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Port of Call |
LAST UPDATE September 14, 2005
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| site design imagesparkle.com |
| July 25, 2005 |
Montego Bay, Jamaica – GET Challenge with Montego Bay Boys and Girls’ Club |
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| Members of the Montego Bay Boys and Girls’ Club, together with GET Challenge programme participants |
Once Peace Boat establishes a relationship, this relationship is nurtured and maintained. One such relationship that has thrived on this philosophy is the one between the Montego Bay Boys and Girls’ Club and the Global English/Espanol Training (GET) programme on Peace Boat. Earlier this year, on the 48th voyage, the GET team raised funds to purchase a digital camera to supplement the Boys and Girls’ Club computer programme. This programme was set up to provide opportunities for the children and youth of the community to gain access to skills and information. GET offered the digital camera to enhance the computer programme by making it easier for the children and youth of the Club to create their own website. |
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| Sharing skills with the Marching Band |
Since Montego Bay is also a port of call on the current 49th voyage, the GET and Communication Coordinator (CC) teams joined together to raise additional funds for the expansion of the Club’s computer programme. In particular, they proposed to fund an Internet connection. A fundraising event was organized where participants were able to bid on various prizes, including a night in a deluxe suite; an exclusive dinner made by a Topaz chef for a party of six; and the chance to do the morning announcements through the PA system. By the end of the auction, over 180,000 yen (approximately US$2,000) was raised! |
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| A trip to the beach together |
When Peace Boat berthed in Montego Bay, the GET Challenge participants were greeted by the Montego Boys and Girls’ Club marching band. The Jamaican students were shy at first, but soon enough they began to interact with GET Challenge participants as they taught each other dance steps and songs. After the cultural exchange, everyone was able to relax at the beach where true friendships were formed. Moreover, GET students were presented with a great opportunity to use their improved English skills with the local people, as well as be exposed to the various differences in accents and dialects that the English-speaking world has to offer. |
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| The digital camera and Internet connection funds are presented to the club |
Back at the Montego Bay Boys and Girls’ Club, a ceremony was held to present the Boys and Girls’ Club with the digital camera and the funds specifically raised for a sustainable internet connection that will last for 2 1/2 years. In her speech, Ms. Rie Saito, a GET student, illustrated the importance of this exchange: “Peace Boat is like a peace boat traveling around the world, and the whole world is open to its participants. With the internet, we can keep in touch by email. This way the internet is like Peace Boat, where the whole world is open to you”. |
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