J$1.5m lifeline for children of tourism workers

WESTERN BUREAU:

As thousands of children returned to classrooms across Jamaica yesterday, some sons and daughters of tourism workers were doing so against a very different backdrop – their parents remain off the job months after Hurricane Melissa.

The S Hotel Foundation has stepped in with a J$1.5-million back-to-school grant programme targeting children of tourism workers whose properties remain closed and who have been without their regular salaries.

Children at the primary and secondary levels will receive between J$25,000 and J$50,000, depending on their circumstances, with the larger grants expected to go mainly to high-school students, where expenses are generally greater.

Christopher Issa, founder of the S Hotel Foundation, said the intervention was prompted by the reality facing tourism families who have endured months of uncertainty while waiting for their workplaces to reopen.

“These are people who have spent years taking care of our visitors and helping to build Jamaica’s tourism industry. Right now, some of them are going through a difficult period because the hotels where they worked have not yet reopened,” Issa said.

“We felt that, at the very least, their children should not have to worry about whether they can go back to school properly prepared.”

FINANCES STRETCHED

While Jamaica’s tourism sector has made significant strides in its recovery since Hurricane Melissa, not every property has returned to operation. Repairs and reconstruction continue at some hotels, leaving employees attached to those properties facing an extended absence from work.

For those households, the reopening of schools has brought another round of expenses at a time when family finances are already stretched.

Uniforms, shoes, books, transportation, meals and other school-related costs can quickly add up, particularly for families with more than one child.

“Parents are thinking about uniforms, books, transportation, lunch money and all the things that come with getting a child back into the classroom,” Issa said.

“Imagine facing those expenses when you have been off the job and without a salary. That is a tremendous burden for any family.”

Issa said the size of the individual grants was deliberately set at a level that could provide meaningful relief.

“We didn’t want this to be a token gesture. We wanted the assistance to make a real difference,” he said.

“Every family’s situation is different, so we are looking at the needs of each child, with the larger grants going primarily to high-school students, where the expenses tend to be greater.”

The foundation is also taking an unusual approach to identifying beneficiaries, recognising that families facing financial hardship may not necessarily be comfortable approaching an organisation for help.

BY RECOMMENDATION

Human resources managers at tourism properties, pastors, teachers and other recognised community leaders may recommend families for the grants.

“Sometimes the people who need help the most are not the ones who will come forward and ask,” Issa said.

“That is why we are relying on people in the hotels, schools, churches and communities who know these families and understand what they are going through, to help us reach them.”

The J$1.5-million programme forms part of the S Hotel Foundation’s broader support for education and communities affected by Hurricane Melissa, particularly across western Jamaica, where the hurricane dealt a severe blow to tourism-dependent communities.

Issa said the plight of workers still awaiting the reopening of their workplaces should not be lost amid discussions about the tourism industry’s recovery.

“Tourism is about people. We talk a lot about arrivals, hotel rooms and earnings, but behind those numbers are thousands of Jamaicans who make the industry work every day,” he said.

“When some of those workers are hurting, we have a responsibility to remember them.”

To access the grant support, email: comms@shotelsjamaica.com.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com