KINGSTON, Jamaica — One hundred and thirty high school students are set to benefit from tablets donated by Marubeni Power International, one of the major shareholders in JPS.

According to the Jamaica Public Service (JPS), the handover, which took place recently at the JPS head office, will enable students with limited or no access to online learning to participate in online classes and individual studies.

Recently appointed Japanese Ambassador to Jamaica, Masaya Fujiwara, was on hand for the presentation and expressed his pleasure at the event, congratulating Marubeni for doing their part to bridge the digital divide for the benefit of teachers, students and the educational system in general.

Meanwhile, CEO of Marubeni Power International, Minako Wakayama, noted that, “COVID-19 [has] changed our life in many ways [including] schooling, entertainment, etc, and we were required to adjust to this new way of life… by utilising tools and technologies.”

In light of this, she said Marubeni decided to assist Jamaican youngsters to continue their education, by providing tablets for children whose parents have found it challenging to provide this necessary resource.

Addressing the short ceremony, Chief Operating Officer of Marubeni Power International, Mo Majeed, noted that the international conglomerate had recognised the challenges posed by the COVID virus in the Caribbean region and had decided to lend a helping hand to youth impacted by the new online schooling arrangement.

“Just recently, we provided COVID support in Trinidad and Tobago to three organisations — the National Center for Persons with Disabilities, Servants of the Poor, and the Autism Society. Remote learning is a reality and will continue to be around in some manner,” he disclosed.

JPS President & CEO, Michel Gantois, told the small group that we can all make a difference.

“The children must not be left behind. When the JPS Foundation was established, it was with education and youth development in mind. We will continue to stand by our commitment to the young people of our nation, and in particular, those members of our extended JPS family who are in energy clubs across the country. I wish to also say a big thank you to our dedicated teachers and other stakeholders in the education sector who continue to make miracles every day in our children’s lives, whether times are normal or not,” he charged.