The Jamaica Association for Persons with Physical Disabilities (JAPPD) is now closer to realising its dream of operating a fully efficient training centre due to a US$1,000 donation, raised through the ISupportJamaica platform by the Rotary Club of Trafalgar New Heights.

The donation will go towards the rehabilitation of the defunct sewing room at the Centre, located at the Sir John Golding Rehabilitation Centre in Mona, St Andrew.

Don Taylor, general secretary of the JAPPD, said that the funds will assist with installing a bathroom facility in the workshop.

He informed that the aim is to expand the training into leather, bead and coconut shell crafts.

“The whole idea is to get our members to be independent and develop a greater sense of self-worth,” Taylor said.  

Dr Suzanne McDonald-Fowles, president of the Rotary Club of Trafalgar New Heights, said the association was happy to have undertaken the project, in collaboration with ISupportJamaica.

The club’s association with the JAPPD began in 2017 after it assisted the association with items for its office; and then in 2018, it embarked on a project to rehabilitate the defunct sewing facility, donating an industrial sewing machine to assist with regenerating the workshop. The club then took on the challenge to raise funds via ISupportJamaica for the refurbishment of the facility.

In addition to facilitating the raising of funds via its platform, ISupportJamaica assisted with raising awareness of the project, which resulted in the club receiving additional donations of more than US$6,000 from members of the Jamaican Diaspora in Washington DC, facilitated by the Jamaican Embassy in the US capital. The club used the money to conduct a full refurbishment of the sewing facility.

“We were able to remove the rotting board windows and replace them with glass window panes, we added workbenches, mended the floor, grilled the facility and improved the electrical wiring. We even replaced two doors and constructed a wheelchair ramp for easier entry and exit to the facility,” McDonald-Fowles explained.     

She added: “It is our purpose to give back to the community and help to improve communities in whatever way we can, through partnerships and guiding projects that will be impactful in communities.”

The president commended the collaboration with ISupportJamaica for bringing back hope to members of the physically disabled community.

“ISupportJamaica has come to our assistance, and The Jamaica National Group, in particular, has assisted with several projects over the years, which we have undertaken; as well as given us the assistance that we needed. With these partnerships we can do a lot in our communities, to support and improve the lives of the less fortunate,” she added.

Phillip Lindsay, operations officer at ISupportJamaica, said the JN Foundation, which powers the platform, welcomed the partnership with the Rotary Club of Trafalgar New Heights to raise the funds.