At the moment Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, St Thomas, St John's and St Croix are the territories comprising the Caribbean region. Puerto Rico, also a member, is part of the South American region.

United Way in an internationally recognised agency which builds communities through voluntary contributions distributed according to needs. It solicits both corporate and individual contributions and, through its various agencies, supervises the way in which the funds are spent. It provides co-ordinated and focused disbursement of funds, and stresses accountability at all levels.

It now has over 4 000 offices in 42 countries throughout the world. It is a not-for-profit organisation which has been able to improve the lives of the less fortunate in many countries, including Colombia, Guatemala, India, Kenya, Turkey, China and Lithuania, among others.

Each United Way member is an independent organisation which raises and allocates its own funds with emphasis usually on health and human services and childhood improvement.

The Jamaica meeting was attended by Ms Christine James-Brown, president and the first Afro-American woman to hold the post. Also in attendance was Ms Lorna Johnson, director for the Caribbean and African regions, and Karl Rodney, director and member of the Caribbean regional committee.

The opening ceremony was addressed by Jamaica's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, K.D. Knight, who committed himself to be a United Way volunteer. He praised the outstanding work being done both internationally and in Jamaica, where the unit is now 20 years old.

Among the presenters were Ms Gloria Pace-King, chief executive officer of United Way of Central Carolinas in the Untied States, and Mrs Joyce Wilbur, director of Major Gifts.