St Patrick’s Foundation has launched an online campaign to raise funds to support its skills training initiatives.

Titled,“It Takes 75 to Keep Hope Alive”, the campaign is seeking to earn US$7,500 in the first instance. It s being powered by the ISupportJamaica.com website of The Jamaica National Group.

“It Takes 75 to Keep Hope Alive” is targeted to garner some US$7,500 to ensure that our students can continue participating in the one-year training programmes being conducted at the Christ the Redeemer and St Margaret’s Human Resource centres,” explained Sandrina Davis, general manager of the St Patrick’s Foundation.

“These one-year programmes are designed to teach participants skills they need to work in a company or operate a small business themselves,” Davis explained.

She informed that during the past two years, the attrition rate in the programmes climbed to some 10 per cent, as students were unable to pay for transportation, find lunch money, or purchase uniforms and books to attend the classes.

“Although we have kept the tuition fees very low, we need support to ensure that when students start the learning process, they can continue to the end,” she said, noting that, “this was their chance to show their families and friends that they have what it takes to contribute to Jamaica being the place of choice to live, work, raise families and do business.”

Christ the Redeemer and St Margaret’s Human Resource centres were established in the early 1990s.There is also a HEART/NTA registered vocational training school located in Seaview Gardens offering commercial food preparation, cosmetology and customer engagement operations training.

St Margaret’s Human Resource Centre caters to young people in the Olympic Gardens and Waterhouse communities. It provides remedial training and offers HEART Trust/NTA level 2 certification courses in woodwork and electrical installation.

Students in the remedial programmes are prepared for the Grade Nine Achievement Test with hopes to be re-integrated into the regular school system.

“It Takes 75 to Keep Hope Alive” seeks to impact the lives of at-risk youth within these communities and offers opportunities for future employment, entrepreneurship and personal development, Davis said.

Phillip Lindsey, ISupportJamaica operations officer said individuals can support the campaign by visiting the ISupportJamaica website.

“The website is a simple, creative, secure avenue for Jamaicans locally and overseas, along with friends of Jamaica, to provide financial support to micro-enterprises, and not-for-profit entities such as the St Patrick’s Foundation,” Lindsey informed.

The public is being encouraged to visit www.isupportjamaica.com, click on the St Patrick’s Foundation project; and then click the “Fund Project” button, the operations officer explained.

Donations can also be made via Paypal; JN Live E-banking; by visiting any JN Branch or Moneyshop; or via interbank transfers.