Ministry’s Vacation Camp creates post for young campers

The overall vision of the Camp, which received the overwhelming support from line Minister, Randall Mitchell, was to create a safe space for the children of the employees of the Ministry so that they could continue to perform their daily tasks and responsibilities while knowing that their children are safe and taken care of.

This four-week programme was designed to stimulate their sense of adventure; generate a positive intellectual and social environment; encourage team spirit; and, help them to nurture a healthy respect for their peers, others and themselves.

As the curtains came down on this pilot project, tributes were made by some of the youngsters who had nothing but praise for the Camp which afforded them the opportunity to forge new friendships, develop creative and artistic skills through dance, art and craft, poetry and improve their awareness and knowledge of the many local sites and places of interest.

In a show of appreciation, the youngsters staged a production for their captive audience which included Minister Mitchell; Permanent Secretary, Simone Thorne-Mora; Deputy Permanent Secretary, Marion Hayes; Departmental Heads, the Camp’s Committee members, facilitators, parents and well-wishers.

In addition, there was a display of their arts and craft projects and a slide show of their adventures over the four week period.

Tokens of appreciation were also distributed by the Honourable Minister; an interaction which they enjoyed.

At an informal session held at the start of the programme, Minister Mitchell reminded the campers of the old adage that “it took a village to raise a child”, only in this instance it was the Ministry’s family that was helping to nurture them during their Camp Experience. The Minister also urged the youngsters to remain focused on their education which remains the main gateway to achieving their dreams and goals. In her remarks, Permanent Secretary Thorne-Mora reminded the audience that the idea for hosting vacation camps in the public sector was conceived in 2008 when the then Government formally agreed to the establishment of a Vacation and After School Programme to accommodate children of public officers, while their parents and guardians were at work. This initiative also served to test the theory that productivity levels would not suffer as there would be no need for staff to use official working hours to drop, pick up and look after their kids during the long vacation period.