IN a year marked by unprecedented challenges and extraordinary resilience, the Digicel Foundation is reporting that it directly touched more than 44,000 lives across Jamaica.

In its just-released 2025–2026 Annual Report dubbed Together We Rise, the foundation highlighted a year of impact, partnership, and hope across education, special needs, and community development, as well as its response to the Category 5 Hurricane Melissa.

The foundation pointed out that education remained a major focus, with the establishment of smart labs at five teacher training colleges, extending its investment in digital learning to the institutions preparing Jamaica’s future educators.

It also launched its Safer Internet Together (SIT) programme, reaching more than 34,000 students across 150 schools in its first year, while more than 100 young Jamaicans participated in a 12-week digital technology, leadership, and coding programme through a partnership with TEACH Caribbean and iamtheCODE Caribbean.

The foundation also expanded access to technology and specialised services with new smart labs at NAZ Children’s Centre and Genesis Academy, bringing its total to four smart labs in special- needs institutions. The portfolio also supported a speech therapy camp, a parents caregiver training, and back-to-school assistance for 500 children.

Through its Community Development portfolio, 17 community groups received Build Jamaica grants, while the foundation introduced a stronger focus on Jamaica’s silver economy through initiatives such as the Golden Designs Senior Entrepreneurship Programme, which combines traditional arts and crafts, digital literacy, and entrepreneurship.

A Build Jamaica grant also supported the establishment of a sewing lab at the South Camp Juvenile Correctional and Remand Centre, providing more than 45 girls and young women with access to sewing skills and pathways towards HEART/NSTA Trust Level 2 certification in fashion design.

Following Hurricane Melissa’s landfall on October 28 last year, the foundation was on the ground within two days, providing relief across 75 communities with food, water, hygiene supplies, disinfectant, and solar lamps.

The foundation also distributed more than 1,000 hardware and lumber vouchers and provided more than US$85,700 in Hurricane Relief Grants to five western schools to support recovery and rebuilding.

“Together We Rise is a reflection of what we witnessed across Jamaica during one of the most challenging periods of our recent history,” said Charmaine Daniels, CEO of the Digicel Foundation.

“We saw resilience in our schools, communities, families, and partners, and we saw what is possible when people come together with a shared purpose. Even in the face of Hurricane Melissa, our work did not stop. We responded, rebuilt, and continued investing in opportunities that can help Jamaicans thrive,” added Daniels.

She said the foundation’s impact was strengthened by its partners, grantees, educators, parents, students, communities, and Digicel employees, whose volunteerism remains an important part of the foundation’s work.

“Resilience is not about standing alone; it is about having people who stand with you,” she added.

“As we look ahead, we remain committed to strengthening communities, expanding opportunity, and creating a Jamaica where every person has the chance to rise,” declared Daniels.

People hold candles during a vigil and prayer service called ‘Beam of Light,’ marking 100 days since the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24, killing and displacing thousands of people, in Caraballeda, La Guaira state.