Ten Holy Family Primary & Infant School students, accompanied by one of the school’s guidance counsellors Shakeria Northover, on Tuesday, November 14, journeyed to the NCB Atrium on Trafalgar Road for the Jamaica Observer 2023 Applaud It! series. And they certainly got more than they bargained for!

Holy Family Primary & Infant School — formerly East Branch Elementary — is located at 2 & 9 Laws Street, in South Central Kingston, in an area commonly known as Southside.

“Being from these communities, you realise that the majority of the problems that they face deal with grief and trauma. And, so that’s the type of work that we have to be doing, teaching these students healthy ways to cope. Growing up in these situations weighs on their education and it does not allow them to readily put their best foot forward. So that’s where we come in to give them a shoulder to lean on and give them a hand to say ‘you can do it’,” said Northover.

The Applaud It! luncheon, hosted by the NCB Foundation, was a welcomed distraction from the students’ norm and served as a chance for NCB execs to meet the next generation, and guide them through an awesome dining experience courtesy of Chef Alex D-Great while imparting critical social and dining skills. The bonus? The kids left with new budgeting skills and a better understanding of the importance of saving, thanks to an exercise dubbed the Lunch Budget Challenge, led by NCB Foundation Director Sharon Williams.

Photographer: Karl Mclarty