Glester Rowe (right) receives his award from the Governor-General of Jamaica, Sir Howard Cooke. - Contributed WESTERN BUREAU:
THE STORY of Glester Rowe could hardly go unnoticed. As an active, respectable and dependable community leader, he had to surmount astonishingly poor conditions to be in the position where he is today.
Mr. Rowe is the manager of the South Trelawny Community Development Fund and the Governor-General's Achievement Awardee for the parish of Trelawny. But before all that, he was poor. So poor, that were it not for strong determination, he would not have completed his secondary education.
"When I was told that I was selected, I was really frightened to put it very mildly..." he explained. "Not that I did not give service, but when I consider the number of people who have given service in this country and the volume of service, I wonder why they chose me the humblest of all."
Born into a family of 14, the young Glester had to assume mature family responsibilities from a very early age. He was just 14 years old and attending the Lowe River Elementary School when his father died, effectively cancelling the arrangements for him to attend the Holmwood Technical School. His mother could not afford the fees with the increased responsibility of taking care of 12 children.
SELF-DETERMINATION THE KEY
With self-determination, Glester gained admission to Cobbla Youth Camp, and with a small weekly allowance from working on the farm, he saved enough to enable him to attend afternoon classes at Holmwood. He later accepted one of three scholarships enabling him to attend the Jamaica School of Agriculture where he graduated as an Agriculturist.
Mr. Rowe has gained tremendous experience working with several organisations and occupying senior positions in the field of agriculture in the parish of Trelawny. Starting his career as an Agricultural Extension Officer, he has moved up to the position of manager of the South Trelawny Community Development Fund.
His selection as a Governor-General's Achievement Awardee comes against the background of his self-less contribution to civic, religious, educational and health organisations in Trelawny. He views the award as a call to go even further in his bid to serve the community around him and Jamaica on a wider scale.
"I would encourage everyone to give service whether they are being recognised for it or not, because in the end you are not doing it for recognition, you are doing it to serve humanity and to serve your own people around you," he stated.
Mr. Rowe, mindful of the struggles and difficulties he experienced in his early life, has committed himself to assist others in his community in their efforts to achieve economic independence. To the people in Trelawny, he is a true hero.
