YWCA gets home

After a wait that seemed too long for its members, the Young Women’s Christian Association’s (YWCA) new headquarters has been completed and opened. The opening ceremony was held on the lawn of the new structure located at McKies Hill, just behind the St. Vincent Grammar School. {{more}}

The building, which was constructed at a cost of over $700,000, was designed and constructed by the Ministry of Works according to specifications often requested by members of the “Y” themselves.

The headquarters now make it much more comfortable for the operation of both the pre-school, school-feeding programme and the other activities of the organization. But as Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves pointed out at the opening, the construction of this building formed part of the wider programme of the erection of the national library project, which will occupy the space presently being utilized by the delapidated, often burglarized old “Y” building on Murray’s Road.

Speeches were delivered by Education Minister Mike Browne and president of the YWCA Shirley Cox, followed by the feature address by the Prime Minister while the pre-schoolers anxiously awaited their opportunity to perform for the small audience seated under two large tents. They rendered three songs, one of which was impromtu, much to the amusement of the audience.

The government officials did not waste time in re-emphazising their plan to continue their “revolution in education”, which includes the achievement of universal secondary education by 2005. Minister Browne reminded that his government had increased and had allocated subvention for all pre-schools, a feat he said had never been done before.

The Prime Minister for his part announced government’s intention to conduct a mass literacy campaign which he said was designed by St. Lucian educator Dr. Didicus Jules, renowned for his work during the period of the Grenadian revolution.

The ribbon was cut by founding member of the YWCA Millicent Iton while Shirley Cox administered the blessings.

It is expected that the pre-school will begin operations from the new locale soon.