Women’s Centre gets donation to purchase tablets for teen moms

A cheque valued at $200,000 was handed over to the Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation (WCJF) to purchase tablet computers to enhance its academic programme.

The donation, a gift from the Jamaica Co-operative Credit Union League, was presented to chairman of the WCJF Debby Ann Brown-Salmon, and Executive Director Dr Zoe Simpson, at a ceremony held at the WCJF’s Kingston offices.

Dr Simpson said the tablets will be used by the grades seven to 10 girls, who have been staying at home due to measures announced by the Government to contain the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

She said that some of the girls do not have tablets or laptops to access the virtual platforms.

“We want them to access the resources that are made available through the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information,” she said, adding that the girls will be able to log on to a software programme created by the foundation to help them “improve on their literacy and their numeracy”.

Dr Simpson said that the donation is “timely”, noting that the tablets are needed to support the WCJF’s long-term plan “to enhance and digitise the academic component of the programmes”.

“We will be monitoring and facilitating, but we recognise that the use of tablets is the way forward and if we have a lockdown again, it is going to be useful,” she added.

Group Marketing and Communications Manager of the Jamaica Cooperative Credit Union League, Claudette Christie, said there are plans to provide additional tablets to the foundation.

“Our contribution doesn’t stop here. We are going to ensure that they get some more tablets because of what they need them for. I think it is a good gesture and, therefore, I want to continue this,” she said.

Christie said the credit union tries to help wherever “there is a need for assistance and we can afford it financially”.