I am pleased to welcome each and every one of you to this new and diversified organisation that will be seeking to improve the lives of all rural Jamaicans while developing individuals through networking.
Tagline: "MAKING THE CHANGES THAT RURAL COMMUNITIES NEEDS"
History
Since I was the only student from my high school (Beaumont High School, a private high school in central Manchester) attending Utech, Jamaica, I felt isolated, lonely and homesick. Such conditions propelled me to seek new friends, in doing so I didn’t feel as alone as I felt at the beginning. When the new academic year 2015-2016 commenced, the memories came rushing back as I was encountering a number of new students who were lost around the campus not being able to locate the various areas on the university campus and uncertain of what the expectations were. As such the idea came about to formulate a group on campus for students who were coming from rural Jamaica with no idea of what to expect in a completely different environment away from what they may be used to at home. In addition to this, the group was also created to help these students relate to each other in a helping relationship in regards to their university life as well as to help them develop a sense of volunteerism which promotes giving back to rural Jamaica. The idea was brought to friends, family members and lecturers who immediately came on board in support of the idea brought forward. A research was then carried out to assess the viability of the club at UTech which revealed that most students attending Utech are from rural Jamaica, have a difficult time adjusting to university life and have never given back to their communities of origin or even returned to said community after completing their studies. From these factors mentioned previously the decision was made to move forward in implementing the club at UTech with the thought in mind that young people from rural Jamaica attending tertiary institutions can give back to their community while pursuing studies as a way of contributing to nation building and keeping in line with vision 2030.
FAQ
The What?
What is the Utech Rural Society about?
The Utech Rural Society is an organization that seeks to assist rural communities across the lengths of Jamaica by giving back through voluntary service as well as to assist students from rural Jamaica attending the institution to adequately adjust to university life.
The Why?
Why Utech Rural Society?
Currently, there are no groups, clubs or societies on the Utech campus that focuses on rural development or its people and as such, there is a position and place for the Rural Society at Utech.
The Where?
Where is this club located and where do you see this club years to come?
This society is located on the University of Technology main campus (Room 8A3). Going forward the Rural Society will seek to be the leading society on campus while seeking to expand its movement to other universities in Kingston such UWI and Micro and will be mainly focusing on rural projects and development along with the Utech community service program, public and private partnership.
The Who?
Who can become a part of this society?
This society is open to everyone who believes that they have a role to play in the development of rural communities and Jamaica at large. All registered students of Utech can be a part of the society.