Delroy Escoffery giving back to local schools through YOW Foundation
As a sound system blared dancehall music, Franklin Town Primary School principal Rohan Treleven readied students to accept their back-to-school packages from Youth Of The World Foundation (YOW).
The event took place on August 20 at the school’s Victoria Street compound in Franklin Town. It was the third staging by YOW, which is operated by past student Delroy Escoffery, who is based in South Carolina.
Treleven, who has been principal since January 2020, told the Jamaica Observer that such initiatives are critical given the high cost of school items.
“It is important to have events like this for the children to understand that they are persons in the society who are concerned about them, and are trying to help them with some of the back-to-school expenses they may have. We have other treats where we get books, bags, and some people give scholarships,” he said.
Treleven estimates that as many as 60 per cent of parents of Franklin Town Primary School’s students struggle to purchase school products annually. Most of the students are from the area which is prone to bouts of gang violence.
Escoffery, who was raised in Franklin Town, experienced economic challenges as a child. Nine years ago, he and radio personality DJ Bambino started YOW to help needy children with back-to-school provisions.
Its focus in the last three stagings has been Franklin Town Primary. This year, YOW donated bags, books, pencils, pens and sharpeners to a total of 500 students there, his alma mater Camperdown High School and Thornton Primary and Infant School in St Elizabeth, where his wife Natasha attended.
The educational cache comprises private donations, and from companies such as T Geddes Grant, CB Chicken and Events R Us.
A former Manning Cup player at Camperdown, Escoffery was heavily involved in show promotion and artiste management for over 20 years. In 2016, he converted to Christianity and has dedicated his life to empowerment.
Giving back to Franklin Town means a lot to him.
“In the inner-city, a lot of kids cannot afford school bags, school books, school supplies on a whole so it’s very important. I remember back in the day when mi guh primary school, yuh used to have a programme where we got khaki clothes, so is a blessing for me to come back and give back to my community,” he said.
