FHC donates 100 devices to One Tablet Per Child drive
Published:Thursday | January 27, 2022 | 12:06 AMTamara Bailey/Gleaner Writer
MANDEVILLE, Manchester:
Eight students of Christiana High School in Manchester are among recipients from across the island who now have a device to access online classes, courtesy of the First Heritage Co-operative Credit Union (FHC).
Through the partnership with the Ministry of Education and its agency, National Education Trust, FHC’s Mandeville Branch Manager, Sharna Hutchinson-Scott, said the organisation has donated 100 tablets to the One Tablet or Laptop Per Child Initiative.
She explained that of the 100 devices, 40 are dedicated to special-needs students, while the remaining 60 are gifted to primary- and secondary-level students across Jamaica.
“This initiative not only allows us to carry out our corporate social responsibility, but it goes to the core philosophy of our credit union, which is ‘People helping people’. We are an organisation that takes great pride in community, family, youth development, and service.”
With approximately 50 per cent of the almost 1,500 students enrolled at the Christian High School facing the serious challenge of accessing online classes, guidance counsellor at the institution, Natalee Honeygan, told The Gleaner that the school is grateful for the donation and remains hopeful that others will assist in like manner.
“Our population is large, and we work on a shift system where our students are separated in two groups. Each group comes in every other week; and for the week they don’t have face-to-face classes, they are engaged online. Some of them who were not able to access school online received tablets today, and are now able to go online. However, we do have the need for more devices.” she said
At the handover session at the FHC’s Mandeville office on Friday, Hutchinson-Scott encouraged the students to make good use of the devices and stay focused, despite challenges that may arise with this ‘new normal’.