The new multipurpose court in Trelawny will benefit approximately 1500 persons in the Sherwood Content community and the surrounding areas. The Social Development Commission, on behalf of the Usain Bolt Foundation, will see to the maintenance of the court and the implementation of a variety of programmes designed to engage youth and community members in sporting activities. The handing over event took place at the Sherwood Content Community on Saturday, April 20.

Usain Bolt and members of the community “christened” the court with a friendly hoop shooting competition.  As part of the festivities, Waldensia Primary students also performed a moving cultural item. Bolt is a past student of the school and had previously teamed up with the Digicel Foundation to participate in Labour Day activities at the institution. The hand over was truly a community affair with persons coming out to share in the moment.

Commenting on the significance of the hand over, Digicel Foundation Executive Director, Samantha Chantrelle said that “the link between sports and development has been seen across the globe. Through sports we engage our youth to learn positive life skills—teamwork, responsibility and how to compete fairly. The Digicel Foundation is very happy to have partnered with the Usain Bolt Foundation in providing the opportunity for young persons in his hometown to learn these skills.”

‘It’s a great joy to be able to give back to my community and play my part in creating sporting opportunities for the children. I want to thank Digicel especially and all who contributed to making this project a reality,” noted Bolt.

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The third annual Surfing for Autism day saw some 100 children and their family members being given the opportunity to surf and interact with surfers from the Jamaica Surfing Association. Children were also given the option of playing in wading pools and on bounce-a-bouts or enjoying a number of other activities on the beach.

JASA Co-Founder, Kathy Chang, said the event was important as it provided the children and their families with the opportunity to have fun in an environment where they would not be judged or stared at.

“Because of behavioural challenges and other issues, these children don’t get to go out much. So we wanted to provide that environment where they can run free. We also wanted to have the families involved because they don’t often get a break either,” Chang said.

She expressed gratitude to the Digicel Foundation for coming on board. She also thanked the Jamaica Surfing Association and the Rotary Club of Trafalgar New Heights for supporting the initiative.

Autism is the world’s fastest growing developmental disorder. It is a lifelong disability with a normal life expectancy. Autistic children show delays or regression in speech, social skills and physical abilities. Approximately 450 children, including one in 60 boys, on the autism spectrum are born in Jamaica each year. Early interventions, such as speech, occupational and behavioral modification and physical therapies, give children a chance at a normal life.

Digicel Foundation’s Executive Director, Samantha Chantrelle, said she was delighted that the Foundation was able to be a part of the Surfing for Autism initiative.

“It has been wonderful. Just to be able to see these children happy and enjoying this carefree time they are sharing with their families is a real blessing,” she said.

Chantrelle pledged that the Digicel Foundation will continue to stand behind initiatives that impact persons of the special needs community and bring stability to the lives of children living with autism and their families. She added that the Foundation recognises the importance of providing such opportunities, along with quality education and other first class resources.

The activity-driven event at Cable Hut Beach also provided an opportunity for Digicel staff to get involved. Twenty of them volunteered to help set up for the event, organize registration, refreshments and engage in various exercises with the children.

“We are proud to be a part of this and to be working with JASA to give these children such a lovely day,” Chantrelle said. “It is really special to see so many persons join hands and heart to make this happen. And the families are having a blast so it is well-worth it.”

The Digicel Foundation supported Surfing for Autism in 2012 as well. It also supported the Light it up Blue Campaign to commemorate World Autism Awareness Day and Month. In addition, JASA was one of eight beneficiaries of the Digicel Foundation’s 2012 5k Night Run/Walk. 

The computers, donated through a partnership with the Camara Jamaica Foundation, will be used to provide additional learning resources to enhance teaching and learning in the classroom, specifically the teaching of phonics and reading. 

Principal Neketa Bryan, expressed gratitude to the Foundation for the opportunity to expose his students, many of whom do not have access to computers at home or to technology at an early age. He said he will also use the computers to advance an initiative to promote computer literacy among the youth and parents in the community.

“This is most welcome,” Bryan said of the donation. “It is something we have been contemplating for some time to be able to get the children off to a good start. We will ensure that we use it for the right purpose to make a difference to the students and the community.”

The Digicel Foundation is partnering with the Camara Jamaica Foundation to encourage the exploration of technology to access information and knowledge. Last year, they donated some 500 computers to institutions islandwide which were all preloaded with educational software. For the next phase of this overall initiative, Camara Foundation Jamaica will be training teachers to effectively use these resources in the classroom.

Digicel Foundation’s Executive Director, Samantha Chantrelle, said the Foundation was proud of its association with the Camara Jamaica Foundation and that they were happy to have been able to give the Wood Hall Basic School the necessary resources to make a difference in not just the school population, but the community at large. 

“This is the kind of difference we want to make. We look forward to being able to assist more schools in other areas of Jamaica, as the value of this type of technology cannot be overstated,” Chantrelle said.

In the meantime, CEO of the Camara Jamaica Foundation, Karl Gaynor, who was in attendance at the ceremony, said he too was thrilled. 

“I am really excited about any partnership that is education-focused and that is pushing to improve the education system in our country. And especially with the Digicel Foundation because they really are pioneers,” Gaynor said.

Former student of Wood Hall Basic School and CEO of Nesta & Company, Robert Nesta Morgan, had approached the Digicel Foundation on behalf of the school. He said it was wonderful that the Foundation had found it fitting to make the donation. 

“This donation proves that both entities are not only interested in education but are also interested in the development of rural communities,” said Morgan.

He said he hoped that other organisations would follow Digicel Foundation’s and Camara Jamaica Foundation’s lead.

Located in St. Toolies District, the school has been in operation since 1990, and serves students from a range of communities including May Pen. Previously, the school had been operating without a computer and with limited access to teaching resources. The computer will assist in enhancing teaching and learning in the classroom.

“We are happy to provide Alexander Basic School with this learning tool so that these students can be exposed to technology from a young age,” noted Digicel Foundation Executive Director, Samantha Chantrelle. “In today’s world it is essential for students to have basic IT skills. Having access to a computer will also allow teachers to better prepare lesson plans which will enhance both teaching and learning.” 

Marlie Hill, Ebenezer and Frankfield Primary Schools, Fergusson All Age and Pratville Primary and Infant School, all located in Manchester, will also receive computers.

The Digicel Foundation formed the partnership with the Camara Jamaica Foundation to encourage the exploration of technology to access information and knowledge— a skill which will prove essential to the future successes of this generation of Jamaicans.  

Camara Jamaica uses technology to improve education through computer reuse.  Camara also provides software training for teachers. Since 2011, Digicel Foundation has placed approximately 750 computers in educational institutions across the island. The computers are all preloaded with educational software and include technical support as well as training for the educators who will use them.

“Our main mission is to improve education through technology,” expressed Karl Gaynor CEO of the Camara Jamaica Foundation. “We focus heavily on getting technology into the rural schools and also training for the teachers. It is the rural communities that need these resources the most.”

“When they informed me, I thought I was on cloud nine,” the excited principal said.

He said the school, which is soon to be equipped with their cart following a training session, was in dire need of assistance. He was grateful that the Digicel Foundation stepped in to assist when it did, he added.

Grateful Hill Primary, located in the deep-rural Glengoffe community of St Catherine, has been struggling to achieve high levels of literacy. Moodie reported that the school received a 48 per cent pass rate on the most recent Grade Four Literacy Test.

He said that since he became principal of the school less than two years ago, he has been working to see improvements, and he believes the Mobile Enrichment Cart will significantly advance this drive.

The principal continued, “We are very fortunate and blessed to be receiving such a critical tool, which is one medium to improve the literacy level of our land. We couldn’t get a better gift from anybody than this literacy cart.”

“And it couldn’t come at a better time, because actually what we are doing as a team here, we really are trying to re-brand this institution. A number of professionals have passed through this institution, this is their molding ground, and we want it to get back to its former glory and beyond.”

Fifty schools island-wide will receive Mobile Enrichment Carts from the Digicel Foundation, to the tune of $25 million. Each cart is equipped with a laptop loaded with literacy and numeracy software including Hooked on Phonics, Phonics Pad and Early Success.

The carts are also equipped with a multimedia projector, copier/scanner, laser printer, audio speakers and a reversible whiteboard. Carts typically include Internet access courtesy of Digicel’s 4G broadband for the first year.

The Digicel Foundation Enrichment Initiative, launched in 2009, is a joint programme of the Digicel Foundation and the Ministry of Education. In July 2012, to celebrate Jamaica’s 50th anniversary of Independence, the Foundation called upon the public to identify 50 deserving schools through its ‘Nominate 2 Educate’ campaign on Facebook.

Grateful Hill was one of these schools which were nominated. Moodie said, with the calibre of students that are currently enrolled, there is much that can be achieved with the Mobile Enrichment Carts. He added that the carts will also be a great asset as due to the low socioeconomic status of persons in the community, many students are without textbooks.

“So this is a wonderful gift and the school family is extremely happy. As a matter of fact the school name speaks for itself, we are mighty grateful, from Grateful Hill,” Moodie said good-naturedly.

He noted that the school has already put plans in place to use the carts.

A timetable has been created to ensure that every class will get a chance to utilise the material and a teacher has also been identified to man the reading lab and those students who need special attention will be referred for a more intense interaction.

The principal anticipates that the students will be as excited as he is about the new equipment and will be motivated to achieve higher levels of literacy and numeracy.

“This is what I admire with Digicel as it relates to education because they really try their utmost to facilitate and to improve education. Their logo speaks volumes, they are the bigger network, and I believe the reading cart will expand the school’s horizon,” Moodie concluded.

Project Categories are colour-coded as follows:

Special Needs- BLUE
Education – YELLOW
Education Enrichment – PINK
Community Empowerment – RED

Students of UTECH’s Caribbean School of Architecture gave a presentation showcasing their conceptual designs for an interactive playground and garden for the School for Therapy Education and Parenting of Children with Multiple Disabilities (STEP) Centre on January 24. The function was hosted by the Jamaica Institute of Architects at the PCJ Auditorium in New Kingston.

Established in 1994, the STEP Centre has been operating out of the St. Margaret’s Church Hall in Liguanea. However, the Hall could not adequately accommodate the students, many of whom have complex learning and developmental challenges. These include cerebral palsy, global developmental delay and various genetic syndromes. The STEP Centre is currently one of the few facilities in Jamaica that offers physical, art, speech and language therapy as part of its daily curriculum.

To date, the Digicel Foundation has invested over $28 million to construct a new school building for the Centre, the groundbreaking ceremony for which was held last March. “We believe that every child has a right to a good education and special needs education is an area that we are committed to bring to the forefront of the public’s mind. The STEP Centre is very close to our hearts as it is the first special needs school the Foundation has fully funded. The second is NAZ Children’s Centre in Montego Bay” noted Samantha Chantrelle, Executive Director of the Digicel Foundation.

The new STEP Centre building is designed by renowned architect Douglas Stiebel. However, the playground and garden project is being supervised by visiting lecturer, Mark Martin who has previously taught at the Graduate School of Design at Florida International University in Miami. He is also the president of Gardenism, a private design practice. Martin currently lectures at UTECH’s Caribbean School of Architecture teaching a course titled Introduction to Landscape Architecture. As part of this course, students are engaged in a real life project where they can use the knowledge and techniques learned. Martin’s class was chosen to design an interactive, user friendly, educational play area and garden for STEP because the project goes beyond typical architecture to include the design of outdoor environments.

“We were very pleased when it was enthusiastically endorsed by Mark Martin and his class,” noted Hilary Sherlock, Principal of STEP.  “The design options the students developed exceeded my expectations and I know that there is something for each of our children to enjoy.  For our school community we regard it as recognition of our very special children and their need for creative, functional and beautiful spaces.”

According to Martin, the most important part of the design is the flooring. It must be both soft to protect against falls and non-toxic. The flooring must be able to withstand being outdoors without getting mold. “I did not want this playground to look as if it was designed for disabled students,” noted Martin. “The level of movement for many students was extremely limited and thus we had to find ways of creating positive educational stimuli. Apart from the five senses that we take for granted, we then add vestibular which is a sense of balance and spatial orientation and proprioceptive which detects the motion of body and limbs.”

While describing the aesthetics of the proposed play areas, Martin highlighted some of the more innovating and interesting proposed concepts. These included a two- wheelchair carousel that is operated by hand; an interactive floor that resembles a piano and makes sounds when touched; walls that hold plants and herbs, and interactive game wall as well as on that will have movable magnetic pieces; a train that holds the wheel chairs and moves and make sounds like a choo choo train and a short tunnel depicting the stars and heavens.

The new school will be located on Tremaine Road in Kingston and will be able to comfortably accommodate up to 30 students.

The STEP Centre continues to produce greeting cards and notelets for every occasion in aid of the continued development of their facilities. The school also welcomes financial and other assistance.  Visit their website to view card designs, programmes and contact information. www.thestepcentre.com.

The initiative, operating under the theme, “Back to Roots—Stronger Roots, Stronger Communities, Stronger Nation” aims to help community organizations become more self-reliant by facilitating their transition to social enterprises, that is to say, by  teaching them how to run sustainable community businesses. As social enterprises, these community organizations will promote community development by the activities they carry out, as well as their increased capacity to generate wealth and employment.

The 11 pilot projects, promote community development through education, skills training, sports or employment and income generation. They will receive funding totaling J$13 million from the Digicel Foundation. They will also receive support from the OSE in a variety of areas crucial to starting and running sustainable community businesses including entrepreneurial thinking and practice, preparation of business plans and models, proposal writing and assistance in cultivating and strengthening key partnerships.

The Digicel Foundation’s partnership with the OSE will also allow for effective monitoring and evaluation of the social impact of the initiatives being financially supported, not just at the completion of each project, but also over time.

“It is important that the UWI campuses play a pivotal role in the development of the Caribbean region,” noted Professor Archibald McDonald, Deputy Principal at the University of the West Indies, Mona.  “This programme gives us the opportunity to do so by investing in our communities. It also gives our students the opportunity to get some hands on experience and allows for quality research into effective ways to encourage entrepreneurship and growth in our communities.”

Among the community organizations to receive funding are St. Thomas Bee Farmers Association; St. Mary Bee Farmers Association; Wickwar/Silver Grove Producers and Marketing Organization,  Colleyville Producers and Marketing Organization and Prospect Pig Farmers in Manchester and the Women’s Resource and Outreach Centres for projects in Spring Bank and Trinity Ville in St. Thomas.

The Digicel Foundation has already begun to disburse the $13 million and it is anticipated that all eleven communities will receive their funding by March of this year.

In summarizing the thinking behind the ‘Back to Roots’ project Samantha Chantrelle, Executive Director at the Digicel Foundation said, “The Digicel Foundation is happy to do our part in assisting community members to become self reliant by developing projects that foster sustainable growth and development.”