JUST two weeks into the start of the new academic year, the University of the West Indies (UWI) Guild Council has already embarked on one of its major outreach projects for the year.

The event, held at the UWI Bowl recently, was in the form of a back-to- school treat which saw a huge turnout of children and caregivers from greater August Town and its environs.

Partnering with the August Town Women’s Action Group, the guild executives organised the annual event to target the needy children in the area.

The day’s proceedings featured activities such as face painting and rides which were made possible with the support of sponsors LIME and the JN Foundation, as well as volunteers from the JN Foundation and students at the university.

This year’s staging of the event saw the inclusion of children from the Mona Commons community for the first time. Communities such as Tavern and Kintyre will be incorporated in the next staging of the event.

External affairs chair for the UWI Guild Council Odayne Haughton said UWI students are very receptive when it comes to outreach and charity.

“The response from various clubs and societies and even the halls on campus was tremendous, so I would certainly say that the students here on campus are naturally philanthropic,” he said.

“The guild wants to tap into the surrounding communities of the university, not just talking to them, but getting them involved. We want them to know that we are a part of them and they’re not just beyond the walls of the university.”

Guild executives with some of the children who were treated.