Digicel pays bus fares for students

Hundreds of students traversing the Half-Way Tree Transportation Centre in St Andrew as well as downtown Kingston were on Monday treated by Digicel employees who handed out complimentary hot beverages and paid their bus fares for the first day back at school.

Yesterday Digicel said the schoolbound youths also received "quick and fun" motivational talks as scores of staff members from the telecommunications firm were on hand interacting with more than 300 students during the course of the morning.

The Digicel team was accompanied by Digicel brand ambassador and gospel singer Jermaine Edwards and radio personality Miss Kitty who were assigned to two special 'celebrity buses' to give the students surprise motivational talks themed 'Dreams are Powered by Education'.

BAGS, BOOKS and PENS

The students were also treated to back-to-school items such as bags, books and pens courtesy of Digicel.

Commenting on his time with the youths, Edwards said: "The vibe this morning was really nice. The topic I discussed with the students was about strategies they could implement for the new year; it was really a great feeling connecting with the youths in that intimate setting. It was also nice to see them agreeing with me as I shared."

A student who shared the bus ride with the gospel singer, Shadane Weir from Alpha Girls School, said she was inspired by what Edwards had to say.

In the meantime, on the other all-girls celebrity bus, Miss Kitty encouraged them to be ambitious, independent and to pursue their dreams.

"It's such a good feeling to be able to pay your own bills," she told the bright-eyed young ladies.

"Today's act of kindness was really an extraordinary experience for us on the ground, as we believe our youths are such an inspiration and we just want to help to keep them on the right track," said Digicel Senior Communications Manager Shelly-Ann Harris.