The Project for the Advancement of Childhood Education (PACE), Canada, will be planting trees in 45 of its adopted Jamaican basic schools to commemorate the nation's 45th year of Independence.

President of PACE Canada, Jamaican-born Lorna King, made the announcement recently at an Adopt-A-School brunch, organised by the association in Toronto, Canada.

Supporting education

She said the 20-year-old organisation was planting seeds in children's minds by supporting their education and by giving them the best possible start in life.

"There is an old Chinese proverb that says when you plant a tree you rarely live to enjoy its shade. We do not know who we have helped in the past or who we will be helping in the future, but it is a good feeling to know that the shade that we have provided will help over 10,000 children this year," she said.

Mrs. King pointed out that the number of Jamaican basic schools adopted through PACE Canada has climbed to 215, a figure which has more than doubled in the past four years.

She thanked the many donors and sponsors for the group's achievement and also attributed it, in part, to the exposure of the organisation on Canadian television through a documentary called, 'Jamaica Proud', which chronicled the work of PACE's founder, Jamaican-born Dr. Mavis Burke.

Noting that the work which PACE Canada was doing would benefit generations to come, Mrs. King said that, "only with advocacy, education and care will the most vulnerable and needy children be able to break the cycle of poverty, so that they can pass on to their children, the legacy of a better tomorrow."