Beauty with a heart - Former Miss Jamaica continues good work

 The efforts of former Miss Jamaica World runner-up, Christelle Harris, to help the parish of Trelawny are continuing.

Harris, though abroad, recently helped two schools to achieve no mean feats.

The contribution from her foundation, The Christelle Harris Fund, has been boosted by the aid of two entities, Long Ponds and Hampden Estates.

The combination has been beneficial to the Dumfries Basic School and the St Michael Early Childhood Institution.

During a Gleaner article on June 5 of this year, Harris had said "I believe it's unfair for people to endure such poor living conditions", and today, the two schools in question are on their way to not having to.

The 2006 Miss Jamaica World contestant's fund has ensured that students at the Dumfries Basic School now have a safer environment in which to play after the area was fenced.

Achievement

In addition, a concrete wall around the school was rendered and painted.

While the achievement may seem small, "the journey of 1,000 miles begins with the first step". Lao-tzu (c 604-c 531 bc), founder of Taoism.

The fund began in June 2008 with the aim of providing support for patients at the Bustamante Hospital for Children, and had earlier this year launched a series of projects geared at facilitating improvements in schools in Trelawny.

The project, which includes Cedric Titus High School, and the two mentioned before is well under way.

St Michaels, for instance, was also the beneficiary of a refrigerator and furniture.

According to Harris, the basic schools are plagued by unsanitary conditions, and are below standards she is willing to call acceptable.

The Cedric Titus High School, which had a dysfunctional drainage system was given a cheque for $1,099, 800 earlier this year.

Harris handed over the cheque herself at a ceremony held at Cedric Titus High School on May 28.

At the time, Harris' fund was helped by Everglades Farms and her family and the former beauty contestant had asked that Corporate Jamaica help in the effort.

That question is still being asked today, as the Long Pond and Hampden Estates, which are run by Everglades, are still funding the bulk of Harris' philanthropic efforts.

Harris lives between the United States and Jamaica and in her absence, one of her very close relations Outram Hussey (grand uncle) executes the developments on the schools favoured by her fund.

Recently, her grandmother, Ruth Hussey, made the presentations to Dumfries Basic and St Michael schools.