Digicel Foundation donates $20 million to hurricane damaged schools


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Digicel Foundation donates $20 million to hurricane damaged schools

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Digicel Foundation donates $20 million to hurricane damaged schools

Contact
Eleen Rankine (Digicel) – 470-7245 – eleen.rankine@digicelgroup.com
Nicolette Smith (PROComm for Digicel) – 926-6740 – nsmith@procomm.com.jm

Kingston, Jamaica – Tuesday, November 6, 2007: Digicel Foundation, which has education as a priority, donated $20 million for repairs to schools that were damaged by Hurricane Dean in 2007. The official presentation ceremony took place at Old England Primary and Junior High School in Mandeville, on Wednesday, April 16.

Speaking on behalf of the Digicel Foundation, Executive Director, Major General Robert Neish said that the Foundation was pleased to support the education system, one of the critical pillars of community building which was at the heart of the Foundation’s mandate.

“We are pleased to make this donation towards repairing schools damaged by Hurricane Dean. We pledge to continue our working relationship with the Ministry of Education to help ensure that our children get the best opportunity to learn and thus succeed in life.”

Cheques were presented to the principals of eight schools including, Robert Lightbourne High School, Bethabara Primary and Junior High, Ebenezer All Age, Broadleaf All Age, New Broughton Primary, Old England Primary, Victoria All Age and York Street Primary School. The donation was based on assessments conducted by the Ministry of Education,

Also present for the handover was Ministry of Education Public Relations Officer, Charmaine Gooden-Monteith, who pointed out that some $500 million had been allocated by the Government to cover repairs to damaged schools and that the Digicel donation would go a far way towards helping the Ministry deal with some of the worst affected schools.

About The Digicel Foundation
The Digicel Foundation is a non-profit organization established by Digicel in 2004, which proactively helps to empower communities and promote self-reliance through its support for skills training, education, sports and other social programmes. Through these activities, the Foundation aims to build community spirit across Jamaica. Among other projects implemented by the Foundation are:
• J $1 million and an 8-seater van to the Jamaica Society for the Blind, to aid transportation and purchase visual aids.
• J$3.3 million Multipurpose Sports Complex at, and fencing of, First Hill All-Age School in Trelawny.
• J$9 million construction of Flower Hill Basic School in St. James.
• J$2 million Reading Resource Centre and Mini Library for Savanna-La-Mar Prep and High School in Westmoreland
• J$2.3 million Reading Resource Room for Knockalva Technical High School, located in Hanover.

Digicel Foundation donates $20 million to hurricane damaged schools