UTech, Jamaica Mustard Seed Communities Centre celebrates 25th anniversary

THE MUSTARD Seed Communities Centre, which has been located at the University of Technology, Jamaica , Papine campus for the past quarter century, celebrated its 25th anniversary on January 31. The centre which is dedicated to providing care for children with disabilities, operates under the auspices of the College of Health Sciences.

In bringing greetings at the ceremony, Dr Adella Campbell, dean, College of Health Sciences, recognised the “resilience, growth and legacy of impact” that the UTech, Jamaica Mustard Seed Communities Centre embodies.

Dr Campbell encouraged the organisation’s continued growth as they positively influence the lives of children and adults with disabilities. She noted that the College of Health Sciences is proud to collaborate with an organisation that “recognises the inherent worth of every person, regardless of their physical or intellectual abilities, and strives to create an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive.”

Dr Vanessa White-Barrow, head, School of Allied Health and Wellness, presented an overview of the partnership between UTech, Jamaica and the Mustard Seed Communities. She noted that the Mustard Seed Communities was established by Monsignor Ramkissoon to provide exceptional care for children with multiple disabilities.

In 1998, the partnership between UTech, Jamaica and the Mustard Seed Communities commenced through a training programme which involved the recruitment of volunteers from the university’s student body. These volunteers received training focused on caring for individuals with disabilities and helped them to formulate assessment strategies through long-distance training.

Dr White-Barrow noted that the programme involved the training of Mustard Seed Communities caregivers in universal care, first aid, and sanitisation, incorporating structured courses that culminated in an examination.

The College of Health Sciences has trained more than 160 caregivers since 2012 with lecturers from the College of Health Sciences, the School of Public Health and Health Technology and the School of Computing and Information Technology.

Monsignor Gregory Ramkissoon, founder, Mustard Seed Communities, expressed his deep appreciation for the work done by the UTech, Jamaica Mustard Seed Communities Centre. He noted that despite the challenges, “God is going to provide everything and more.”

He highlighted the potential of children with disabilities as he shared an inspiring story of a young girl from Nicaragua who represented the state of Georgia in the swimming special Olympics. She was later recruited by Disney to participate in an advertisement.

Monsignor Ramkissoon urged everyone to “celebrate the lives of these kids and their caregivers”, acknowledging the significant role of the caregivers in positively impacting the lives of the children. He further encouraged them to persevere in the continuation of their important work.

Patrice Reid, lecturer, School of Allied Health and Wellness, College of Health Sciences, in moving the vote of thanks expressed gratitude to Carol Hutchinson, supervisor, Mustard Seed Communities Centre, along with her team, as well as the team from Mustard Seed Communities for celebrating this significant milestone. She encouraged, “Do all the good you can, for all the people you can for as long as you can.”