In their thrust to continue supporting Jamaican charitable organisations and social initiatives, The American Friends of Jamaica (AFJ), a not-for-profit organisation, has donated US$20,000 grant to the Parenting Group of Seaward Primary and Junior High School, to aid in the development of their fund-raising project.

The project featured the sale of an assortment of bedding items as well as pastries, which they supply to the schools and the surrounding communities.

Dr Laura Tanna, director at AFJ, said that her organisation is geared to improving the lives of Jamaicans through systemic development in the areas of education, health care and economic development.

“And we have given a grant for parenting at the school, the Seaward school, and we have seen the results of some of the work that the parents have done. Some of them are doing this lovely pillow work, and some of them are doing baked goods.

“And they are also involved getting more involved with the school and with parenting techniques. It’s something the AFJ cares about very deeply,” Tanna told the Jamaica Observer at a press conference at the school on December 17.

AFJ’s program analyst Frances Fulton said Parenting Group of Seaward Primary and Junior High School has been doing well with its programme and encouraged more parents to come on board.

“I get to come out and see all the programmes in action all over the island. This programme has been going particularly well and we’re seeing a lot of parents, engaged and learning new skills in parenting as well as other skills that they have set them up in life.

“We have parents who are better parents; better able to bring up their children as well as able to earn funding and create sustainable environments for themselves. We would love for more parents to be participating in the programme. We want parents to take advantage of the programme so that they can improve their life in the community as well as those of their community members because there are other parents who are sitting by, and so on,” she said.

Shannick Moore, a member of the parenting group, welcomed the support from the AFJ.

“It has done a lot for us because we parents need a second chance as some of us didn’t have a job or anything like that and so we wanted something to do; something to keep us active and to be more involved with our kids.

“This programme has opened our knowledge and help us help our kids. We have made cushions, pillows and many other stuff and another group made baked foods such as cakes and so forth,” siad Moore.

The programme was launched in October this year.

“It is very educational as we get to learn new things. It helps with basic maths such as calculations and numbers. It teaches us do entrepreneurship, better parents and to be independent,” Moore explained, adding that, “As so all of this wouldn’t be possible without the help from the AFJ, I thank them very much as their help can go a long way.”