We in this space share the joy and excitement of the Abilities Foundation community who will, thanks to the very activist Kiwanis Club of Constant Spring (KCCS) and the generous Bob Marley Foundation, will fulfil one of its small but important dreams.

On the surface it might not seem to be a big thing, but to the 41 students and staff of the Abilities Foundation Aktion Club, today’s tour of Bob Marley Museum on Hope Road, St Andrew, means all the world.

So often it is the little things that matter. And what it takes are people who have a heart to make something of it that leaves a mark on others who might never have experienced certain joys of life because of their misfortunes.

There is a little story behind today’s excursion to the internationally known Bob Marley Museum which, thanks to Bob Marley Foundation Manager Ms Alicia Williams, came alive after KCCS visited the 34-year-old Abilities Foundation Aktion Club.

The foundation, which provides vocational training for individuals 17 and over, and is the only institution that caters to all forms of disabilities, staged an impromptu entertainment programme for the visitors.

One young man who stood out for his performance of Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds was asked to name something he had yearned to have. His response was a tour of Bob Marley Museum.

The Kiwanians decided to grant him his wish and approached Bob Marley Foundation to host, not just the performer, but the entire membership of the Aktion Club and staff.

Ms Williams did not hesitate. It’s something we believe would have warmed the heart of Jamaica’s reggae megastar Bob Marley.

It is no secret that people with disabilities have a hard time in Jamaica. For that reason we commend the governor general for declaring September 12 as Kiwanis for Disabilities Day in order to build awareness and empathy for the plight of the disabled.

The Abilities Foundation is a registered voluntary organisation and a community-based training institution with HEART/NSTA Trust. Its establishment was greatly influenced by the incessant lobbying of members of the disabled community in Jamaica, as a whole, in recognition of the need for a specialised vocational education and training programme to serve individuals with all types of disabilities.

Its existence is a collaborative effort of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, HEART/NSTA Trust, and a number of agencies of and for individuals with disabilities, the foundation says.

Training focuses on the skills and knowledge necessary for embarking on new business ventures, covering areas such as money awareness, money management, leadership development, business plan development, and customer service.

Utilising hands-on instruction, the foundation also provides customised training for students in the areas of housekeeping, furniture making, data operations, design and décor/soft furnishing, horticulture and landscaping, and cosmetology (nail technology and make-up artistry).

Practical support services are offered, such as job placement, job coaching and mentoring, independent life skills, professional development seminars, remedial English, and remedial mathematics.

The KCCS and Bob Marley Foundation make us proud.