The Call Centre industry has grown significantly in Jamaica and provides employment to thousands of young adults in the commercial centres. The growth of this industry also opens the conversation of them being esteemed as corporate citizens with an obligation to promote positive social and environmental change.

Unique Vacations Limited in Montego Bay, St James, is one such company that has existed on the Montego Bay Freezone for over 14 years and has recognised the need to fulfil the mandate of being corporate citizens through its Sports and Social Club.

The club, through its ‘Adopt a Child’ initiative, has taken Tavaughn Brown, a grade four student of the Catherine Hall Primary School, under its care, and has committed itself to assisting with all his school supplies for the remainder of his primary education.

Recently, club members visited the school to celebrate with Tavaughn who made it to the school’s honour roll. Members of the executive body treated Tavaughn and his classmates with cake and ice cream in recognition of his success.

“We are proud of Tavaughn and we could not let the opportunity to celebrate with him pass,” conveyed president of the UVL Sports & Social Club Kevin Samuels.

In presenting a gift to Tavaughn, Samuels encouraged the class to keep focused, pay attention in class and do their best to strive for excellence.

Classroom teacher Tadar Grizzle was pleased with the performance of Tavaughn and expressed gratitude to the club members, who she called his “family”, for celebrating with him. The students eagerly accepted the treat and offered congratulations to Tavaughn.

Unique Vacations Limited, which is an affiliate of Unique Travel Corp, the worldwide representative of Sandals Resorts, is pleased to be able to impact the community in which they operate through outreach programmes such as this, and calls on others in the BPO industry to do the same.

“We are a large industry and it’s only fair that we give back, especially to young ones who lack the resources needed to perform at their optimum in school,” stated general manager of UVL, MBJ, Leezo Wallace. “I would definitely encourage other call centres to create a similar programme that may assist a student or create some form of social change in Montego Bay.”

A recent article in the world- famous Forbes Magazine spoke of Larry Fink, chairman and CEO of BlackRock, in an open letter to CEOs, insisting on the importance of companies serving a social as well as financial purpose. This epitomises the importance of companies giving back to the communities that helped to build them.

In an area such as Montego Bay which has been plagued with crime, the call is going out to the call centres to be actively involved in promoting social change.