Digicel Foundation invests US$3.4 million

THE Digicel Foundation invested US$3.4 million over the last five years to help people and communities throughout TT. Foundation CEO Penny Gomez made the disclosure at the foundation's annual general meeting. The meeting was held at Digicel's hospitality suite at the Queens Park Oval in Port of Spain on Thursday.

Gomez told her audience that this investment is in keeping with one of Digicel's core beliefs that "wherever the company grows, the community around it grows."

She said this investment was in 372 projects in partnership with other groups. "Together we impacted 73,255 people." She said the projects undertaken by the foundation fell under the categories of community development and special needs. Under community development, Gomez said 45,600 people benefitted. "Under our special-needs agenda, 27,613 were impacted."

Under the foundation’s Extraordinary Projects Impacting Communities programme, some 12,000 people in TT have benefitted. The programme involves a US$5,000 grant initiative which has, to date, been accessed by 39 communities for a series of indoor and outdoor projects. The foundation's special-needs programme includes initiatives which focus on therapy-based education, disaster management and emergency evacuation for people with special needs.

Gomez praised the collaboration which the foundation has with parliamentarians, regional corporations and private-sector organisations in undertaking these initiatives.

CSR Solutions Ltd founder Melanie Richards said in a digital age, it is important to "use data to solve social problems." Referring to non-profit organisation (NPOs) legislation which was passed in Parliament in June, Richards urged the country's NPOs to ensure they satisfy requirements under the legislation to be compliant with Financial Action Task Force and Financial Intelligence Unit regulations.

Servol Special School principal Elizabeth Courtney said, "We are grateful for the love that Digicel has given to us." Courtney became emotional when she described the foundation's effort to upgrade the school's washrooms. She was also happy that the foundation has kept in touch with the school over time.

Enterprise Government Primary School teacher Ria Felix thanked the foundation for helping to establish a literacy and numeracy resource room at the school.