A community-driven initiative aimed at improving literacy and empowering residents in St Thomas commenced on August 1 with the staging of the inaugural St Thomas Literacy Forum, at the Anglican Church Hall in Morant Bay.

The forum marked the first phase of a three-tiered programme conceptualised by St Thomas native and Jamaican diaspora member Cleous Young, who has resided in the United States for the past 32 years. Held under the theme ‘Awareness, Interest and Results’, the event was described as a community celebration of literacy, freedom, heritage and future possibilities.

Young explained that the forum represents the first step in a broader vision designed to foster a culture of literacy, while creating opportunities for personal and community development.