The Scotiabank Jamaica Foundation recently mobilized the donation of approximately $10 million in book vouchers and school supplies to the incoming grade six cohort at 15 primary schools.
The effort formed part of Scotiabank’s 134th-anniversary celebration. This massive donation initiative is expected to offer welcome relief to parents and guardians facing significant back-to-school expenses for the new term.
“Every year we prepare as an organization to provide assistance to hundreds of families as they embark on the important milestone of preparing their children to transition to secondary education. As an organization, we are keen to support this important phase in the lives of these children, particularly because we understand the invaluable link between secondary level education and financial resilience in our communities,” shared Yanique Forbes-Patrick, VP, of Public Affairs & Communications, Scotiabank.
Grade 6 students at the Servite Primary School in Browns Town, St. Ann ( L-R) Trequon Barnett, Adriano Clarke, Gavaun Campbell, Tajauni Mothersill and Ethan Day are all smiles after collecting book vouchers. With them is Denise Hewson (back row), branch manager at the Scotiabank Brown’s Town branch who along with other employees from the bank, visited the school on August 29 to fete the students.
According to the most recent Consumer Affairs Commission report, shoppers faced a 1.1 per cent spike in consumer prices in July, with annual inflation rising to 6.6 per cent. Additionally, its July 24-31 survey showed that textbook prices have climbed by an average of 9.0 per cent this year.
Through the Scotia Foundation, four major back-to-school events were hosted, and donations of school supplies are being coordinated at eleven others by the Bank’s islandwide network of employee volunteers. Each student present at the events receives a $5,000 book voucher redeemable at any branch of Sangster’s Book Stores; a backpack; and a set of notebooks along with other tokens from Scotiabank.
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The beneficiary schools are Central Branch All Age (Kingston); Calabar Infant and Primary School; Independence City Primary (Portmore, St Catherine); Boundbrook Primary (Portland); Morant Bay Primary (St Thomas); St George’s Girls’ School (Kingston); Hall’s Delight Primary (St Andrew); Ballards Valley Primary (St Elizabeth); New Green Primary (Manchester); Christiana Leased Primary (Manchester); Servite Primary (St Ann); Steer Town Primary and Junior High (St Ann); Negril Primary (Westmoreland); Barrett Town Primary and Infant (St James); and Hague Primary (Trelawny).
