The Mercy Wings Vocational and Day Care Centre, which is sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy Guyana, yesterday held the dedication ceremony for its newly constructed multi-purpose building.
The new facility, the St Lawrence Multi-Purpose Building of Mercy Wings, boasts a computer lab containing computers donated by EDUCARE, a library, a craft room along with dining and kitchen facilities. According to Sister Judith Schmelz, Secretary of the Board of Directors of Mercy Wings, the decision to expand and construct a new multi-purpose building was conceived in 2007 by Sister Julie Matthews, to offer a wider range of courses and cater for a larger student population.
The construction of the building was made possible through fund-raising ventures of the Sisters of Baltimore USA, who successfully raised $40 million to offset expenses for a three-phase project, with the first phase being the expansion and construction of the multi-purpose building. The second phase of the project will address the need for security enhancement along with the provision of equipment and furniture, while the third phase will focus on the opening of the computer lab to both the students and the Sophia public and the offering of craft and computer courses to adults in Sophia, which is expected to be done in September.
Founded in 2000 by the Sisters of Mercy Guyana, and managed by the Board of Directors of Mercy Wings and funded by the Religious Sisters of Mercy, the centre offers technical, vocational and remedial academic education to less fortunate students. The academic subjects include Mathematics, English and introduction to computer science along with moral education, all aimed at making the students well-rounded individuals.
In an interview, Programme Coordinator Paula Bess told Stabroek News that the centre currently has about 80 trainees and a permanent staff of 14, along with four volunteers. It has three departments, general construction, child care and catering and home management.
The first department offers masonry, plumbing and carpentry skills; the second caters for child care and care for the elderly while the third focuses on the development of the culinary arts. According to Bess, the facility which has a day-care centre for 22 toddlers on site, allows for the students of the child care department to be exposed to practical training in this field. She added that these students would periodically visit geriatric institutions such as the Uncle Eddie’s Home and the Palms, where they receive practical first-hand training as it relates to caring for the elderly.
Students attend classes from 8 am to 3 pm from Monday to Friday. According to Programme Director Patricia Liverpool, the trainees attend the institution for a period of eight months before graduating from their various programmes. Liverpool stated also that the centre has taken upon itself the task of finding jobs for the students and or institutions that cater for their specialised fields. She highlighted for instance, that the home management students are sent to the Carnegie School of Home Economics. Students in the technical fields are sent to the Government Technical Institute, where they can be given the opportunity to further develop their skills.
Student Delica Trim said, “I like to cook and dress up the house and that is why I choose the home management course.” According to her, she hopes to attend the Carnegie School of Home Economics after graduating in June and added that she intends to one day open her own small business.
Jovace Da Silva, another trainee with whom Stabroek News spoke, said she was grateful for the training received so far by her teachers. “I like home management and that is why I choose it. I like to prepare snacks foods and beverages.” She too plans on starting her own small business one day.
The new building was constructed within a six months period by the Jaikeshan Construction Firm.
