Kids treat, the BannaBags way
Published:Wednesday | September 7, 2016 | 12:00 AM
Eighty children from the SOS Children's Village in Stony Hill, St Andrew received back-to-school goodies, delicious refreshment and some motivational gems last Friday, all courtesy of the JPS team, as part of its yearly BannaBags back-to-school activities.
The SOS Children's village is a private, non-profit, non-political and non-denominational welfare organisation. It offers orphaned and abandoned children - regardless of race, nationality or creed - a permanent home and prepares them for an independent life. SOS children's villages pursue these goals with fully qualified and highly committed staff.
"The team made various inspirational talks, encouraging the children to keep their heads up and focus on their dreams. (We also) spent some time handing out some yummy refreshments and gifting students with their attractive, environmentally friendly, waterproof and sturdy BannaBags filled with school supplies," the energy company revealed.
The BannaBags project is a social initiative of the JPS Corporate Communications Department started in 2014. It involves transforming unused vinyl banners into attractive, sturdy, waterproof bags which present an alternative to traditional school bags for children in need of back-to-school support.
It is done in collaboration with the Garmex Academy, Heart Trust NTA which uses the initiative to facilitate temporary employment and training for 50 persons from neighbouring communities. That social good saw the project placing second in the category for Environmental Sustainability at the annual National Innovation Awards in Jamaica in October 2014.
In the close to two years of the project's operation, JPS has distributed more than 1,500 BannaBags across the island.