A new program has been launched by the government of Jamaica to provide scholarships to the children of Jamaicans working on Ontario fruit and vegetable farms through the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP).
The scholarship program, supported by a $10,000 grant from the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (OFVGA) as part of efforts to help mark the 60th anniversary of SAWP this year, will help 10 Jamaican students pay for costs associated with attending high school, from accommodation and transportation to books and uniforms.
"Education is the one thing that can equalize and it levels the playing field to unlock potential. When you give a child that leg up, it helps not just that child but also their family and their community," said Jamaica's Minister of Labour and Social Security, Pearnel Charles Jr., during the launch in Kingston, Jamaica last week.
"The idea for this scholarship came during a conversation in Canada last year and today, we are moving from talking about helping to providing a program that will help – that's the best reflection of a legacy partnership," he added.
In 1966, Jamaica became the first country to provide seasonal workers to Canadian fruit and vegetable growers, when 264 Jamaicans arrived in Ontario to help with apple harvest. This launched a strong partnership between Jamaica and Canada, and laid the foundation for SAWP, one of Canada's longest-running and most respected labour programs.
Today, more than 30,000 workers from Mexico, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, and the Eastern Caribbean Islands come through SAWP to support Ontario's horticulture sector each year.
One of the strengths of the program is an annual review process that involves the governments of the workers' home countries, the Canadian government and Canadian farm employers; this has led to consistent and ongoing positive improvements to SAWP.
Shortly after Minister Charles assumed his current role, he came to Canada to visit farms and meet with Jamaican workers and farm employers.
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