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UWI TODAY
– SUNDAY 4 FEBRUARY, 2018
UWI FETE
In1989, during the tenure of ProfessorGeorgeMaxwell Richards
as Campus Principal, he translated his love of Trinidad and Tobago
and its culture into what is now a major annual fund-raiser of The
UWI Development and Endowment Fund (UWIDEF). The ‘UWI
Fete’, which took place on January 14, has been credited as one
of his initiatives. At that time, the Caribbean and Latin America
were in the midst of what was called the ‘Debt Crisis’ – incomes
and imports dropped; economic growth stagnated; unemployment
rose; and inflation reduced the buying power of the middle classes.
Today, the economic downturn is compounded by the devastation
wrought by climate change, resulting in increasingly severe storms
in the Caribbean. Now, like then, the impact of the economic
scenario has been tremendous on students.
The St. Augustine Campus records show that for more
than two decades, thousands of students have benefitted from
this signature event. In 1992, UWIDEF offered 19 bursaries; in
2017, that figure was 210. Among the many reasons for which the
University and this region are grateful for the service of Professor
George Maxwell Richards, this is surely a major one.
UWI FETE 2018
The Secret Garden
PHOTO: ATIBA CUDJOE
PHOTOS: ANEEL KARIM
