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Partnership with KSAMC for a COVID-free Kingston
Since the launch of its $42 million Operation SAFE Mode (Sanitisation. Advocacy. Feeding. Enabling) project a week ago, the Digicel Foundation has been busy fulfilling all four objectives. On Labour Day, the sanitisation aspect took full focus with a deep cleaning exercise at Coronation Market and along Ocean Boulevard in Downtown Kingston.
Scores of volunteers from the Foundation, parent company, Digicel, and the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) turned out to disinfect and spruce up the marketplace which was reconstructed by Digicel in 2010 to the tune of $169 million.
CEO of the Digicel Foundation, Charmaine Daniels, shared that this year’s Labour Day project is of special significance to the organisation. She explained, “We are doing this today in honour of our former Group CEO, the late Colm Delves who passed away in April. Colm loved the Jamaican people, he loved Downtown Kingston, and he had a special place in his heart for Coronation Market which was reconstructed during his tenure.”
Daniels pointed out that in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and knowing the importance of the market to the livelihoods of so many people, it was important to maintain the cleanliness of the iconic location.
The Foundation also handed over brand new pressure washers to KSAMC Mayor, Delroy Williams, for the municipality to carry on with routine disinfecting of Coronation Market.
Mayor Williams commented, “Over the years, Digicel and the Digicel Foundation continue to play their role as very helpful neighbours to Downtown Kingston and the wider community. Their donation and effort will go a very far way in assisting our COVID-19 response and we look forward to continuing this very fruitful partnership for years to come.”
Following the Coronation clean-up, the Foundation’s volunteers turned their attention to nearby Ocean Boulevard and areas surrounding the Digicel Headquarters to conduct a thorough cleaning of sidewalks, walls and windows.
“For Labour Day we also wanted to ‘labour a wi yaad’, so we focused on Kingston, but we’re aiming to touch every parish with our Operation SAFE Mode activities,” said Daniels.
She concluded, “Our commitment to the recovery of Jamaica and supporting those in need doesn’t end on Labour Day. We’re continuing to work with community groups, special needs organisations and the Government of Jamaica to create a world where no one gets left behind.”
In addition to the Labour Day sanitisation exercise, the Digicel Foundation has spent the past two weeks advocating for safe social distancing and feeding those in need through donations of food to community groups and special needs organisation. Starting in June, the Foundation will be enabling better access to education for special needs students with a donation of 1,000 tablets to the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities and the Ministry of Education.
