SLYOU Magazine issue 4 | Page 79

Melody Garrett from Grenada emerged this year’s winner of the Courts OECS Schools Reading Competition held on Tuesday, February 11, 2020, in Saint Lucia. Melody topped the OECS after competing against finalists from Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, and Antigua. The Courts OECS Schools Reading Competition is presented annually in collaboration with the Ministry of Education in six OECS countries. Chief Education Officer from the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Gender Relations and Sustainable Development in Saint Lucia, Fiona Mayer, commended the Unicomer group on this initiative and lauded the company on its commitment to literacy over the last decade. Mayer encouraged the students to continue to strive for excellence and celebrated their success throughout this year’s competition. Nicole Lum Kim, Sales Director for the Unicomer OECS, spoke on the company’s dedication to this key corporate social responsibility initiative. “At the Unicomer group, we share in this passion and speak with pride about our 10 years of commitment to the Courts OECS Schools Reading Competition,” she said. Lum Kim further spoke on the investment across the region of over EC$170,000, which she went on to say “is a testament of our dedication to our communities and residents, ensuring sustainability for generations to come.” She continued: “The group remains committed to being a sustainable organization and improving the quality of life of the families in the communities in which the company operates through programmes that target social, economic and environmental development.” The competitors all received laptops from the Unicomer group and the winner walked away with the top cash prize of EC$5,000 and the winning trophy. Second place winner, Amiera Serieux from the Mon Repos Patience Primary School in Saint Lucia, won $3,000 and a trophy. Ameira was also selected to introduce Prime Minister Allen Chastanet at this year’s Independence celebrations in Saint Lucia. The third place winner, Celine Rodriguez, represented Antigua and won $1,500 and a trophy. The finals were keenly competed by the representatives from each island who read narrative and news pieces. The other finalists were Raychard Arrindel, Kheanilla Barrie and Rondre Daniel representing St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica and St. Kitts and Nevis, respectively. The Courts OECS Reading Competition was launched in 2009 aimed at improving reading abilities among youth. The competition aims to fight against illiteracy in schools, particularly at the primary level and benefits our children by promoting literacy and engendering a fun way to encourage reading. About Unicomer St. Lucia: Unicomer has significant investments in St. Lucia and is one of the largest employers in St. Lucia and the Caribbean. The company operates under the brands Courts, Courts Optical, Courts Ready Cash, RadioShack and Servitech, and challenges itself to create ways to making peoples’ lives better. www.slyoumag.com | February - April 2020 SL-YOU | It’s All About Business 77