Tag: Giving Back

SOS Children’s Village Barrett Town residents shine with IGT computer room upgrade

Tisha Wilson, IGT’s Administrative Supervisor, and youngsters at SOS Children’s Village Barrett Town display some of the books donated by the IGT team on Friday, September 22, 2023. Standing at the back of the room are house mothers Marcia Whyte (left) and Juliet Campbell. (Photo: Contributed)

Hewitt Walker, SOS Children’s Village director, is impressed with the progress of his residents after a comprehensive upgrade by International Game Technology (IGT) of their After School Advantage (ASA) computer lab at SOS Barrett Town, St James.

“Previously, students lacked convenient access to information to complete their assignments but now we are grateful to have a dedicated space where the residents can efficiently access resources needed for their academic tasks,” said Walker. 

Generous donation

SOS Barrett Town was first equipped with an IGT ASA computer centre in 2013.  In a recent upgrade, the company replaced previously installed desktop systems with 10 brand-new laptops equipped with updated software. In addition, IGT has provided a laptop storage cabinet and versatile multipurpose printer.

In observance of International Literacy Month, representatives of IGT made a generous donation of books to SOS Barrett Town earlier this month, engaging residents in a reading session.

Hosted under the theme ‘#IGTreads,’ this initiative reflects the organisation’s commitment to supporting education while emphasising the importance of literacy and reading. The theme was created for an IGT read-aloud initiative last year.

Debbie Green, IGT general manager, says she is elated to see the progress and growth in the IGT decade-long partnership with SOS Children’s Village Barrett Town under its After School Advantage programme.

“We remain committed to partnership and continued support of our centres under our After School Advantage programme, and we embrace the opportunity to nurture lifelong reading among our students, understanding that in the pages of books, we venture into a world of possibilities,” said Green.

Tisha Wilson, IGT’s administrative supervisor, along with two team members, were welcomed by a host of youngsters at the children’s village, who were thrilled to receive this book donation. Upon seeing the range of books being donated, the youngsters could not contain their excitement.

Support United Nations SDG

This positive reaction was a major goal as IGT is encouraging reading and awareness around the significance of literacy. This is also in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Good Health and Well-Being, Quality Education, and Reduced Inequalities. 

“The children were just so excited,” said Wilson. “The goal is to raise awareness for reading and improve literacy among our children. With technology and the Internet, we don’t have many readers, so for me, I was very surprised when we came in and the students were picking up books to find their favourite stories – even without us planning to engage them at that level. It was heart-warming to see students still having that interest to read.”

Walker believes that this initiative has the potential to ignite a passion for reading among the residents, particularly in an era dominated by technology, where reading is less common and social media use is more prevalent.

“I think it was a very good initiative because we live in a technological age and a lot of children use technology for social media, as opposed to reading, so a donation of books to the SOS Children’s Village is a good venture. This is a very important donation because it allows the kids to be exposed to books so that they can delve into stories and read more,” said Walker.

He, too, was impressed by the reaction of the youngsters.

“I think the kids are quite happy. They are looking for the books that they like and are enjoying them so far. I am very happy to see this because this is not something that you see very often in the village,” said Walker.

Improved literacy

House mothers at SOS Children’s Village Barrett Town Juliet Campbell and Marcia Whyte were also impressed by the initiative taken by IGT. For Campbell, IGT’s push for improved literacy plays an active role in their homework sessions.

“There are times when we have problems getting books at their reading level and I see that they have received a lot of those, so we are happy for them. We will engage them with more reading in the evenings after school,” Campbell said.

“I think this initiative will enhance the children in their vocabulary and help them to know new words,” said Whyte.

IGT shows its commitment to supporting education and technology access for youth through its After School Advantage (ASA) programme.  The gaming technology firm has established 15 ASA computer labs in NGO-run institutions in Jamaica, including those in SOS Children’s Village Barrett Town and Stony Hill, Mustard Seed Communities – Matthew 25:40, Spring Village Development Foundation, Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation Mandeville and Savanna-La-Mar and Sunbeam Children’s Home in St Catherine.

SOS Children’s Village Barrett Town provides an alternative home for 38 children and young adults up to 22 years old who have lost parental care. SOS Children’s Villages International comprises more than 130 national associations around the world and has helped over four million children worldwide since its inception in 1949.

Digicel Foundation Gives Freetown Primary School Smart TV, Projector

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Krystal Tomlinson, communications and engagement manager at Digicel Foundation, shares a word of encouragement with grade-five student Joseph Beckford as his classmate Danique Fogah and teacher Mark Blair look on.

Teacher at the Freetown Primary School, Mark Blair, shares with Communications and Engagement Manager at Digicel Foundation Krystal Tomlinson on how he’ll be using the audiovisual equipment to enrich the delivery of mathematics in his grade 5 classes. As part of the school’s numeracy intervention programme, Blair applied to Digicel Foundation for a ‘Mek A Muckle Grant’ to purchase a smart TV, projector and DVD player. His aim is to make math classes more interactive for students who were underperforming in the subject.

Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20170215/digicel-foundation-gives-freetown-primary-school-smart-tv-projector

Food For The Poor Going Places

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In 35 years of operation, the role of Food For The Poor (FFP) Jamaica, as well as the scope of its operations, has grown significantly as the charity continues to enable and enrich beneficiaries within and far beyond local shores.

As news of the humanitarian crisis in Haiti spread, following the widespread devastation by Hurricane Matthew last October, Jamaicans turned to FFP as a channel for their good intentions, a situation which Chairman Andrew Mahfood admits caught him off-guard.

“The Haiti relief, that was amazing. We started to get a couple calls right after the hurricane, and I am not sure if it’s because of how close it came to us, but the outpouring of support from Jamaica to us, to give to Haiti, was something we hadn’t seen before. Seventeen containers were shipped and J$12 million raised,” Mahfood told The Gleaner.

From humble beginnings at Emerald Road, Kingston, from which goods brought into the island through the Catholic Relief Service in 1982 were distributed, the phenomenal growth of the local chapter of this charitable non-profit organisation has been consistent with that of its parent company. Food For The Poor is the largest charity organisation in Jamaica, with Food For The Poor Incorporated, located in Florida, United States of America (USA), being the largest international relief and development organisation in the USA, assisting the poor in 17 Latin American and Caribbean countries.

“We did start as Food For The Poor, giving away food, but now the objectives of the organisation are so vast – housing, medical, social outreach, education, prison ministries, water and sanitation and agriculture,” the chairman explained.

He offered an explanation as to why more donors are looking to share of their bounty through the non-denominational entity. “I think what is happening is that we are connecting more with corporate Jamaica and through the good efforts of the media and the reporting on all the stuff that we do, that connection is growing. They are seeing the wide range of things that we are doing.”

People flock from far and wide to the head office of Food For The Poor (FFP) Jamaica at Ellerslie Pen, Spanish Town, in St Catherine, as soon as the doors open, from Monday to Friday.

There, some 135 staffers comprising what FFP Chairman Andrew Mahfood describes as “a good team out there” attend to the varied requests for assistance.

Investigators are the first responders, whether it’s a request for immediate help from a fire victim or to build a home for a family.

“Somebody has to actually go and visit the premises and say, ‘Yes, we’ve been to the location and we’ve seen the conditions they live under.’ So we get the picture and all of us see that it’s a genuine case,” Mahfood told The Gleaner.

Individuals seeking help may contact the organisation directly or through a church in their area, a pastor, justice of the peace, or member of parliament. However, FFP is working to help Jamaicans to help themselves, as well as others, Mahfood explained.

“The organisation has always felt that we have to get our recipients self-sufficient and into projects that are sustainable for them to provide an income. We believe that Jamaica provides a great opportunity for recipients to come together – either in a community and do a big agricultural project. Food For The Poor has the ability to fund those projects – put in homes, to put in, say, a community centre, to put in a place where people can go and pray, as well as schools. These are things that it can do in these communities.”

Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20170130/food-poor-going-places

Food For The Poor assists family, elderly with houses

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A Portland family and an elderly man are the latest beneficiaries of houses from philanthropic organisation Food For The Poor (FFP) after their plight was highlighted by the Jamaica Observer North East in 2015.

The family of four, which includes a wheelchair-bound man, was desperately in need of a house to get out of the crammed space they shared in the back room of a relative’s house in Waybridge, Portland, for years.

Observer North & East reported in 2015 that Jacqueline Thompson, her two daughters and her physically challenged son all shared a single bed in a room which an aunt allowed them to stay in, after they had been living in the garage for some time.

At the time, Thompson stressed that she needed help to get back on her feet.

“I am feeling happy about getting my house. I thank God as I can’t leave him out,” she said.

Thompson also thanked justice of the peace and pastor of the Church of God in Christ at Long Road, Roy Titus, who tried desperately to get assistance for the family. He described their situation as “dire,” then.

She also thanked the Ministry of Housing for the land space, Food For The Poor for the house, the Observer for highlighting her need, and the parish council and the National Insurance Scheme for their assistance.

“I am a happy person now. It was a long and horrible wait; I cried sometimes. The children are very happy, especially my son Okeno,” Thompson shared.

The house, which is located at Darlingford Housing Scheme in Manchioneal in the parish, was handed over last October. Thompson said FFP has also pledged to donate furniture.

A visually impaired elderly man was also the beneficiary of a house from FFP.

Urnal Taylor lived in a dirt-floor, one-bedroom house in Boston in the parish for years, before FFP read of his plight in the

Observer and presented him with the keys for a new house.

“This house is beautiful as much as mi can’t see it. I am comfortable and mi have space. Thanks to all the people who helped me, and the gentleman here, Pastor Titus. The blessings on his shoulders can’t come off. Welcome; welcome,” he said with a broad grin on his face.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/regional/Food-For-The-Poor-assists-family–elderly-with-housesObserver-North-and-East-article-spurs-action——-_87286

Digicel, JCPD Grant Christmas Wish

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An enterprising young Jamaica living with cerebral palsy will remember this Christmas as the time he entered the workforce as an entrepreneur, after receiving a new computer, printer and external hard drive for his start-up technology firm, Ventura Tech.

While more than 3,000 children will ‘Get Gifted’ with toys, courtesy of Digicel during Christmas treats to be held islandwide.

The gift to Roshane Foster, who has refused to let the cerebral palsy crush his dreams, was made possible through collaboration between Digicel Foundation and the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD).

A recent surprise visit to Roshane’s house in Manchester brought tears of joy from his mother Gennie Facey, who was happy to see her son’s entrepreneurial dream come to life.

“Roshane has always wanted to start his own business and I have always known that he had it in him to be successful, but as a single parent it has been difficult to give him all he would need to succeed. I am so very appreciative. I could not ask for more,” said Facey.

A GOOD START

She noted that this was a good start for Ventura Tech, a name hand-picked by her son for his business.

Roshane already supports his community through graphic design and other digital services. However, with new gadgets, he will now have better equipment to extend his business portfolio.

As Roshane spoke it became clear that he had great passion for his business. “Ventura Tech is very unique because I try to make sure each design is different and I listen to my customers, so that I can give them what they ask for. I put my heart and soul in each design so that makes a big difference.”

He was eager to share his vision for the future, saying, “I see myself in the next five years with at least two computer shops and giving back to the persons who helped me to make my dream come true.”

“We want to celebrate the resilient spirit of champions like Roshane, who want to contribute meaningfully, despite the hurdles along their way,” said Dane Richardson, director of operations at the Digicel Foundation.

Through several initiatives, the foundation supports organisations to help address challenges in the disability sector.

FAR-REACHING EFFORTS

“Working with key agencies like the JCPD helps to ensure that our efforts are far-reaching and impactful,” said Richardson.

From his certification in information technology and business administration to his own volunteerism in becoming the first active Rotaract Club member living with cerebral palsy, Roshane has made great strides.

In speaking about his next steps, he was steadfast in sharing how he wants to channel his own success to actively supporting members of the special-needs community.

“What I want is for persons to stop looking down on people with disabilities. We have a lot to offer, just like anyone else,” said Roshane.

In the meantime, Digicel will continue giving toys to children tomorrow, with the Usain Bolt Treat in Sherwood Content Trelawny

Digicel Jamaica CEO David Butler said toy-giving has become a happy tradition of the company.

“Nothing warms our hearts more at this time of the year than seeing the joy a toy brings to children’s faces. We are always very happy to support our ambassadors and community organisations that work hard to ensure we extend smiles right across Jamaica during the Yuletide,” said Butler.

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20161225/digicel-jcpd-grant-christmas-wish

CCRP Shares the Love this Festive Season

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On Tuesday, December 13, members of the Caring Committee of the Caribbean Community of Retired Persons (CCRP) visited the Golden Age Home in Kingston where they handed over items of toiletries to the residents of Cluster D which were donated by their members at their Christmas Party held on December 6. Here, Morelene Moncrieffe (left), Supervisor of Cluster D accepts one of the bags with the donations from Hanna Dixon.