LONDON, United Kingdom (JIS) — Member of Parliament for East Rural St Andrew, Juliet Holness, is calling on the Jamaican diaspora to increase support for children in the island.

“I am reaching out to you in the diaspora to start working more and more with our children, because our children are the future of Jamaica,” she said.

She was speaking at the London launch of the Save our Boys and Girls Foundation on March 30 at the Jamaican High Commission.

The Foundation, founded by Holness, is aimed at providing targeted long-term support for underserved children, ages six to 18.

“We focus on mathematics, science and information technology (IT), because I believe it is a solid driver, and if our children are able to do very well in those areas,  they will do exceedingly well at business and they will also be thinking, ‘I need to be doing my own business’,”  she informed.  

“I want to expose the children in my constituency and the children across Jamaica to exactly that,” added the wife of Prime Minister Andrew Holness. 

She informed that the Foundation has started to open computer laboratories equipped with computers, desks and chairs and “to also provide training, so that at least two persons are available to monitor the labs and the training and education of the children”.

The Save our Boys and Girls Foundation has already been launched in the United States and will have its Canadian launch in August. 

The London launch was hosted by High Commissioner, Seth George Ramocan and was attended by a wide cross section of the diaspora, business, church and civic leaders.