Sat | Dec 13, 2025

RESET Project 2025, Digicel Foundation unite to boost water security for deaf community

Published:Monday | April 21, 2025 | 12:13 AM
Campus manager of the Caribbean Christian School for the Deaf Trudy Powell (centre) leads a tour of the Knockpatrick campus following the official handover of a $2-million donation, courtesy of the Digicel Foundation, REST Project 2025 and The Rescue Packa
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Campus manager of the Caribbean Christian School for the Deaf Trudy Powell (centre) leads a tour of the Knockpatrick campus following the official handover of a $2-million donation, courtesy of the Digicel Foundation, REST Project 2025 and The Rescue Package Foundation. Joined by students and RESET Project 2025 Organiser Annoleah Wynter (second left) and The Rescue Package Foundation CEO Simone Mignott (left), Powell highlighted the significant impact of the new rainwater harvesting system which will alleviate the school’s long-standing water challenges.

The administration of the Caribbean Christian School for the Deaf (CCCD) is celebrating a big win in its efforts to improve the water supply system for the Knockpatrick campus and the more than 100 deaf children, teens and young adults served there.

The Digicel Foundation, in partnership with RESET Project 2025, has donated $2 million towards building a rainwater harvesting and supply system, easing a long-standing burden on the school’s operations.

The donation was made possible through a collaboration between RESET Project 2025, The Rescue Package Foundation, and the Digicel Foundation, reflecting the RESET movement’s commitment to transformative change through community service, gospel music, and strategic partnerships.

RESET Project 2025, led by Olamay Events CEO Annoleah Wynter, was launched on January 4 with a powerful gospel experience featuring Jamaican icons Papa San and Chevelle Franklyn. But the vision of RESET goes far beyond the stage.

“RESET 2025 is about transforming lives,” said Wynter. “Our goal is to create lasting change in communities that need it most. Partnering with CCCD represents exactly the kind of legacy we want to leave, one that empowers and uplifts.”

According to Miguel ‘Steppa’ Williams, director of strategic planning & community development at the Digicel Foundation, the initiative was a perfect match for the foundation’s mission.

“When The Rescue Package Foundation team brought this proposal to us, it aligned well with our core areas of support. It impacts the special-needs community, promotes good environmental practices, and enables long-term sustainability, everything we stand for,” he said.

CORNERSTONE FOR DEAF EDUCATION

Founded in 1957, CCCD has served as a cornerstone for deaf education and empowerment in Jamaica. Its three residential schools and the Jamaica Deaf Village offer academic, vocational, and spiritual support to help deaf individuals live independently and confidently.

The donation comes at a critical time for CCCD, which has struggled with water shortages for more than two years. CCCD’s Campus Manager Trudy Powell described the daily pressure of managing without reliable access to water.

“We were spending up to $800,000 a year purchasing water just to keep the school running,” she shared. “It reached a point where we considered sending our students home. This support allows us to redirect funds into critical areas while also planning for long-term sustainability.”

Powell emphasised that the improvements, such as gutter repairs and expanded tank storage, will allow CCCD to harvest over 100,000 gallons of water during the rainy season, ensuring coverage during dry periods and enabling the campus to resume hosting income-generating summer camps and group visits.

The impact extends to CCCD’s small-scale farming and livestock activities, which had also been scaled back because of water issues.

“We even had to buy water for our animals,” Powell noted. “This support helps us restore and expand operations and meet the standards required to keep our doors open.”

Williams noted that both CCCD and The Rescue Package Foundation are long-standing partners of the Digicel Foundation.

“We are proud to invest in projects that deliver measurable, meaningful results for communities across Jamaica,” he said. “This project is not just about water, it’s about dignity, stability, and empowerment.”

Powell summed up the importance of the initiative with expressing heartfelt gratitude.

“There were days our students came to me saying, ‘Miss Trudy, there’s no water’. This donation has brought us relief and hope, so now we can focus on helping our students thrive.”