Excerpt from the Jamaica Observer column published Monday, April 19, 2021
By Jean Lowrie-Chin
I remember the evening of April 19, 2001 when, after months of planning, Marketing Manager Harry Smith and I were going over the programme for the launch of Digicel at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel.
“Oh, my Lord, Harry,” I exclaimed. “We don’t have prayer on the programme!”
“Alright,” said Harry, “If you write it, I will say it.”
I wrote the words purposefully, asking God for His blessing on this brave new company.
I believe God heard us, and indeed that through His grace, Digicel Chairman Denis O’Brien became the answer to many prayers.
Overnight, even the humblest Jamaican could afford a phone; live-in household workers could stay connected to their families, seniors could call for assistance in emergencies.
It was exciting to attend the launch of Digicel in Trinidad, Barbados, and Haiti, and to see the energy of the teams, including our own Jamaicans rolling out the networks in the 32 countries in the Caribbean, Central America and the Pacific.
The Digicel Foundation was launched in 2004 and has funded islandwide projects for education, special needs and community development to the tune of over $60 billion. The most moving area of its operations has been the building of special needs schools which ensure that no matter what learning challenges our children face they are given a chance to achieve their full potential.
In addition to Jamaica, Digicel Foundations have been established in Haiti, Papua New Guinea and Trinidad & Tobago, and have contributed to positive outcomes for over three million people to date.
O’Brien was inducted as an honorary member of the Order of Jamaica and received an honorary doctorate from The UWI in 2015.
“The proudest part of all of that we have achieved over the years is that, as a company, we have our roots here in Jamaica,” he said in the graduation address on the occasion. “Without hesitation, Jamaica is the cornerstone of Digicel growth and development of all our 32 countries.”
Here’s wishing Digicel a happy 20th anniversary and many more great years.
Jamaica Highlights 