SCORES of students in some of the tough inner-city communities in the St James North Western constituency are set to benefit from computer tablets donated to them recently by Geddes Refrigeration

The constituency includes areas such as Glendevon, Salt Spring, Norwood and Flanker, which have seen periodic outbreaks of violence over the years with scores of unattached youths turning to a life of crime.

With face-to-face classes suspended due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, Member of Parliament for the constituency, Dr Horace Chang, said the computer tablets donated by Geddes Refrigerator will go a far way in meeting a major need of some of the students who have not benefited from any of the schemes implemented by the Government to allow them to attend online classes.

“I want to commend the company for the quality of the contribution because they are reaching out to children who need opportunities. In fact, the biggest challenge we face in dealing with crime in our inner-city communities is to really offer the young individuals a genuine alternative opportunity to a life of crime. That comes through, primarily quality education,” said Chang who is also the minister of national security.

He argued that many of the children in these inner-city communities display real talent and only need solid opportunities to achieve.

“The fact is, if you talk to a little child in any of the tough areas, by the time they are five years old they are going to shop and making change… what happens is that between infancy and them getting into primary school, we lose them and sometimes what they could do they can’t do again because of a lack of parenting or a lack of opportunity,” argued Chang.

“In my neck of the woods, where people use electronics for all sorts of things, the young ones they will get on the computer and be communicating all over the globe, sometimes for the wrong things, but showing their own creativity and their talent.

“If we [get] can all of them decently educated when they get a tablet the world of knowledge opens to them, and with guidance we can take someone from a possible life of crime to a productive life where they contribute to Jamaica and we don’t know how far they can go,” added Chang.

In making the presentation to Chang, Dane Lafayette, deputy chief executive officer at Geddes Refrigeration, said the company is strongly committed to assisting Jamaica’s youths.

“In operating and living in this pandemic period, we found it necessary to make this contribution of needed tablets. As Dr Chang mentioned earlier, our children today in our Jamaican society, all they need is just an opportunity. They are filled with talent and many of them are bright and have a lot to offer,” said Lafayette.

“We a Geddes Refrigeration Ltd believe it is our responsibility to help our countrymen and Jamaica as a whole. And as such, we are happy to make this contribution of tablets and I want to say this is the first of many,” added Lafayette as he noted that it has been difficult to source all the tablets which the company plans to donate to the children in St James North Western.