Labour Minister Urges Public Backing for 5K Fundraiser to Buy Bus for Special-Needs Children

Minister of Labour and Social Security Pearnel Charles Jr is asking members of the public to get behind the Good Samaritan 5K Run/Walk, a fundraiser aimed at purchasing a bus to help children with special needs.

The vehicle, worth more than $6 million, will carry staff from Community-Based Rehabilitation Jamaica (CBRJ) into communities where they deliver services to children with disabilities and their families.

Charles made the appeal during a recent media launch for the 5K at CBRJ’s offices in Spanish Town, St Catherine. He said strengthening groups such as CBRJ gives children with special needs better access to the resources they need to succeed.

CBRJ is a non-governmental, community-based organisation that offers early-childhood education and therapeutic support to more than 600 students with disabilities through five centres in three parishes.

“Our goal must be to create more avenues for access to education, therapy, access to healthcare, access to opportunity, to dignity, to independence. It's about moving the barriers that we have created so people can get an opportunity to do what they can do,” he said.

Charles praised Good Samaritan and CBRJ for the vital assistance they provide to vulnerable children, noting that their work reflects the values of Jamaica’s Christian society and the belief that every person is a child of God.

He also said the ministry is preparing programmes to build parents’ capacity to care for children with disabilities. “We're starting out with 250 parents and caregivers to train them in the care and development of their children with disabilities. We're also going to enhance specialised support by engaging specialised personnel, and we're getting some support from overseas to help with that,” he said.

Sandrea Long White, project manager at CBRJ, said the bus is essential for the organisation’s outreach work. She pointed out that operating without a vehicle for the past three years has limited its ability to serve children in communities across the island.

The Good Samaritan 5K Run/Walk takes place on Sunday, August 30 at 29 Hope Road, with a 6 a.m. start. Interested participants can sign up at https://my.raceresult.com/362610/.