Dancehall artiste Teejay has been announced as a brand ambassador for Youths For Excellence (YFE), a non-profit organisation which provides opportunities for underprivileged children and their families in Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda, St Vincent and the Grenadines and the USA.

Teejay, whose birth name is Timoy Jones, grew up in the Glendevon area in Montego Bay in Jamaica. He is known for songs such as ‘Uptop Boss’, ‘Owna Lane’, ‘From Rags to Riches’ and ‘Unfaithful Games’. His music has evolved over the years as the lyrical content has become more positive and uplifting for those who are poverty-stricken and at risk.

In a press release, he said he was proud to have been named YFE brand ambassador.

“Me feel good bout it. Love fi see seh a di youth dem weh a run suppm like dis. Me glad seh mi can give back inna one way weh mek sense. God bring me this far, a nuff me go through. Mi a grow and improve every single day. Me want di youth dem fi catch mi positive message,” Teejay said.

Youths for Excellence, guided by Founder, Board Co- Chair and President, Jénine Shepherd, ensures that the focus remains on its motto: ‘Changing Nations By Empowering Generations.’

Quality education is the sustainable development goal at the heart of the organisation and it often takes out of the box approaches to meet its agenda. The organization, since its founding in 2015, has provided assistance to over 12,000 children across the region via healthcare, nutrition, educational content and resources while providing skills training and job placement opportunities for their caregivers.

Shepherd said she is “an avid listener” of Teejay’s music.

“He has a firm hold on our target demographic which is youth. He has the power to really positively influence an entire generation of young people and bring attention to our efforts across the Caribbean region as we work to eradicate educational inequities,” the 24-year-old YFE founder said.

YFE maintains its stance that educational inequities need a holistic corrective framework, so supporting young children to succeed academically would mean helping their parents to be better equipped financially.

For its work with young people, Shepherd received the Prime Minister’s Youth Award for Nation Building in 2018 from the Jamaican government and the Diana Award from Princess Diana’s Estate, which is the most prestigious award in the world that a young person can receive for social action and humanitarian work, in 2021. She was also named amongst the Caribbean 30 Under 30 Changemakers in 2021 by Ignite Caribbean.