Fri | Jan 10, 2025

Digicel gifts tuition assistance to BB Coke High School heroes

Published:Thursday | October 5, 2023 | 12:10 AM
B. B. Coke High School’s heroic students, Leon Barnes (second left), Khari Green (third left), Gary Bartley (fourth left), Daejuan Gordon (fifth left) and Dejaun Powell (fourth right) collect their tokens at Digicel headquarters in downtown Kingston on T
Contributed
B. B. Coke High School’s heroic students, Leon Barnes (second left), Khari Green (third left), Gary Bartley (fourth left), Daejuan Gordon (fifth left) and Dejaun Powell (fourth right) collect their tokens at Digicel headquarters in downtown Kingston on Tuesday. They were accompanied by Cetany Holness (left), the school’s board chairman; Shantel Goldbourne (centre) and Tameka Holness (centre right), mother and aunt of injured student, Jaheim, respectively; Stephen Murad (third right), Digicel chief executive officer; Liteashia Gallimore (second right), principal (acting); and Raoul Chambers (right), guidance counsellor.For their unselfish deeds, Digicel committed to providing tuition assistance to support the boys in managing their academic expenses. Additionally, the young heroes were presented with Samsung tablets, Youth Plan SIM cards with one year of free data and calls, bookstore vouchers, phone credit, and cricket memorabilia bearing the signatures of West Indies greats. Digicel also committed similar support for injured student Jaheim, who is still recuperating in hospital.

In joining Jamaica’s celebration of the selfless act of bravery and kindness by five students of the BB Coke High School in St Elizabeth on Tuesday, Digicel invited the boys to its corporate offices for a special honour.

The group, dubbed ‘Ambassadors for Good’ by Prime Minister Andrew Holness, is made up of Daejuan Gordon, Gary Bartley, Khari Green, Dejaun Powell, and Leon Barnes. They gained nationwide recognition after their selfless act of carrying injured schoolmate Jaheim Colman to hospital on foot shortly after the results of a vicious attack by another student were captured on video.

“It feels really good to be honoured, especially because we were all just looking out for our friend. Thank you so much,” said Leon, a ninth-grader whose quick action rallied his friends to assist Jaheim with getting urgent medical attention.

For their unselfish deeds, Digicel committed to providing tuition assistance to support the boys in managing their academic expenses. Additionally, the young heroes were presented with Samsung tablets, Youth Plan SIM cards with one year of free data and calls, bookstore vouchers, phone credit, and cricket memorabilia bearing the signatures of West Indies greats. Digicel also committed similar support for injured student Jaheim, who is still recuperating in hospital.

Stephen Murad, chief executive officer for Digicel, further extended a warm and heartfelt welcome to the boys by taking them on a tour of the company’s iconic headquarters in downtown Kingston.

“We’ve had the absolute pleasure of having these heroes in the building,” said Murad. “They are great role models, and you could see their passion and pride as they put their friend first before anything else. Digicel and the entire nation are immensely proud of them.”

A proud BB Coke High Guidance Counsellor Raoul Chambers welcomed Digicel’s gesture and the wider national admiration for the high school heroes.

“It’s been a while since we’ve seen young boys really help other students, especially with the inclination to grab their phones and turn to social media. But these boys really live up to our lesson that unity is the way to go and together, we build,” Chambers said.

Echoing his sentiments was Liteashia Gallimore, acting principal at the school, who hopes that the boys will serve as role models to young people and encourage others to always do the right thing.