Jamal wins National Schools’ 2010 Cooperator of the Year Award

Jamal Edwards of the Fancy Government School took away the award for the Cooperator of the Year at the National Schools’ Co-operative Awards 2010. The award ceremony was held at the Peace Memorial Hall on Tuesday, October 19.{{more}}

Edwards, who was also awarded a prize for the top saver, saved a total of $2, 285 in his school’s co-operative. Awards were also given to the other top four students who saved the most during the year, as well as the teacher guides and schools. The South Rivers Methodist School was the school that saved the most for the year, which totalled $18,459. 09.

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister of National Mobilization Michael Browne stated that as of July 2010 there were 87 school co-operatives with total savings of $630,000. In 2006, there were 83 schools that saved just half a million dollars.

Browne, commending the schools’ co-operatives on their savings over the years, stated that more schools needed to be covered by the co-operative programme.

He challenged the co-operative department of the Ministry of National Mobilization and the affiliates GECCU, KCCU, BCCU and SVUTCCU to aim for full coverage of the educational institutions in terms of school co-operatives.

Senior Education Officer in the Ministry of Education Jacqueline Glasgow stated that the presence of the co-operative would develop entrepreneurial skills among students in the school, helping students to be more innovative and resourceful. Students who inherit these skills, she said, will be better prepared to take on the challenges of the economy.

Junior Bacchus, President of the SVGCCU, thanked the department of co-operatives for the excellent work they continue to do in aiding young people to save. He urged more students to become apart of the schools’ co-operative movement.

Bacchus said that the credit union in St.Vincent and the Grenadines has 52,000 members, $180 million of savings and assets totalling $295 million.