Francine Buchner

P.A.C.E (Canada) members and supporters came out to the Jamaican Consulate in Toronto last Thursday to celebrate the Yuletide season and donate toys and books for children in Jamaica’s early childhood education.

Amongst the singing of Christmas Carols led by Dr. Vincent Conville and the partaking of the jerk chicken, festival, salads and desserts people were stopping by to drop off gifts and many were writing cheques - donating in the amounts of $500 or more.

According to the organisation, “the schools use the funds for everything - from purchasing school equipment and supplies to fixing fences and roofs to buying refrigerators and stoves so that their students can have a hot meal each day”.

Delrine Jones, member of P.A.C.E (Canada) for 24 years was the mistress of ceremonies. Jones was president of the organisation from 1999-2002 and prior to that was Treasurer, which recently celebrated their 25th anniversary. volunteers All P.A.C.E (Canada) members and supporters are volunteers.

The mission of P.A.C.E. (Canada) is the promotion of early childhood education with a special focus on children of pre-school age in situations of racial, cultural or economic disadvantage.

As such, our goal is to be responsive, mobilising and supporting community efforts to provide a positive learning environment for young children by facilitating parent and teacher education and providing practical forms of assistance for the learning context. P.A.C.E (Canada) started out as Women for P.A.C.E, started in 1987 by Jamaican-born educator Mavis Burke.

The Adopt-A-School program invests in the provision of brighter futures for more than 12,000 little boys and girls, each year.