Agent Sasco, famed dancehall DJ, partnered with
@DigicelFdnJA
and other Jamaican organisations to construct a recording studio for the male wards at the Metcalfe Street Secure Juvenile Remand Centre in Kingston. Read more here.
2023 marks the 23rd anniversary of the Iris O'Brien Foundation, which my family and I established to carry on philanthropic work in my mother's name. Since 2000, we have aided about 800 institutions in fulfilling their mission statements.
As we wrap up 2023 and look forward to 2024, I would like to wish everyone a healthy, happy, safe, and joyous new year with their friends, family, and loved ones.
My mother was often engaged with supporting causes that benefitted rights for the individual. The Iris O'Brien Foundation carries out her legacy by providing relief in human rights, disaster aid, special needs, educational programmes and the arts.
400,000 students will benefit from
@DIGICELJamaica
and the Amber Group's National Coding in Schools Programme. This will introduce students in grades one through 13 to coding basics and aims to ignite an interest in a digital society among Jamaica's youth.
In these last few days of 2022, please consider donating to one of your favourite charities. It is estimated that about 30% of financial contributions are donated in December.
My thoughts are with all those currently affected by the
#COVID19
pandemic. By working together and practicing social distancing, we can help
#StopTheSpread
This year’s World Communication Awards presented
@DIGICELJamaica
with the Social Contribution Award. The Digicel Jamaica Foundation is the first Jamaican corporate foundation to focus on Special Needs.
I am featured as the first guest on the EOY Architects of Business documentary series. Here I discuss my entrepreneurial journey, enterprise foundations, and the importance of surrounding oneself with great people.
To support Braeton Primary and Infant School students with their Primary Exit Exam (PEP) in St Catherine, Jamaica,
@DIGICELJamaica
has partnered with Rotaract Club of Portmore to give students tablets to help support digital learning. Learn more:
To celebrate
@DigicelFdnJA
’s 17 years of service, the foundation will grant over J$1million in gifts for past grantees, including Green Pond Infant and Primary School and 360 Recycle.
As COVID-19 continues to be a threat,
@DigicelFdnJA
is providing a US$1 million donation to Jamaica’s National Health Fund to supply residents with the vaccine. This is just one important aspect of Operation SAFE Mode.
We’re turning 20 this year! Here are 20 facts about
@DIGICELJamaica
for each of our 20 years in business. As a brand, we’ll continue to have a positive impact and are excited about Jamaica’s bright future. Check the list here:
The Iris O'Brien Foundation supports charities in Ireland and around the globe. Since 2000, the foundation has advocated for human rights, disaster aid, education, support for those with special needs, and the promotion of art.
As a proud
@ucddublin
alumni, I know that excellence is the standard. UCD is ranked within the top 1% of higher education institutions worldwide and bestows over 10,000 awards each year.
Throughout October,
@DIGICELJamaica
hosted its annual 5K run virtually. The run has raised US$425,000 since 2012 to renovate local schools, therapy and skills training programs for students with Special Needs, and scholarships to fund their education.
Congratulations to
@concern
on the recent launch of the National NGO Program on Humanitarian Leadership. This is a great, free tool for anyone looking to become a leader in humanitarian efforts.
As an effort to promote online safety for children, Digicel has partnered with SafeToNet to provide tools and resources for children and teens in Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica, as well as parents, for staying safe online.
400,000 Jamaicans ended 2020 without enough food.
@DIGICELJamaica
is working on giving back to the community with the Plant Yuh Plate initiative which encourages people to “eat what you grow, grow what you eat.”
Over the years, I have enjoyed contributing to the facilities, scholarships and programmes at
@DCU
. The school was ranked
#1
in Ireland for graduate employment rate, and it represents students from over 128 different countries.
In April,
@DigicelFdnJA
Operation SAFE Mode distributed J$2 million worth of food to underserved groups including those with special needs, unemployed people and more to support COVID-19 relief efforts.
I am delighted to see medical professionals from my home country lend a helping hand to Jamaica. With the support of the Paediatric Acute Intervention Resuscitation Skills (PAIRS) group, more than 200 medical staff will be upskilled for free.
The O'Brien Centre for Science at
@ucddublin
leaves me with the same excitement for a growing scientific community today as when it was originally gifted. To see what the remarkable facilities look like, explore the online gallery.
To support students in Haiti,
@DigicelHT
will be reconstructing three additional schools to provide local students with updated, clean, and modernized facilities to accelerate their learning objectives and jumpstart successful lives.
At community engagements, Digicel looks to renew optimism, positivity, unity and enthusiasm. We hope that these can be pivotal moments for youth, changing the trajectory of the future for the better.
Six Digicel staff members received the Digicel Foundation’s Mek A Muckle grants to fund projects for education, farming, technology, and other youth services.
Explore the great things these staff members are doing for their communities here:
We are reintroducing
@digicelgroup
to the world as a Digital Operator, which will broaden the digital experience for our customers. As a Digital Operator, we will deliver digital experiences and engagement 1440 minutes of each day.
Oliver Coughlan is the new CEO of
@digicelgroup
and will oversee its Caribbean and Central America operations. Read what he has to say about his new position.
On March 25, Digicel employees volunteered at Santa Cruz Special Education Centre. Not only did the crew tidy up, but it created an agricultural area for the technical & vocational training programme. At
@DigicelFdnJA
, we support community development.
Since 2000, Iris O'Brien Foundation has contributed to nearly 800 organisations and individuals to advocate for human rights, educational programmes, disaster aid, and much more.
The Iris O'Brien Foundation supports charities in Ireland and around the globe. The foundation advocates for human rights, disaster aid, education, support for those with special needs, and the promotion of art.
10,000+ people ran in the
#Digicel5K
, and the
@DigicelFoundation
gave J$10 million to support the missions of 5 different organisations. Thank you for all of the great work to help those with special needs!
In a year punctuated by uncertainty, one thing was clear: the people across our 32 Digicel markets worldwide are a living testament to Digicel's promise of simply more and that we are Better Together. This one is for them…with heartfelt thanks.
The Little Bay Infant and All-Age School received a $300,000 grant from
@DIGICELJamaica
to improve literacy and literary skills at a young age. The grant will fund the completion of a reading room to support 186 students. Learn more:
A J$8.5 million donation from
@DIGICELJamaica
Foundation to the University Hospital of the West Indies is being used to purchase a plasma machine, which will aid in the treatment of COVID-19 patients, as well as other medical advancements.
Jabbor' Kayumov,
@DIGICELJamaica
CEO: "I consider Digicel as Jamaican because it was born here. I want Jamaica to keep telling this great story about Digicel because without Jamaica it wouldn't be possible."
The Dinthill Technical High School is getting high speed internet access with a fibre-optic backbone network installed as part of a
@DigicelFdnJA
initiative:
The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information (MOEYI) is teaming up with the
@DIGICELJamaica
to facilitate the renovation of the Pear Tree River Primary School to support students with special-needs. Read more about the project:
One of my favourite memories while talking to Loop Little Writers was discussing my vision for Digicel’s role in education over the next ten years. I'd love to see schools teach children coding and raise their interest in studying computer science or AI.
Take a tour of the
@ucddublin
O'Brien Centre for Science in the video below. Jaffer, who was a fourth-year student studying microbiology at the time, shows you auditoriums, lab rooms, lecture/science halls, sitting areas and the grand centre staircase.
Alongside the Ministry of Education,
@digicelgroup
is working to support virtual learning across primary and secondary schools. Digicel has donated 1,095 devices to students and teachers since the beginning of the pandemic.
Jamaica’s One Laptop or Tablet Per Child initiative aims to make online education accessible and more inclusive. Together with Bresheh Limited,
@DigicelFdnJA
matched fundraising to provide 12 students with tablets.
The All In for Fiji initiative from
@DigicelFiji1
has given two more people in the Northern Division funds to build a community bus shelter and put up crime-watch signs to promote a local neighbourhood watch committee.
Jamaica's Local Economic Development Support Programme proved to be successful, with over 400 local economic initiatives benefiting from business support services.
@DigicelFdnJA
helped with the programme by providing grants to six proposal projects.
Beginning in Little Haiti,
@digicelgroup
is making good on its promise to deliver 5,000 masks across the Miami Haitian community to aid them against COVID-19.
Train the Trainers is an offshoot of the coding in schools programme launched with partnership of
@DigicelFdnJA
Amber Group and the Ministry of Education and Youth. It will enhance the digital education skills of teachers across Jamaica. Read more.
The
@DigicelFdnJA
is excited to help the Jamaica Association for the Deaf pilot test the Jamaica Sign Language Grammar Curriculum! It creates a more inclusive educational curriculum for students with hearing impairments.
Best of luck to the over 7,000
@SpecialOlympics
athletes competing at the Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023! Read more about the Special Olympics World Games Opening Ceremony and the various Olympic-type summer sports that will be played below.
As part of Digicel’s efforts to make education more accessible,
@DigicelTT
joined The Ministry of Education’s “Adopt a School Initiative” and delivered more than 100 laptops and tablets to schools across rural Trinidad and Tobago at the end of 2020.
If you are looking to support a great cause, consider volunteering for
@Concern
– they have a list of volunteer opportunities in Ireland on their website.
Also, I'm proud to share that 1/3 of
#Digicel
CEOs are women. It's wonderful to see the progress and innovation in our company and throughout the industry as we continue to lead the way with diversity in leadership.
Rather than be confined to a traditional classroom environment, the Digicel Graduate Programme class of 2024 goes on excursions, visits retail locations and gains self-esteem through real-world presentations in conference room settings.
17 exciting Haiti community projects were selected by
@DigicelHT
and each one gets funded with 1 million gourdes to get started. Projects will support food and water distribution and other important efforts.
The
@DigicelFdnJA
partnered with local corporate foundations to organise and launch the Hotspot Corner Shop Internet Connectivity Fund. This project will provide internet solutions to give youth access to sustainable remote learning.
In support of students in need, UniCycle Jamaica is expanding its annual khaki uniform collection to include fabric masks. The organisation has partnered with HOPE to make 700 masks and
@DIGICELJamaica
to supply students with data. Learn more:
The Trinidad and Tobago Fire Prevention Unit is conducting ongoing inspections of schools and special needs facilities for disaster readiness, part of the 'Preparing You' programme.
Last month, to commit to more transparency with customers, Digicel removed their Pay-As-You-Go data option. For customers, this means no hidden charges or surprise fees for data on their bill.
For two decades, the
@ucddublin
Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research has been "Ireland's leading biomedical research institute." As this piece highlights, its alumni, faculty and admin. have been pioneers in innovation and impact.
Pushing forth its focus on transformation through community empowerment, Concern Worldwide's emergency food baskets, nutrition intervention and water/sanitation resources serve vulnerable groups in the Horn of Africa, Sudan and South Sudan.
We said we could and we did it! Thank you for making the 2019
#Digicel5K
a success - we did it for Special Needs. 👏🏽👏🏽
Drop a 🏆 if you’re a champion for
#SpecialNeeds
.
@DigicelFdnJA
Daveanna-Kay Reid began her Digicel career as an intern through the
@DigicelFdnJA
's POWER programme, which hires members of the disabled community. Seven years later she is a tenured employee who plays a role in Digicel Jamaica’s employee onboarding.
The
@DigicelFdnJA
has put forth a US$60,000 investment to provide a smartroom at the St Catherine-based Homestead Primary and Infant School. Additionally, teachers have been trained to use the new equipment for ICT and STEAM.
In support and solidarity for racial justice in America, Boston College launched the Forum on Racial Justice in America for the month of October. This initiative aimed to create an anti-racist campus community. Learn more about the forum events:
Nonprofit
@HopeforHaitiFL
is facilitating a back to school campaign that includes repairing school structures for 24 partner communities.
@digicelgroup
is providing a $60,000 grant to support this campaign. Read more about the partnership:
Tropical Storm Laura demolished a crucial road in Dallas Castle, St Andrew, leaving its residents feeling trapped.
@DigicelFdnJA
partnered with the Social Development Commission to provide the area with essentials such as toiletries and food. Learn more:
Some of my most special memories with the Digicel Foundation are at ribbon cutting ceremonies or when we are able to present a cheque to a deserving organisation. For me, it exemplifies the unification and collective efforts of our team.
Learn all about
@DigicelFdnJA
2,618 projects in community building, special needs and more. With $156 million USD invested to date, the mission continues:
As Digicel grows, it's equally important that the communities it serves do as well. The Digicel Foundation invests in community development projects to improve the lives of others and create a better world. Learn more here.
Continuing to help fight COVID-19 spread in Barbados,
@digicelbarbados
is making connection easier by donating hundreds of tablets and phones, thousands of SIM cards and providing digital tools to the government.
The newly renovated Alpha School of Music facility, known as the Colm Delves Center, was officially finished by
@DigicelFdnJA
in April and continues to strengthen its mission of growing the musical skills of the at-risk youth.
In a time of worldwide social change and a global pandemic,
@FrontLineHRD
has remained vigilant in protecting those fighting for human rights. Learn more here:
A trio of Ireland’s biggest humanitarian groups, including
@Concern
are tackling the spread of COVID-19 in Sierra Leone. Read more about the operation here:
In an effort to continue building better online experiences, Digicel is set to invest US$10 million in LTE networks across the Pacific region within the first three months of 2021.
Throughout 2019 and 2020
@DigicelHT
was able to fund 16 different community organisations working to better the Haitian community. Each recipient received 800,000 gourdes to work to improve living conditions in their community.
Vistas House Hospice, which provides care for terminally-ill cancer patients, received a generous donation from the Digicel Foundation. The funding will go towards refurbishing the storage room for medical equipment used to support patients. Learn more:
Education and literacy are incredibly important. Glad the Digicel Foundation was able to help children of Beausejour with a new reading room!
#education
#literacy
The Social Development and Family Services ministry in Trinidad and Tobago has partnered with Digicel Foundation to launch an Information Communication Technology (ICT) lab to provide adults in the area with literacy classes. Learn more about the lab:
In the wake of flash floods and heavy rains that have devastated Sudan,
@Concern
is providing emergency food baskets non-food item kits to 1,450 households dismantled by the natural disaster. Learn more about how Concern Worldwide is supporting Sudan:
St. Elizabeth, Jamaica’s Pepper Primary and Infant School is receiving a renovation to its learning resource center.
@DigicelFdnJA
Build Jamaica grant-funded project supports the remedial reading programme to improve literacy.
Disaster risk management is one of the most important focal points for creating better disaster outcomes across developing countries and Concern Worldwide is up to the task:
The
@DigicelFdnJA
will complete renovations to the Bethlehem Home which provides care to persons with moderate to severe disabilities, offering therapy and access to education, and enabling them to have a better overall quality of life.
Students of Harry Watch Primary School will have access to a Smart Computer Lab thanks to a US$55,000 donation from the
@DigicelFdnJA
. The lab will be outfitted with equipment to support structured learning of information and communications technology.
The
@DigicelFdnJA
hosted a virtual discussion on workplace inclusion. As an equal opportunity employer, Digicel works to set an example for other businesses to recognise the importance and need for inclusive workplaces for the disabled community.
Together with
@DigicelFdnJA
, the Transformed Life Church gave out 100 tablets to students in Portland and St Mary. See which schools received this generous gift:
The Haiti Action Network aims to institute long-term, sustainable development in Haiti. Since its inception, over 180 schools have been built in an effort to remedy the damage inflicted by the 2008 hurricane and 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti.