Born and raised in the tough community of Denham Town, Kingston, with education as his guiding force to success, Sandré Rhoden saw it fit to contribute to the academic development of youth in the area.

On Saturday he spearheaded the distribution of 70 tablets valued at $800,000 to the youngsters from the community who also attend schools there.

The tablets were donated through Rhoden’s non-profit organisation The Golden Foundation, under the Digital Education and Impact Programme during a handing-over ceremony at the Denham Town Community Centre. The students who received tablets were from Chetolah Mel Nathan Education Centre, Edwards Seaga Primary School, Denham Town High School, Tivoli Hugh School, St Anne’s Primary School, Joseph Royal Educational Centre, and Regent Street Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) Education Department.

“The reason for choosing schools in Denham Town is because I am a product of Denham Town, I was born and raised there; I am a native of this area. One thing that I can say with absolute certainty is that one can expect good things to come from the west,” he said.

Rhoden described the contribution as an “overwhelming feeling”.

“Pouring into others has been one of my passions from a very young age. Knowing my own story and the impact of education on my life, I knew that I had to have a positive impact on the children and youth in my community through educational programmes,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

“If I am able to improve the quality of life for even just one family, then I would have accomplished something worthwhile. In addition, if I am able to make a difference in the lives of 70 students, just think of the effect that it will have on the community as a whole,” he said, noting that the initiative was funded by a resolution project in which a grant was won by Rhoden and the co-founder for the foundation Sydney St Clair Douglas.

Additionally, he said parents, teachers and students have been overjoyed for the tablets.

Sharing a few of their responses he said, “One child stopped me after the event and said ‘Thank you, on behalf of you and my sister, we really appreciate it’. Teachers have expressed how much they welcome the programme and are happy for the inclusion of their schools.

“One parent said, ‘I am so happy, hope he doesn’t play too much games’. I encouraged her to monitor him. They were all receiving and accepting, which warms my heart,” he added.

He said he and his team will be engaging in a mentorship with the students throughout the academic year, to track their learning abilities. He also hopes the students will utilise the learning tool efficiently.

“We are interested in tracking the development that digital learning will bring about in the students’ lives, and as a result, we will be travelling alongside them throughout the school year to ensure that the transition to digital learning is more than just a tablet handover and that there is a discernible improvement in their academic lives,” he said.

“Although the circumstances may not be ideal, I strongly encourage all students to make good use of the resources that have been provided to them and to look on the bright side of the situation,” he added.