“Faith Becomes Real” for Medical Student Through Food For The Poor Scholarship

By Michael Edwards

It was a case of “faith becoming real” for 21-year-old medical student Keonie White as she became the latest recipient of a full tuition scholarship courtesy of Food for the Poor and their donors.

At the official presentation ceremony, held in the Medical Sciences Faculty building at the UWI, Mona campus, White, who hails from the remote mountain district of Auchtembeddie in Manchester (near to the St. Elizabeth border), gave an emotional testimony of the timely intervention of the Food for the Poor team, working in tandem with the Medical Faculty, and the overseas based donors. “This [scholarship] opportunity was a beacon of hope in what was otherwise a time of darkness,” she told the gathering. “I spent much time praying and crying, wondering if all the work and study I had put in up to that point would be in vain.”

The offer of funding – full tuition and board for three years, gave the then first year student renewed confidence of realizing her desire to become a pediatrician. That desire, she explained, blossomed out of a story oft repeated by her family, of how she had survived a life-threatening bout of pneumonia only days after birth. Now in her second year, White said she was already dreaming of the day she will be able to “pay it forward” by offering free or low cost clinical services in her deep rural community, and encourages others to stick to their dreams no matter what.

Addressing the presentation, Food for the Poor Executive Director Craig Moss Solomon, said the organization was proud to stand in support of Miss White, and described her story as one of “passion, hope and resilience.” Food for the Poor, he said, was committed to helping talented and needy students realize their full potential, and contribute to national development. Moss-Solomon also paid a brief tribute to his late uncle James “Jimmy” Moss-Solomon, who was a major contributor to the development of the university.

Donors Jim McDaniel and Alison Frahm of Davis Elkins Foundation, through Operation Starfish, Nativity Catholic Church in Burke, Virginia, expressed a similar eagerness to contribute to the initiative. “This is something that we just felt a call to do, and it has been a source of great fulfilment for us,” McDaniel said. “Not only have we helped a medical student in Jamaica, but we have gained new insights and opportunities to develop new relationships, such as we have with our friends at the University of the West Indies.”

UWI Pro-Vice Chancellor and Principal of the Mona Campus Prof. Dale Webber said the institution received over 1,000 applications annually for the Medical Faculty, but has only 280 places in the various programmes. “A significant number of those accepted”, he pointed out, are unable to take up the place because they cannot afford the tuition. Still there are those who start on faith, and today faith has become reality for Keonie White, thanks to Food for the Poor, and we will see the return on investment when Miss White is out there practicing.”

UWI Medical Faculty Dean Prof. Minerva Thame said the presentation of the scholarship was “a dream come true” for Miss White and an occasion of pride and celebration for the Faculty and the university as a whole. “This is a life-changing moment for Keonie and for all of us,” she said and implored the young student to cherish the donation as the time would come when she would, in turn, be giving back to help someone else less fortunate.

Over fifty (50) students from across the various faculties of the University of the West Indies have benefited from tuition and/or textbook grants from Food for the Poor since 2016. The medical scholarship was created in 2017 when donors, the Davis Elkins Foundation, through Operation Starfish, Nativity Catholic Church in Burke, Virginia, decided to assist a medical student with tuition and boarding for three years. Since then, the donors, have continued to provide support for one medical student each year. In addition to supporting university students, Food for the Poor provides textbook and school supplies grants to students at the primary and secondary levels, has built and refurbished schools across the island, and has also provided valuable facilities such as rainwater harvesting systems(water tanks and pipes) and hand washing stations to help schools cope with the varied demands of operating during the pandemic.