Sagicor Foundation champions Adopt-A-School Programme
Published:Tuesday | May 10, 2016 | 12:00 AMKeisha Hill
The Sagicor Foundation's Adopt-A-School Programme continues to recognise the importance of its staff providing community service by giving of their time and skills for national development.
Several of the organisations branches across the island have again collaborated to help early childhood institutions in need. The Adopt-A-School programme which has been a part of the company's corporate social responsibility portfolio since the early 1980s comprises several subsidiaries of the organisation including Sagicor Bank, Sagicor Life and Sagicor Investments.
During the programme's relaunch held recently at the Courtleigh Hotel and Suites, Chairman of the Sagicor Group, R. Danny Williams said the organisation continues to value the initiative enough to ensure that as many institutions such as basic and infant schools are often overlooked are assisted and the quality of education to students at other levels is strengthened.
"Through our branches across the group, we intend to offer some level of support to these 10 basic schools this year, as we try to relieve some of the pressure that they might face with infrastructure and in delivering quality education to students at this level," Williams said.
This year, the programme will serve more than 10 schools and more than 1,000 students across. The first set of activities is slated to begin on Labour Day, May 23 with a massive roll out of Sagicor branch managers and team volunteers.
Richard Byles, president and CEO at the Sagicor Group said they intend to join other institutions in seeking to make a valuable contribution towards early childhood education.
"The Sagicor Group has over the years delivered a positive impact in Jamaica through initiatives targeting education and the health and wellbeing of our children. This programme has been organised using our internal cadre of Sagicor team volunteers who will implement and organise the assistance to the schools," Byles said.
A Child's Month Fun Day is currently being organised for all the children on Friday, May 27, at Hope Zoo in Kingston. Other events scheduled for later in the year include back-to-school and child wellness activities.
The participating schools this year include: Plantation Height Basic School, Salmon Basic School, Fyffes Pen Early Childhood Institution, Kemps Hill Basic School, Sandy Park Basic School, Dunrobin Early Childhood Institution, Clarion Basic School, among others.