 Coming to you from our GIS Studios, I am Anicia Antoine and this is your midday news brief. A Night in the Rain Forest is the theme upon which the much anticipated Prime Minister's annual Independence Ball was held this year. Three organizations were selected as beneficiaries for this year's proceedings, namely the St. Lucia Crisis Center, the Boys Training Center, and the Montgouge Club 60 and Adult Daycare Center. A number of items were auctioned off with a view of raising funds for the chosen organizations while several donations were made by the country's foreign ambassadors. The keynote address was delivered by businessman Aaron Stevens, who highlighted the progress made by St. Lucia and what 41 years of independence meant to him. Prime Minister the Honourable Alan Shastney indicated, however, if enough money is raised, there is a special project that he is eager to undertake. In 2019, proceeds raised from the ball exceeded $500,000 benefiting 16 organizations. Organizers are hoping to surpass that figure this year. The ball was held on the 22nd of February 2020. The Boys Training Center continues to be the sole residential center for boys in need of care and protection as well as rehabilitation in St. Lucia. Established in 1960 under the name Mass Art Industrial School, the name was later changed to the Boys Training Center in 1976. This year marks 60 years since the establishment of the institution. They recently celebrated the milestone with an appreciation ceremony for the wards and the staff, as well as an ecumenical service. Wang Sunson has been the general manager of the BTC for the past three years and says the experience has given him a better appreciation for the work that takes place at the institution. Sunson encouraged the wards to use their time at the institution to better themselves to become productive citizens in society. The appreciation ceremony was held under the theme, resilient and resolute empowering youth. In an effort to develop the education system through technology in St. Lucia, the government of the Republic of China Taiwan have donated technological school equipment under the ICT for Educational Development Project. The government of the Republic of China Taiwan contributed 10 charging pots, 20 projectors, numerous laptops and projector screens, which will be provided to six selected primary and secondary schools in St. Lucia. The equipment will be used to apply information technology in developing teaching materials for specialized courses and to create a smart learning environment. In the first instance, the project will span over a period of three years. The first two years will see donations of equipment and teacher training. During the third year, the focus will be on the online platform development and the training of users to become familiar and comfortable with that platform. Minister for Education, Innovation, Gender Relations and Sustainable Development, Honourable Dr. Gail Rigabet expressed gratitude to the government of the Republic of China Taiwan for the donations received. This has been your Midday News Brief. Thank you for watching.