CLARENDON, Jamaica – Chief Executive Officer of the Universal Service Fund, (USF) Dr Daniel Dawes, was so moved by two Effortville Primary School students’ poetry performance during a Community Connect Wi-Fi Launch in Clarendon that he has pledged to gift them Samsung Galaxy tablets.

Grade four stduents Adama Fagan and Nastavia Byfield performed “Global Peace” and “Dengue A Nuh Play, Play Ting,” respectively. The pieces were written by their teacher, Alex Mitchell. In her performance, Fagan called for world peace, while Byfield educated the public on the dangers of the mosquito-borne virus and how one can go about protecting themselves.

About three weeks ago, both Fagan and Byfield won a silver medal for their pieces in the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) finals.

Following the riveting performances, Dawes asked the audience, “They did very well, didn’t they?” Which prompted a hearty “yes!”

“I am going to make sure that we give each of these students a tablet… I am going to send over two tablets for these future leaders of Jamaica,” Dawes said.

This pledge is consistent with the USF’s ongoing commitment to reduce the digital divide and enhance educational outcomes across Jamaica, aligning with our strategic goal to equip young learners with the necessary tools to thrive in a digital world.

The launch of Community Connect Wi-Fi in Effortville marks a significant milestone in bridging the digital divide and empowering residents with access to essential online resources. Through this initiative, Effortville residents will now have the opportunity to harness the power of the Internet for education, business, communication, and more.

The Community Connect Wi-Fi Programme is designed to increase access to the Internet across Jamaica’s 63 constituencies. This access will allow for greater digital inclusion.

Over 300 communities have benefited from this ongoing project with additional communities set to be connected.