It has just become a bit easier for females who are desirous of pursuing a two year Associate degree at the SVGCC, Division of Technical and Vocational Studies to do so, thanks to an injection of funds for scholarships by the Rotary clubs of St Vincent and the Grenadines.
The Rotary Club South, in collaboration with the Rotary Club St. Vincent, donated $EC144, 215 to St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College (SVGCC) on Friday, 17th December 2021 to assist in providing scholarships to females who wish to attend the Division of Technical and Vocational Studies. The scholarship will cover books, transportation and more. Twenty scholarships will be given to females at a total value of EC$123,041. Additionally, the Rotary Club has allocated just over EC$21,000 with the unveiling of another project, targeting men in the area of skills training (electrical installation field).
District Assistant Governor of the Rotary Club, Shafia London-Williams indicated that after the eruption of the La Soufriere volcano, the Rotary Club visited the rural communities that were affected and recognised that many women, whose roles were instrumental to family life, were impacted severely. London-Williams emphasized that it was the club’s view that this was an area worthy of pursuit, through the empowerment of women by way of education.
The District Assistant Governor of the Rotary Club added that President of Rotary International, Shekhar Mehta is advocating for the prioritization of projects for the “empowerment of women, their health, education, well-being and economic security.” London-Williams, therefore, encouraged clubs and districts to empower girls and women in all the service initiatives they undertake during the 2021 – 2022 Rotary year.
President of Rotary Club St Vincent, Dr Janelle Allen expressed elation on embarking on the journey in conjunction with the SVGCC. She said, “this education-focused project is one of many projects we will be implementing over the course of this 2021 – 2022 Rotary year.” The president announced that her excitement extends to the reality that the project is in tandem with the goal of empowering women and girls, through vocational skills training, in fields that were originally male-dominated. Automotive repairs, Architectural technology, Electrical Technology, Agricultural Science, Plumbing and Entrepreneurship are among the range of options being offered to female recipients.
Director of the SVGCC, Dr Nigel Scott thanked the Rotary Clubs for their contribution and revealed that the institution is now on the verge of instituting a new strategic plan from 2022 for the next five years, under the theme: “Let’s ACE It (Access, Community Engagement and Economic Empowerment). Dr. Scott pointed out that the mandate of the Rotary Club coincides with that of the College and anticipates an excellent partnership on this project.
