Tag: Digicel Foundation

Digicel Jamaica Foundation reaches 800,000

digicel-in-observer

2016 annual report shows strong growth in outreach, impact

Over 800,000 Jamaicans were positively touched by the work of the Digicel Jamaica Foundation during the organisation’s previous financial year, the Foundation said in a news release Friday.

This amounts to nearly one in every four Jamaicans directly or indirectly benefitting from the Foundation’s partnerships in education, special needs, entrepreneurship, and community development.

A local private philanthropic entity, the Digicel Foundation invested US$3.6 million ($460.8 million) over the past year in schools and communities islandwide. The figure was disclosed at the launch of the organisation’s annual report held at the Digicel Building in downtown Kingston on Thursday.

The report highlights that the foundation gave more than it had originally planned for the medium term 2013 to 2016; in some cases tripling initial targets. As examples, allocations for special needs teacher training and the number of social enterprises funded were increased.

An original idea to positively impact the lives of 75,000 Jamaicans under the foundation’s community development agenda, instead recorded a total reach of 214,164 persons.

“The dedicated Digicel Foundation team members were inspired by our partners, local and international, Government, and private sector,” noted Digicel Foundation Chairman Jean Lowrie-Chin. “We saw their resolve and dedication, resulting in higher educational achievements, greater awareness, and respect for our special needs community and extensive job creation.”

In explaining why more lives have been positively influenced by the expanded focus, Chief Executive Officer of the Digicel Foundation Samantha Chantrelle stated: “We received unwavering support from our project partners and beneficiaries which aided us in having a stronger impact on the lives of our fellow Jamaicans.”

The organisation’s commitment to supporting the special needs community continued this year as it funded 14 significant projects across the island in coordination with local and international partners.

The parish of Portland felt the greatest impact, with over 507,000 lives being touched by the work of the organisation. A Centre of Excellence which was constructed to support a range of physical, behavioural and intellectual special needs was the centrepiece of the various projects executed in the parish over the past year.

Other landmark ventures included: the Ramps in School Programme; the provision of 32 mobile science laboratories to as many high schools; the training of teachers of students with special needs; and partnerships with several community groups to expand entrepreneurial activities.

In its 12 years of existence, the Digicel Foundation has successfully implemented 737 projects at a cost of over $3 billion;as the organisation continues to work with dedicated partners in order to achieve Jamaica’s development goals.

The Digicel Foundation, a non-profit organisation, was established in September 2004 and is committed to supporting the development of Jamaica through a number of socially impactful projects.

The main objectives of the Digicel Foundation include driving efforts to achieve Jamaica’s Millennium Development Goal of increased literacy; the use of information and communication technology (ICT) tools and equipment in primary schools and increased training for teachers; enhancing the care of special needs children across the island in a variety of ways, including training for teachers; and the pursuit of sustainable projects and partnerships for community development.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Digicel-Jamaica-Foundation-reaches-800-000_77299

PETERSFIELD PRIMARY AWARDS 62-YEAR-OLD GUARDIAN

Principal emphasizes need for parent involvement in student life

62-year-old Vioris Griffiths, grandmother of Omar Hill, a student at Petersfield Primary School, Westmoreland has received the ‘Most Involved Parent Award’ in the recently concluded literacy training initiative at the institution.

The initiative was held with the aim of increasing parental involvement in their child(ren)’s academic life, especially in the area of literacy and numeracy.  In the four-day workshop parents and guardians of the school were exposed to the curriculum their children will be taught this academic year, along with guidance on how to prepare healthy meals and make useful items children need for their day-to-day activities.

“Vioris Griffiths attended every session. She showed the greatest interest of all the parents and assisted us when we had summer school. Because of this our team decided to award her the ‘Most Involved Parent’ for our programme,” said Susan Rattray Hammond, principal of Petersfield Primary School.

“I really enjoyed the programme. I can’t read and write good but I did drawing and took part in the programmes in the kitchen such as learning to prepare meals, affordable ‘one-pot meals’ and sandwiches. Now I can at least help him [Omar] with his homework. Plus I can learn a thing or two as well in my old age so it really will make both of us better,” shared an enthused Griffiths who is a retired household.

Rattray Hammond emphasized the need for parental involvement much like Griffiths’, “It has been proven multiple times that students show improved performance when parents are more involved in their school life. It can be a simple act as reviewing their assignments or even practicing their time-table with them. I encourage parents to get involved this school year.”

The training initiative is a part of the Enrichment Programme which a partnership between the Digicel Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The programme promotes literacy and numeracy, it also undertakes the building of the Enrichment Centres in schools that are then equipped with Digicel 4G Broadband, desktop and laptop computers, literacy and numeracy software such as Hooked on Phonics, Phonics Pad and Early Success and Math Manipulative Audio Visual headsets.

To date, there is a total of 231 primary schools across Jamaica benefitting through the Enrichment Programme. The Enrichment Programme is an island-wide information and communication technology partnership with the Ministry of Education.