The St. Mary-based Bonnygate Women’s Group is responding to the ongoing pandemic using their needlecraft skills. The group has started making cloth face masks, fitted with charcoal filters. Since starting production in March the women have created approximately 700 masks and continue to have a good demand.

The Bonnygate Women’s Group teaches sewing and embroidery skills to young women, especially unemployed women and survivors of domestic abuse. The women completed a six-week training session in March and were preparing to move on to the second phase of training to prepare the women for the heavy tourist season. However, plans had to be changed as Jamaica reported its first confirmed case of the 2019 Novel Coraonavirus disease or COVID-19. With the heightened restrictions signalling a close of the heavy tourism season, the women had to quickly pivot.

“Our training in hand embroidery, crochet and hardanga is presently on hold, and individuals are working from home,” explained Shirley Duncan, President of the group. “A number of women have found new initiatives –  one woman started making masks.” That woman is Melissa Wisdom-Douglas.

“I want to ensure that the people I supply have some amount of protection,” said Wisdom-Douglas who began making the masks at home with her mother, Michelle Martin-Brown. “The masks are designed with a charcoal filter layer. We can’t go wrong with activated charcoal.” The charcoal filter layer is intended to absorb contaminants from the air. “The mask works both ways. If you are infected with a virus, your exhaled air will be filtered, and the process repeats itself when you inhale,” said Wiscom-Douglas as she shared her research. “We’ve also doubled the masks with a cotton material that is very breathable but tightly woven for maximum protection.”

With cases of COVID-19 on the rise, the Bonnygate Women’s Group is looking to retool and share more designs for personal protective garments. “It’s not and cannot be same old, same old. Some of the opportunities will be volunteer-based but in times like these, those who can should,” said Duncan, who played an intrical role in organising the most recent training for the women. The group received Digicel Foundation 15^th Anniversary Grant in 2019 to expand its training capacity. “We’re grateful to the Digicel Foundation for their sponsorship, and continue to stay connected with them as we innovate.”

Members of the general public interested in purchasing masks from the Bonnygate Women’s Group can contact (876) 329-1047.

Below a are few of the mask made by the women’s group.

 

Food For The Poor released 49 nonviolent offenders, including one woman, from prisons in Guyana, Haiti and Jamaica for Holy Week, just as the rapid spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) reached the region.

“Health experts worldwide agree that the best way to slow the spread of this coronavirus is to maintain social distancing,” said Food For The Poor President/CEO Ed Raine<https://www.foodforthepoor.org/about-us/leadership/president_ceo.html>. “But for those in prison, especially in the Caribbean and Latin America where overcrowding is a chronic issue, social distancing is nearly impossible. Thanks to our compassionate donors we were able to help release the 49 incarcerated people from their cells this Easter season.”

Some of the newly released were overcome with emotion after spending years in a Haitian prison – neither they nor their families had the money to help them. Over time, the debts they owed only increased.

Nickerson, 49, spent nine years in a Cap-Haitien prison for stealing a few chickens from a farm to feed his family; Louby, 19, was locked up for two years after he was accused of taking four cases of soda, and Emmanuel, 20, stole a goat to pay his school fees, a decision that landed him in a Fort Liberté prison for more than a year.

“I want to thank you for giving me another chance to make things right,” Emmanuel said.

The Food For The Poor Prison Ministry Program started in 1998 to help nonviolent offenders in parts of the Caribbean and Latin America who could not afford to pay their fines to get out of prison and to make a fresh start.

Four men in Guyana were freed from the Lusignan Prison on the east coast of Demerara. In Jamaica, Food For The Poor paid the fines of three nonviolent offenders from the St. Catherine Adult Correctional Centre. In Haiti, 41 men and one woman were released from prison.

Tuesday, 14 April, 2020 – Kingston, Jamaica – Today, Digicel announced that One World: Together At Home – a globally televised and streamed special in support of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic – will air on SportsMax + and Catch  on Digicel Home & Entertainment and on the PlayGo, SportsMax and Loop apps on Saturday 18^th April from 3pm EST. It will also be available on D’Music the following day.

Launched by international advocacy organisation Global Citizen, and the World Health Organization, One World: Together At Home will show unity among all people who are affected by COVID-19 and will also celebrate and support brave healthcare workers doing life-saving work on the frontlines.

Curated in collaboration with Lady Gaga, One World: Together At Home will include performances and appearances by Alicia Keys, Amy Poehler, Andrea Bocelli, Awkafina, Billie Eilish, Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day, Burna Boy, Camila Cabello, Celine Dion, Chris Martin, David & Victoria Beckham, Eddie Vedder, Ellen DeGeneres, Elton John, FINNEAS, Idris and Sabrina Elba, J Balvin, Jennifer Lopez, John Legend, Kacey Musgraves, Keith Urban, Kerry Washington, Lang Lang, LL Cool J, Lupita Nyong’o, Maluma, Matthew  McConaughey, Oprah Winfrey, Paul McCartney, Pharrell Williams, Priyanka Chopra Jones, Sam Smith, Shah Rukh Khan, Shawn Mendes, Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift, and Usher.

Commenting on the partnership, Digicel Group Chairman, Denis O’Brien, said; “At Digicel, our mission is to help create a world where no one gets left behind. That is manifested in our work to connect people across our markets using world-class technology and to connect communities via our philanthropic outreach activities.”

He continues; “On Saturday 18^th April, we will experience a powerful moment of unity as we come together to honour and pay tribute to our frontline healthcare workers who put duty ahead of self each and every day. As we celebrate their heroic efforts, One World: Together At Home will also uplift, inform and entertain the at-home audience, who, by staying home, are also playing their vital part in the fight against the pandemic. The Digicel family is humbled by the incredible strength of the human spirit on display and honoured to be part of celebrating it and sharing it with the people of the Caribbean, Central America and Asia Pacific regions.”

One World: Together At Home is not a telethon – it is a historic, first-of-its kind global broadcast event to celebrate the heroic efforts of community health workers, and to support the World Health Organization in the global fight to end COVID-19. The broadcast will feature stories from frontline healthcare workers on the COVID response, commitments from philanthropists, governments and corporations to support and equip frontline healthcare workers around the world, with masks, gowns and other vital equipment, and to local charities that provide food, shelter, and healthcare to those that need it most.

For more information about Global Citizen and its campaign to support the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for WHO, powered by the UN Foundation, please visit globalcitizen.org and follow @GlblCtzn on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using #GlobalCitizen.

To learn more about WHO’s response to the pandemic and the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, please go to www.who.int/COVID-19 and follow @WHO on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok.

For information about how to tune in and take action, visit www.globalcitizen.org/togetherathome.

Thanks to the continued generosity of our donors, Food For The Poor (FFP) Jamaica yesterday handed over much-needed medical supplies to the National Health Fund (NHF), an agency of the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW). The items will be distributed to public health facilities across the four regions to assist those most in need. Here, (from right) NHF’s Director of Operations, Keron Mais and CEO, Everton Anderson display one of the items donated while Food For The Poor’s Director, Craig Moss-Solomon and Director of Recipient Services, Susan Moore look on.

In light of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Food For The Poor (FFP) Jamaica yesterday officially handed over critically needed medical supplies to the National Health Fund (NHF), for further allocation to public health facilities across the four regions.

The donation included 25 cases of masks, one pallet of hospital clothing (scrubs), over 8000 bottles of pain and fever medicines for children and adults, as well as cold and flu medications for adults.

Quantities of medications for chronic illnesses and infections were also part of the donation, in keeping with the charity’s usual support to public health facilities through the NHF.

During the handing over ceremony, Craig Moss-Solomon, Director of FFP Jamaica, alluded to the charity’s longstanding partnership with the NHF, which has contributed to the organization’s far-reaching impact over the years.

“We truly consider ourselves blessed to be able to partner with the National Health Fund over the years.  This partnership has allowed us to expand our reach in serving the poor because they get the items to the hospitals and public health facilities in the corners of Jamaica, who in turn, help the poorest of the poor.”

Speaking specifically to its most recent donation of medical supplies to the NHF, Mr. Moss-Solomon added, “Thanks to our donors, we were able to respond to a critical need for medical supplies.  We remain committed to providing as much support as we can to the health sector, especially during these challenging times.”

The National Health Fund (NHF) is an agency of the Ministry of Health and Wellness which is responsible for procuring pharmaceuticals and medical supplies for public health facilities island-wide.

Food For The Poor continues to collaborate with its distribution networks and strategic partners to channel food and relief items to those most in need.  The charity is currently providing much-needed support in communities that have been declared quarantine zones, as well as to the vulnerable populations that it serves.

Up to press time for this column, we now have 32 confirmed Covid-19 cases and mercifully, still one death. Our calm, knowledgeable Chief Medical Officer Dr Jacquiline Bisasor McKenzie continues to share detailed information on the various cases and their locations and we cannot thank our health workers enough for the dedication they are showing in these challenging times.

While our numbers continue to be relatively low, we could hear the deep concern in PM Andrew Holness’ voice when he stated at last Friday’s press briefing, “The biggest threat to our numbers spiking would be from persons who returned to Jamaica within the last 18 days, those who have not kept themselves in quarantine and are symptomatic and are spreading the disease.”

“I use this now, not as a threat, but as advice.” said the PM. “Those who have come into the island between the 18th of March and the 23rd, the police and the Ministry of Health have been instructed to go through the manifests and match names and addresses to determine if you are self-quarantining. If you are not, the ministry officials and the law enforcement will take the necessary steps; if not in compliance when checked a second time, steps will be taken for you to be quarantined in state facilities and you will be charged.”

How can people be so selfish and careless? Now our already overworked police officers must add this to their SOE and quarantine duties.

We are relieved to know that our street people are not being overlooked during this crisis, as Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie announced at last Friday’s press briefing that they are receiving daily meals as of yesterday.  However, I am concerned about the over 50,000 household workers; President of the Jamaica Household Workers Union (JHWU) called to say that they are losing their jobs and their families are suffering.  Minister McKenzie had noted that the Poor Relief division of his Ministry can consider cases not covered by the Finance Minister’s emergency package, so I am hoping that the JHWU will get some urgent assistance

It is encouraging that after a news report about farmers having to dump some of their crops that the Rural Agricultural Development Agency (RADA) has published contact information for their parish officers who should be able to assist with the distribution of produce. Nutritionist Frances Mahfood advised on the news last week that the best way to strengthen our immune system is to add more fruit and vegetables to our diet. We hope the precious produce can be purchased for infirmaries and children’s homes and that manufacturers of food products and supermarkets will give them some well needed business.

The order for persons over 75 to stay at home for two weeks from last Wednesday, March 25 should be taken very seriously.  Although this allows them to do essential shopping, I hope that family members, friends and neighbours will offer to do such chores; our seniors are a high-risk group, as witnessed by the numbers coming out of Europe. We feel it to our hearts for the bereaved of those countries, with Italy and Spain being the hardest hit.

We have to be like the young woman who related on social media that she barred a would-be visitor from entering her house as she knew he had recently “come from farrin” and she did not want him to go near her “prize prize modda inside.” “Hello!” she said she shouted, “A nuh joke mi a mek”.

Kudos for Jamaica

Last week, the Miami Herald reported that we were part of “a small hemispheric club that includes Jamaica, El Salvador, Peru and a handful of others [which] responded to the crisis with forceful measures that seemed excessive just days ago, but now seem prescient …Jamaica was one of the first countries in the Caribbean to react to the coronavirus, after seeing its first case on March 10. The country barred flights from hot zones, restricted the movement of tourists, enforced quarantines for all new arrivals and cancelled school, among other measures. It also put part of an entire town, Bull Bay, on lockdown.”

Health Minister Christopher Tufton is quoted: “Early in the day we decided it was better to take fairly strong measures — starting with public education, and then graduating into other restrictions in order to at least contain it, even while we prepare our public health system to deal with the inevitable.”  There was also reference to a social media post by WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus: “Thank you so much for your leadership — and preparedness — for #COVID19, @christufton. #Jamaica Being ready for #coronavirus is key to pushing it back fast. Together, for a safer world!”

At last Friday’s digital press briefing hosted by Prime Minister Andrew Holness, Chief Medical Officer Dr Jacquiline Bisasor McKenzie noted that we should not get complacent with our comparatively low Covid-19 figures; she described this phase as ‘pregnant’ – who knows what the coming weeks will bring?

This uncertainty is heightened by the fact that over 4,000 Jamaicans who returned to the island after March 18 have not reported to the Ministry of Health. Listen people, Jamaica is a small place and these individuals are known by family members, friends and neighbours. Please convince them to self-quarantine and visit the MOH website https://jamcovid19.moh.gov.jm to provide urgently needed information. If they do not do so immediately, Jamaica Observer reporter Charmaine N. Clarke noted the PM’s warning: they “will be charged when found …They will be slapped with a fine upwards of $1 million and placed in State quarantine if needed.”

One of the charts shared showed Jamaica’s positive status vs other countries in the region, but can change dramatically if these 4,000 persons are not located. They can be in our markets where social distancing is not being observed, they can be walking close to you when you venture out to do essential shopping. They could have just exited the ATM that you are entering. While the security forces try to find these irresponsible individuals, you cannot be too careful with your hygiene regimen.

There is still much discussion around whether one should wear a mask outside. Yes, we need to know that cloth masks have to be washed after three hours of use and that they should be removed from behind the ears to avoid infection, but this should not deter us from wearing them.  Countries who have mandatory wearing of masks have seen positive results.  Dr Walter Popp, Vice President of the German Society for Hospital Hygiene has stated on Euronews Television that homemade masks can be used: “we say a mask is always better than no mask”. Wearing of masks is now mandatory in Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Cuba, following the lead of China and South Korea.

The authorities keep repeating guidelines with good reason – the virus is highly contagious and will enter the body through the eyes, nose and mouth. Never forget: handwashing and hand-sanitizing, remaining at home, not touching one’s face, coughing or sneezing into a tissue. Additionally, if you must go out, leave your shoes at the door when you return, change your clothes and take a shower or sanitize thoroughly. One UK man reported that he made one quick trip to Tesco and brought home the virus, sending his one-year-old son into the ICU. Thank goodness the child and the rest of the family are recovering well.

During a Health Ministry press briefing last week, there was a telephone link with one of the Jamaicans who had recovered from the virus. He was one of the lucky ones, having had mild symptoms, but he reported that he heard some of his fellow patients crying out.

CNN Host Chris Cuomo who has caught the virus, told viewers, “You suffer.”  He described headache and sinus pressure that blurred his vision and nightly fever that brings on hallucinations.  Most frightening was an interview on the UK’s Channel 4 News with Dr David Hepburn, Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine. He described how the virus causes a build-up of fluid in the lungs of the patient, that make them feel that they are drowning. He said while ventilators may save some patients, others may be too far gone to be helped.

Our most vulnerable

Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie reported at the briefing that in assisting our ‘outdoor poor’ and monitoring them during the recently imposed night curfew, the Ministry’s personnel discovered an even larger number of homeless persons than they had on record.  The workers have been travelling throughout the island, taking persons to shelters so they can have a meal, bath and change of clothes.  He said more shelters are being built to protect these, our most vulnerable. As we turn to family and friends for moral support, it must be a nightmare for these homeless persons who have no one to call and so we salute our workers who are trying to protect them.

Our churches do much good work for the homeless, but with no church services and no offerings, their outreach activities are hampered. Please try to send your offerings to your churches – they need to keep going.

Finance Ministry reaches out to Household Workers

It was with great relief that we learned from Finance Minister Dr Nigel Clarke that his Ministry was in touch with the Jamaica Household Workers Union (JHWU) to offer help.  Jamaica has over 50,000 household workers, many of whom do day’s work and have no job security.

JHWU Vice President Nicola Lawson appealed in a recent video: “Domestic workers are feeling the pinch – many of us have been sent home without pay… Please help us to take care of those who take care of you.”

Donations to the JHWU can be sent to the organization’s account at Scotiabank, Account No. 100129079, Half-Way-Tree or online to www.mightycause.com/story/Jhwu-Help-Fund. You can also send donations in funds or in kind to the JHWU office at 4 Ellesmere Road in Half-Way-Tree.

Overseas help coming in

Quarantine for the 140 Cuban health workers who arrived two weeks ago has ended and so they will be posted at various hospitals throughout the island.  Welcome and stay well good neighbours!

Foreign Affairs Minister Kamina Johnson Smith heads a Committee which has circulated Jamaica’s priority needs to our external partners.  At the briefing she shared that the European Union has funded 29 ventilators, South Korea and East-West Power Company have donated 7,500 test kits which should arrive later this month, the People’s Republic of China has sent a sizeable donation of personal protective equipment (PPEs) for health personnel. Chinese philanthropist Jack Ma’s Alibaba Foundation has also sent PPEs and test kits for 3,000 persons. We have received US$70,000 from the USAID, and other donations from the Hubei People’s Association, the UN, PAHO and UNICEF. We hope to have a total of 105 ventilators by May.

Strong for Jamaica

These partnerships are the result of having strong and credible organisations which can respond nimbly to queries, ensuring that the requisite correspondence is professionally handled.

Educated and dedicated personnel are key to our navigation of this national crisis. How will we get stronger for Jamaica? Let’s use our downtime to upskill by registering at the HEART-NSTA website and using the various free apps offered online. Check this helpful link from Kemal Brown at Digita Global on ‘Making Virtual Work, Work’ to learn more:  https://bit.ly/DigitaGuide.

The tributes are many and heartfelt for Jamaica’s supreme lyricist Bob Andy. Thank goodness he heard many before he passed. Over 20 top artistes gathered in Kingston in 2011 to honour the great man. They included Marcia Griffiths who had teamed with him as “Bob and Marcia” to cover Nina Simone’s “Young, Gifted and Black”, a rendition which rose to Number Five in the UK and sold half a million copies. Nadine Sutherland, Big Youth, Freddie McGregor, Luciano, Denyque, Chevaughn, Protoje, Desi Jones & Friends, Lloyd Parkes and We the People all sang and played their hearts out for the legend.

As I write this, Roy Black is playing the Bob Andy classic “I’ve Got to Go Back Home” on KLAS-FM – it lit up the dance floors of our youths. How we would sing out the trumpet bars when the DJ stopped the music! Now he is playing one of Bob Andy’s strong social commentary “Fire Burning”:

“I was drawn into myself
Observing all this time
From every angle I could see
My people, you’re meeting hell
Brothers have turned to crime
So they die from time to time
We’d like to ask you leaders
What have you got in mind

I see the fire spreading
It’s getting hotter and hot
The haves will want to be
In the shoes of the have-nots
If the sign is on your door
Then you will be saved for sure
But if you are in pretence
You’re on the wrong side of the fence.”
My husband Hubie recalls that the company he worked for in the seventies, Total Sounds, produced Bob Andy’s radical “Check it out”.

“Open your eyes
It’s time you realise
That the rise in the price
Is to make more money
For who’s got plenty
And the trick of the trade
Is to keep all the hungry bellies empty”.

On the Bob Andy website, we learn that, “In November 1987, Bob assumed the post of A&R and Promotions Director for Tuff Gong (the group of companies founded by Bob Marley). … Bob’s stay at Tuff Gong provided him with many opportunities to express his life-long desire for higher standards in Jamaican music, both in its business operations and in the quality of its musical output.”

A great legacy in so many spheres of Jamaican music – rest in peace Bob Andy.

 

So here we are on lock down, working remotely and watching the unrelenting spread of this global pandemic. Some are describing this as Mother Nature’s revenge. In the wake of warnings about climate change and global warming, they say that skies are clearer. But this is little comfort to those mourning the loss of their relatives and friends. When we have natural disasters, we appeal to developed countries for help and they are generous in their response. Now we pray fervently for them as they grapple with unbelievable challenges to their health services.

We in Jamaica are still counting our blessings. We are heartened by the hands-on approach taken by Prime Minister Andrew Holness, Health & Wellness Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton, Chief Medical Officer Dr Jacquiline Bisasor McKenzie, Permanent Secretary Dunstan Bryan, other Government Ministers and indeed JLP and PNP MPs, Councillors and caretakers. Our healthcare workers are heroic, working long hours to keep us well. Our security forces are not only on SOE but also on quarantine duties.

Corporate Jamaica has stepped in to provide well-needed support to the less fortunate. Food for the Poor has been assisting with food distribution to the communities in Bull Bay under quarantine. Banks are extending due dates for mortgages and loans and the NWC has assured that they will not be disconnecting water supply for unpaid bills.

The reports of careless behavior on the part of an entertainer are troubling and so we are happy that, as of Saturday night, Jamaica’s airports and ports will no longer receive passengers, though folks are free to fly out. I am concerned that an airport worker noted a lot of hugging taking place on the last few flights in from New York on Saturday. People, we have to understand that this is a highly contagious virus! We each have to take responsibility for our behavior and practise social distancing. Let us have a heart for our health personnel who are working night and day.

As we avoid unnecessary commuting, we are happy that there is a website where one can visit local doctors digitally – www.themdlink.com . Kudos to Dr Mike Banbury and his colleagues for creating this site which we understand has daily visits increasing tenfold.

It is important that our at-risk elderly citizens are receiving special attention. The National Health Fund is extending prescription quotas so they can stock up on their meds.  Sagicor who underwrites the CCRP Health Plan for seniors have assured that they will cover illnesses associated with this pandemic.

Our local media have left no stone unturned in keeping the public well-informed. Of course we are riveted by the international reports of this global crisis, but please ensure that you check in with local newscasts to know what is happening closer to home, and to offer any assistance you can, even if it is a phone call to a lonely elder.

Outstanding Budget Presentations

We applaud Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Finance & Planning Minister Dr. Nigel Clarke for their outstanding contributions to the Budget Debate.  It was gracious of the PM to acknowledge the work of Opposition Leader Dr Peter Phillips in our struggle for economic well-being. The PM, a former Education Minister gave us encouraging news on the merger of the Heart Trust and the Jamaica Foundation for Lifelong Learning, now HEART-NSTA which will see over 150,000 enrolled this year. Their NVQJ programme offers courses up to graduate and post-graduate levels, an affordable way to get quality education.

The PM noted the significant investment of Michael Lee-Chin and Gassan Azan in agriculture; timely initiatives to shore up our food security. Still, we must salute our diligent small farmers and fisherfolk who have produced consistently despite the hardships they face. We appreciate the timely lowering of asset taxes and the reduction of GCT announced by Dr. Clarke.

Thank goodness for the leadership of the Economic Programme Oversight Committee (EPOC) co-chaired by PSOJ President Keith Duncan and Bank of Jamaica Governor Richard Byles. Their deliberations and reports have helped to keep the various players on their toes and now, even in the face of this crisis, the credit rating agency Moody’s is optimistic about Jamaica.

The Jamaica Observer noted, “the the agency said compared with other Caribbean islands, Jamaica’s vulnerability to tourism is moderate.” The Moody’s release stated: “While we expect growth to slow from declining tourist arrivals, the effect on Jamaica’s external accounts will be partially offset by the high import content of tourism earnings, which will reduce the country’s import bill. Moreover, lower oil prices will also have a positive effect on Jamaica’s current account … We believe that the country has sufficient fiscal and external buffers to cope with a shock in the tourism industry, limiting the immediate credit negative effect.”

We can be proud of the stewardship of our leaders as well as the support of our private sector, and non-governmental organisations. Together, we shall overcome.

Can we do this for crime?

I am seeing calls on social media that we need to use this same emergency approach to our crime problem. We must. There is speculation that some politicians still have alliances with so-called ‘dons’, hamstringing our national security efforts. Well, now that we see all hands on deck for the pandemic, let us see which hands will not come on deck for crime.

The police remain everyone’s favourite beating stick, because it distracts us from those who are under the radar stoking criminal behavior. Why don’t we have CCTV in our crime-ridden communities – is it because there are some who do not want their comings and goings recorded?

The Police Youth Club is the biggest youth club in Jamaica: after their long, dangerous hours of fighting crime, our police still make time for the youth in their communities. If our 63 MPs and caretakers and our over 200 parish councillors decide to support this initiative and strengthen their alliance with the police, we could witness a sea-change in security.

Let us use the same will for Jamaica’s wellness to create the long-awaited peace for our people.

Reading Owls International, a U.S.-based non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting literacy in Jamaica, hosted its “Jammin’ for Books!” fundraising celebration on March 7. The event, which included a local reggae band and silent auction, was held at the Woodman Family Community & Performance Centre at Moses Brown School in Providence, R.I. IGT was proud to be among the sponsors of this lively and uplifting event.

Brendan Hames, IGT Regional Director of the Caribbean, commented, “We were very happy to partner with Reading Owls International for this event. We are firmly committed to the integration of technology into the classroom experience for students from underserved communities in Jamaica, through our After School Advantage Programme. There should be no barriers to our children achieving their full potential. Books and technology are the tools to enhance their understanding of the world and broaden their horizons. We applaud Reading Owls International for its vision. We wish the organisation all the best in reaching its goals in 2020 and beyond.”

Hames noted that Reading Owls’ goals tie in closely with those of IGT’s signature After School Advantage Programme, which seeks to bridge the digital divide for children who have challenges in accessing the technology required to boost their educational performance. Since 2011, IGT and its subsidiaries have established 39 After School Advantage Centres in the English-speaking Caribbean. These Centres provide computers, software, printers and other equipment, and are regularly maintained and updated.

Co-founder of Reading Owls International, Elaine Dickson, observed, “Having a sponsor and partner such as IGT greatly strengthens our capacity to execute on our strategic priorities, making it possible for us to help raise up the next generation of leaders. Also, this symbiotic partnership highlights IGT’s commitment to education and showcases their corporate social responsibility, given their presence in Jamaica. They were a significant help to us as we further our vision of a world in which every child has the resources to help them succeed. We again extend our deep appreciation.”

Founded in 2013 by Elaine and Easton Dickson, Jamaican-born residents of Cumberland, R.I., Reading Owls International’s mission is to improve the literacy rates of Jamaica’s at-risk school-aged children. It seeks partnerships with schools and community-based organisations to provide access to books and other learning resources. To date, Reading Owls has built or supplemented 24 libraries (including infrastructural improvements), donated almost 30,000 books and impacted the lives of over 7,000 children. The organization’s goal is “Fifty in Five” – that is, to support 50 more libraries in the next five years.