JPS programme lights way for brighter future

When Angel Baker's mother told her about the JPS Foundation's Power Up Community Action Project, the August Town, St Andrew resident reluctantly signed up. But it was not out of interest, but desperation.

For Baker, 38, the six-month electrical and solar technology course was initially a way to escape her struggles and find distraction.

"I was going through a very rough time and was at a very dark place in my life. I decided to sign up for it because I needed something to motivate myself as I was very broken," Baker confessed.

"When I started the course, I just wanted to kill some time and wasn't interested."

Fast-forward a few months and a transformed Baker was glowing with pride as she walked across the stage at Excelsior Community College in St Andrew yesterday. She was one of 34 graduates of the Power Up Community Action Project. Smiling from ear to ear, she called the achievement "a significant and meaningful milestone."

The Power Up Community Action Project targets at-risk individuals in urban Kingston and St Andrew, equipping them with certifications in electrical and solar technology to enhance employability and entrepreneurial skills. For Baker, the course was nothing short of life-changing.

"I have to just give thanks to my teachers because this has been a life-changing experience. There were other students here who motivated me as well. I have a friend who lost his mother and came right through her sickness and her death, so I knew I had to finish this. Here I am, standing tall," she said.

In addition to the certificate, Baker has gained invaluable skills and a sense of empowerment.

"I can help myself because I am doing my house right now and I am doing the wiring myself. I don't have to pay anyone. These six months really paid off. This is also my first graduation; I didn't get to graduate high school, and now here I am in my gown," she added, her voice filled with pride.

For Lloyd Bishop, of Seaview Gardens in St Andrew, the programme offers him the prospects of a brighter future.

"My life is going to be changed in a major way because I am now certified in solar installation and it teaches me about electrical work as well," he said.

"I now have a trade that can get me through life. For years I have struggled with high light bills. I used to watch YouTube videos on how to curb it. Now, I am more knowledgeable about electricity and I know how to manage my bills. Also, education is the key and pulling strings doesn't always work so having a skill is one of the best things," Bishop said.