appreciation and thankfulness is your motto so we expect nothing less.Keep reaching for the best.

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