Judy Mowatt remains committed to school’s breakfast programme

Veteran singer Judy Mowatt is continuing her mission to assist the students of Bath Primary and Junior High school in St Thomas, especially given the new set of challenges introduced by the pandemic.

A quiet humanitarian, the Many Are Called singer has been the driving force behind a breakfast programme at the school for close to a decade. However, now that the students are at home, doing classes online, the programme had to be put on pause, but Mowatt is not about to pretend that the need no longer exists.

"The parents are having it hard to supply the nutritious breakfast that the children would get at school. Breakfast is such an important meal, and it helps them to learn and be more alert. We found that some of them would come to school and sleep, but once the programme started in 2011, all of that changed," Mowatt told THE STAR.

Bread of life

Schools have been closed for face-to-face classes since mid-March, and the parents have been required to supply new tools - a computer or a tablet, along with the necessary data to stay connected in their online learning environment. While some entities have focused on procuring devices, Mowatt remains committed to providing the bread of life.

"In June, we did a COVID-19 (relief) distribution for the students on the breakfast programme, and it went well. We are planning another one for December because it is getting more difficult for some persons to provide even the basics. If we should just open our eyes a little wider, we will see the needs that exist," the former I-Three member who converted to Christianity said.

She added: "But I can't do it alone, and I am seeking partners who have a desire to see these children shine. When I know that I can put a smile on a child's face, it fills my heart."

The other passion which fills her heart is her music, and Mowatt has been inspired to write during the lockdown. She didn't give details of her new project, but quite likely it is in praise of God because, as she told THE STAR, "My grandmother brought me up to give God thanks for everything. We never had it like others, and whenever we got anything, I would always hear her telling God thanks. And she did this even when it was something that we worked for, not just gifts from people."

That experience, she says, has moulded her into becoming the humanitarian that her grandmother would be proud of.