November 18, 2024
Ocho Rios, St. Ann. Jamaica
FEATURE NEWS

THE COURSE CHANGED THEIR LIVES

MONEAGUE STUDENTS VOUCH FOR CANADA- SPONSORED-COURSE

MONEAGUE, St Ann, Oct. 3, 2024

 

Young adults who have been successful in the Associate Degree in Climate Smart Agro Processing at The Moneague College, St Ann, have been commending the course and highlighting how it has benefitted them.

(Graduates of the Associate Degree programme sponsored through SAGE, at the Moneague College. Here they speak of their experiences of the programmes and how it has shaped their lives. They are, from left, Dedrie-Lea Simonds, a graduate in Environmental Studies; Kerry-Ann Lewin, Treval Fullerton and Danielle Edwards all graduates in Agro Processing.)

Some graduates of the programme were speaking at an event at which a Canadian-supported programme at the College was being highlighted.

The occasion highlighted the Skills to Access the Green Economy (SAGE) programme sponsored by Global Affairs Canada. It involved presentations on the programme, including by Pat Bidart, Senior Technical Advisor to SAGE and faculty of the college. A tour of the college was part of the activities on Tuesday, September 25, 2024.

Canadian High Commissioner to Jamaica Mark Berman said his Government was interested in climate-smart sustainable agriculture and food security for nations of the Caribbean region. He said they had been happy to participate in it. SAGE is also involved with programmes at Ebony Park Jamaica and in other Caribbean countries.

Principal of The Moneague College, Howard Isaacs outlined benefits of the SAGE support to the students and staff. He thanked the Canadian Government and also two Canadian support colleges for their involvement with The Moneague.

The students who related their experiences with the course of study were Dedrie-Lea Simmonds, who graduated with a BSc in Environmental Studies, and Kerry-Ann Lewin, Treval Fullerton and Danielle Edwards all of whom did the Associate in Applied Climate Smart Agro-Processing.

The students spoke of how the support from SAGE assisted them through college, expanded their horizons on study tours in Canada and helped them move toward achieving their dreams. They said the programme was life-changing. Also, some of them said it exposed them to science and agriculture in a way they had not thought of.

Here are snippets of their experiences. WATCH