SCORES of student leaders from high schools across Jamaica turned up at hospitals and other locations on Saturday to participate in the 2007 Duke of Edinburgh National Service Day of activities.

In Kingston, male and female students and their teachers turned out at the Bustamante Hospital for Children to carry out painting and clean-up exercises. The participating Kingston high schools included Holy Childhood, Pembroke Hall, Dunoon, Penwood and Campion College. In other parishes like Clarendon and St Ann, students from Denbigh High and Aabuthnott Gallimore carried out similar work at the May Pen and St Ann's Bay hospitals respectively.

Student leaders from several Kingston high schools rap with organisers of the 2007 Duke of Edinburgh National Service Day at the Bustamante Hospital in Kingston on Saturday. The day of activities included painting and cleaning up facilities at the hospital. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

Head of the Duke of Edinburgh programme in Jamaica, Vernon Darby, said while the turnout was not as large as they had hoped, he was glad that the participants were getting the opportunity to be of service to their community.

"Our programme is all about developing the children's characters and getting them to be of service to their communities, with emphasis on teamwork," Darby said. "By giving service to others, they are learning how to be strong and productive Jamaican citizens."

CEO of the Bustamante Hospital for Children, Beverly Needham, also expressed gratitude to the young people who turned out, and encouraged them to influence their peers to become members of volunteer groups and other positive youth organisations.
In the meantime, Darby told the Observer that on Saturday there were more than 2,000 student leaders, who are members of the Duke of Edinburgh programme - from over 60 secondary institutions islandwide.

"The programme has been doing well since it was started in the 1960s and introduced to Jamaican high schools in recent years. But we want it to grow even more.," Darby said.

The Duke of Edinburgh initiative is an international programme that presents awards to student leaders in participating countries across the globe. Among its objectives are to foster leadership skills and provide leadership training for young people who participate in its programmes. A few years ago, local organisers signed a memorandum with the Jamaican government to have the programme launched in all high schools.

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