Digicel gifts children of people living with HIV free Internet, tablets
Telecommunications giant Digicel, through its Digicel Foundation, has collaborated with the Centre for HIV/AIDS Research and Educational Services (CHARES) to provide 10 tablets and one year of free Internet service to children whose parents are living with HIV/AIDS.
The donation, valued at $550,000, will supplement the cost these parents bear while paying for treatment as well as back-to-school expenses.
It is expected to go a far way to alleviate expenses associated with connecting their children to online learning portals in response to the physical closure of schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Commenting at the handing-over ceremony held recently at the University Hospital of the West Indies, chief commercial officer for Digicel, Wenise Davis, said: “The future of education is digital. This is why we are focused on enabling vulnerable students within our society, so that they, too, get an equal chance to learn, explore and become positive contributors to the development of our country.”
Responding to the donation, programme director of CHARES, Raquel Brown, said: “We’re extremely grateful for Digicel and Digicel Foundation’s ability to recognise our patients’ need now more than ever.
“These much-needed resources will ensure that their children are not left behind in this digital era. We also want to encourage other corporate entities to partner with us so that we all play our part in promoting better lifestyle practices, debunk myths and end discrimination against persons living with HIV/AIDS and other illnesses.”
In addition to this latest donation, earlier this year, Digicel Foundation partnered with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security to provide more than 1,000 tablets for students with disabilities.
“As a digital lifestyle partner to our customers, we’re committed to powering and empowering their digital lives as we continue to bridge the digital divide. We aim to create a world where no one gets left behind,” remarked Davis, who is also a member of the Digicel Foundation board.
