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Good Heart | Bistro Bites co-owners donate tablets to children in need

Published:Saturday | October 30, 2021 | 12:07 AMKrysta Anderson/Staff Reporter
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Epsom Primary student, Anesha Brown (centre) is joined by (from left) her teacher, Mrs Morris-Simms, the Websters and the Principal, Shernect Barker.
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Epsom Primary student, Anesha Brown (centre) is joined by (from left) her teacher, Mrs Morris-Simms, the Websters and the Principal, Shernect Barker.
Luke Webster presents a digital care package to Esther Campbell of Treadlight Primary in Clarendon.
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Luke Webster presents a digital care package to Esther Campbell of Treadlight Primary in Clarendon.
Jada Bagnold of Buff Bay High School in Portland (centre) was happy to receive a tablet from the Bistro Bites couple, Luke and Donica Webster.
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Jada Bagnold of Buff Bay High School in Portland (centre) was happy to receive a tablet from the Bistro Bites couple, Luke and Donica Webster.
Ayesha Brown of Epsom Primary in St Catherine shows off her brand new tablet.
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Ayesha Brown of Epsom Primary in St Catherine shows off her brand new tablet.
As part of the outreach initiative, the Websters contacted principals and teachers. Victoria Primary in Clarendon received tablets for its students and teachers Ms Railford (left) and Mrs Thomas-Thompson (second left) shared in the joy of the students and
Contributed
As part of the outreach initiative, the Websters contacted principals and teachers. Victoria Primary in Clarendon received tablets for its students and teachers Ms Railford (left) and Mrs Thomas-Thompson (second left) shared in the joy of the students and the Websters.
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The struggles and stresses of the pandemic hit the island by storm, crippling every aspect of the economy. Children weren’t spared from the wrath of the virus and many suffered to keep up academically, due to a lack of digital resources.

As a firm believer of the rubric, ‘every child can learn, every child must’, entrepreneurs and couple, Donica and Luke Webster, decided to play their part in making things a bit easier by providing tablets to students of all ages.

“Our inspiration stemmed from a post that we saw on Instagram about the challenges families were facing with the spiking COVID-19 rate and the fact that school would not be able to reopen physically in the first term. The pandemic has really touched our hearts and we were very concerned about the children’s well-being,” Donica Daley explained to Good Heart.

So, with the money from their food business, Bistro Bites, as well as financial assistance from close friends and sponsorship from an international collective, Friends of West Yellowstone, they were able to make a difference.

“We wanted to reach as many children islandwide as possible,” Daley added.

Then there was the matter of selecting recipients. The couple took their collaborative efforts to social media and followers nominated the candidates. From there, they verified the level of need and acted in accordance with the findings.

“We are happy to have helped a number of persons who reached out to us via our social-media platforms,” she said, noting that through principals and teachers, additional help was given to students who live and attend school in underdeveloped areas in Portmore, St Catherine, St Mary and Clarendon.

Aside from the obstacle of getting the gadgets to Jamaica, the process has been smooth sailing. Children who received tablets and their parents were extremely grateful to the couple and their friends for their generosity. The success of the donation resulted in an expansion to other items, ranging from textbooks to food supplies. The pair is just happy to help in any way possible.

Donica Daley, whose dream job is in the field of social work, is elated to be contributing to the development of the next generation. This outreach programme has not only been beneficial to the children in need, but it has brought the business partners even closer as a couple, Daley explained further.

“In all things we do, we always try to work together as one. We had the pleasure of spending more time together working to organise and schedule the purchase and delivery of tablets and other items. This gave us the opportunity to discover unseen qualities in our partnership,” she shared.

Admitting that nothing is ever too much or too little to share with others, she is imploring others to assist in any way they can. Persons interested in pitching in can contact the couple through Instagram: @bistrobites_ or email , bistrobitesja@gmail.com. Those in need can reach out via the same channels as well.

krysta.anderson@gleanerjm.com