Digicel Foundation restores Smart Labs at Melissa-battered western schools

In Jamaican communities where the scars of Hurricane Melissa are still visible, two primary schools are finding reasons to smile.

At Unity Primary School in Westmoreland and Anchovy Primary School in St James, the hurricane tore through schools’ infrastructure, damaged roofs and destroyed classrooms and learning resources. But while repairs to the wider schools continue, the drive to keep children learning has not stopped.

Through the Digicel Foundation, both schools have received rebuilt Smart Labs, giving students access once again to the technology, digital tools and learning environment that have become central to their education. The rebuilt labs were officially opened at Unity Primary on Friday, September 11 and Anchovy Primary on Monday, September 14.

For the principals, the new spaces are tangible signs of recovery and a reminder to students and teachers that, even after a disaster, their education remains a priority.

At Anchovy Primary Principal Cheryl Grant-Mitchell recalled the devastation and uncertainty that followed Hurricane Melissa last October. The school had made every effort to secure the Smart Lab and its devices ahead of the storm. Despite those preparations, the hurricane destroyed everything inside.

“I would have been really down because we had done everything we could to secure the room, but when we came back, all the devices in the Smart Lab were destroyed,” Grant-Mitchell said.

But help came sooner than she expected.

“Just a few days after the hurricane, the Digicel Foundation reached out to us and enquired about a new Smart Lab. From there, the rest is history,” Grant-Mitchell said.

“Today, we are so grateful because, thanks to the Digicel Foundation, we are back on track with learning and technology.”

The significance of the rebuild is particularly important for Anchovy Primary, which has built a strong culture around technology since its first Smart Lab was established in 2022.

“Since we got our first Smart Lab in 2022, we started a coding programme, which led to our robotics programme, and as a result, we have participated in and won several national coding and robotics competitions,” Grant-Mitchell explained.

At Unity Primary Principal Dawnett Hall-Beharie also described the rebuilding of the Smart Lab as an important step in the school’s recovery.

The hurricane left the school among those hardest hit in the western region, with significant damage to its infrastructure, including the roof.

Yet, even amid the destruction, Hall-Beharie said the school community remained focused on its students.

“The rebuilding of our Smart Lab is a symbol of hope for our students, teachers and the wider community,” Hall-Beharie said. “Hurricane Melissa took away so much, but it did not take away our determination to give our children the education they deserve.”

She added that having the lab restored allows students to reconnect with digital learning while the wider recovery of the school continues.

“Our children deserve to see that even after a disaster, there is a way forward. This Smart Lab tells them that their dreams and their education are still important, and that we are committed to helping them move forward,” said Hall-Beharie.

For the Digicel Foundation, rebuilding the Smart Labs was also an opportunity to apply lessons from the hurricane and rethink how its technology spaces are designed for vulnerable communities.

Digicel Foundation CEO Charmaine Daniels said restoring access to digital learning was an essential part of helping schools regain momentum.

“After Hurricane Melissa, we saw first-hand that recovery is not only about repairing buildings; it is about restoring opportunity,” Daniels said.

“For these students, digital learning is not something that can simply be put on hold until everything else is fixed. Their education, their creativity and their preparation for the future must continue,” added Daniels.

The Digicel Foundation has also incorporated lessons from the hurricane into the rebuilding of its Smart Labs, including strengthening roofing infrastructure and revising construction standards to make the facilities more resilient and disaster ready.

“Melissa taught us that we must build with the realities of our climate in mind. As we rebuild, we are looking at how we can build smarter, stronger and more resilient spaces,” Daniels said.

“That means stronger roofing infrastructure and construction standards designed to better withstand extreme weather, while still creating the technology-rich environments our children need.”

At both Unity Primary and Anchovy Primary, the wider work of repairing and restoring the schools continues. But inside their rebuilt Smart Labs, students are once again able to learn, explore, create and engage with technology.

Advocacy, community outreach and member empowerment took centre stage as CCRP (Caribbean Community of Retired Persons) hosted its 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Thursday, July 23, at the Police Officers’ Club in Kingston. Members from across the island attended both in person and online to reflect on another impactful year (2025), celebrate the organisation’s achievements, and look ahead to the future.

Championing Advocacy for Older Jamaicans

Advocacy remained at the heart of CCRP’s work throughout the year as the organisation continued to champion the rights and well-being of older Jamaicans. A key highlight was CCRP’s presentation to the Senate, where Founder and Executive Chair Jean Lowrie-Chin called for legislation to better protect older persons from abuse, neglect and exploitation. The presentation advanced national discussions and contributed to the Government’s commitment to strengthening legal protections for seniors. AGM Chair Lowrie-Chin also noted the reopening of the Rockfort Mineral Bath following CCRP’s advocacy and their current outreach to the Jamaica Bankers Association for wheelchair access to ATMs, among other causes. 

CCRP’s audited statements were presented by Director Warren McDonald, Chair of the organisation’s Finance Committee. Other Board Directors in attendance were Vilma McDonald and Patricia Reid-Waugh and online Dr Marlene Street Forrest, Dr Owen James and Donovan Wignal.

Responding to Hurricane Melissa

When Hurricane Melissa devastated western Jamaica in November 2025, CCRP quickly mobilised to support some of the country’s most vulnerable citizens. In partnership with Food For The Poor Jamaica and with the generous support of members, donors and corporate partners, the organisation provided emergency relief to seniors and families who had lost homes, livelihoods and essential belongings. 

Using proceeds from its National Dance Theatre Company (NDTC) Benefit Performance and additional donations, CCRP helped distribute food and hygiene packages, provided cash grants and contributed to roof repairs for elderly residents in communities across St Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover, St. James and Trelawny. 

Valued Discount Partners Recognised

The AGM also spotlighted some of CCRP’s valued Discount Partners, who attended the meeting and continue to play a vital role in enhancing the benefits available to members. Their presence underscored the importance of collaboration in helping CCRP deliver greater value to its growing membership.

Discount Partners Bloom-Karin Yoga Life, Denz Elevator Company, Dr Suzanne Taylor, Dr Winston Dawes, Jamaica Automobile Association, Fast Recovery Human Tecar Treatment Centre and Sheldon’s Auto Parts were among those recognised for their ongoing support. Through the CCRP Discount Programme, members enjoy exclusive savings on a wide range of products and services.

Entrepreneurship in Action

A fitting conclusion to the AGM was the presentation of Certificates of Participation to 11 of the 42 members who successfully completed the CCRP Entrepreneurship Programme, funded by Digicel Foundation.

Facilitated by Dr. Kadamawe K’nife, Director of the Centre for Entrepreneurship Thinking and Practice at the Mona School of Business and Management, UWI and Jamaica’s first Certified International Trade Professional, Robert Scott, the programme equipped participants with practical business skills and entrepreneurial knowledge.

Certificates were presented by Digicel Foundation CEO, Charmaine Daniels, Director of Strategic Planning & Community Development, Miguel “Steppa” Williams and Dr. Kadamawe K’nife, highlighting the successful partnership between CCRP and Digicel Foundation in promoting lifelong learning and economic empowerment.

Providers of discounted insurance plans also shared information with members: Gallagher Insurance Brokers, managers of CCRP health plans underwritten by Sagicor; John Galt Insurance Brokers, managers of international health plans underwritten by Lloyd’s of London, and BCIC who offer the CCRP Silver Shield property and automobile Insurance plans. 

…adults beg to join training

Acting president of the Trench Town Community Development Committee (CDC) Zann Locke has lauded Brightstar Lottery Jamaica (BLJ) for its contribution to the development of the storied area through its sixth annual Coding and Robotics Rock! Summer Camp.

The free two-week camp is an initiative by BLJ in partnership with the Mona Geoinformatics Institute (MGI) at The University of the West Indies, Mona.

Through hands-on training in coding, robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI), students are challenged to develop innovative solutions to Jamaica’s infrastructure needs.

Speaking on day three of the camp at the Trench Town After School Advantage (ASA) Centre last week, Locke told the Jamaica Observer that the residents of Trench Town — the birthplace of many of Jamaica’s musical giants — appreciate the initiative by BLJ and the educational access it provides to students in the community.

She said the initiative has been so well received that older residents are now asking for similar programmes.

“They get jealous and say, ‘What about us? We are the adults, can’t you have some programmes [for us]?’ So ,we’re hoping that we can have a partnership to look at computer literacy when it comes to adults because our they are getting older and they are living longer,” said Locke.

She added that the students in the community have responded positively to the summer camp and are eager for the opportunity to learn more, despite initially complaining that they would not get to enjoy their summer holiday.

“We also encourage them that this is an opportunity, [and] the fact that this opportunity comes to you in your space and you are only giving a couple of hours per day for two weeks, what a great advantage for you.

“And so, the fact that you can learn this, go back to school — and if this is shared at school, then you’re more advanced than the student in school because you used your summer wisely,” added Locke.

One of the participants, Jamaica College student Jayden Derby, told the Observer that he decided to take part in the camp because of his interest in computers and coding.

“It could be very useful in your day-to-day life, knowing now that computers are really taking over the world. In the future it’s going to be very useful — and you might really need it too,” said Jayden.

Meanwhile, Vauxhall High School student Sherekel Walker said her interest in the camp developed because she is studying information technology (IT) at school and believes the content could help her ace her school-based assessment.

According to Sherekel, although she had prior knowledge of some of the areas covered, there is a lot she has learnt.

“To me, it’s really important because it’s an opportunity for me to learn new things that can benefit me in the future. And doing this also helps me because I’m in a computer class at school, so it helps to advance my knowledge in computers further so it’s been really great,” said Sherekel.

The camp is part of BLJ’s wider ASA Programme, which provides students with access to technology and to science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) learning opportunities.

This year, for the first time, the curriculum includes AI training and offers two levels for beginners and returning participants.

According to Debbie Green, general manager of BLJ, the community has been very responsive to the partnership, and the students have shown great initiative in participating in the programmes and making use of the opportunities provided.

“The children of Trench Town have an exuberance that is unbelievable. They want to be involved, they want to know, they want to be better than anybody else,” said Green.

She told the Observer that BLJ’s contribution to Trench Town’s development is its way of supporting and giving back to the community.

Last year, BJL retrofitted and reopened the community centre to create the ASA Centre, which is now being used to host this year’s camp.

As the country’s birth rates continue to fall, Jamaica is stepping up its fight to protect every newborn with a major technology boost at Victoria Jubilee Hospital (VJH) in Kingston.

The hospital, which is the largest referral maternity facility in the English-speaking Caribbean, has received a $32-million upgrade in life-saving equipment, including 13 cardiotocographymachines and state-of-the-art ultrasound system to strengthen the monitoring of mothers and babies during pregnancy and labour.

The donation, made through a partnership between Food For The Poor Jamaica and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was handed over on Monday, during an emotional ceremony at the hospital.

Junior health minister Krystal Lee said the investment in the VJH, which delivered 5,200 babies in the past two years, will help to improve early detection of complications and speed interventions. 

“They represent reassurance for expectant mothers, confidence for our healthcare workers and, ultimately, better outcomes for babies and families across Jamaica,” Lee said.

She added: “These improvements come at a time when the ministry continues to prioritise reducing maternal and neonatal risks and advancing the quality of care available throughout our health system.”