Remarks at the GK Cares Virtual Handover Ceremony - September 21, 2020

• GK Executives
• GK Staff
• Grace & Staff Team
• Worldwide Technologies (Supplier who donated additional machines, SD cards & sim cards) – Gilroy Williams (MD); Rushaine Cunningham (Business Unit Manager)
• Recipients - Principals
• Calabar Infant & Primary
• St Michael’s Infant & Primary
• Holy Family Infant & Primary
• Dupont Primary
• Majesty Gardens Infant
• Lakes Pen Infant
• Foga Road High School
• Maldon High
• Spot Valley High
• Yallahs High
• St George’s College
• Grace & Staff Homework Centres
• Media

Principals, the Grace & Staff Foundation team and other GK staff, our colleagues from Worldwide Technologies who partnered with us on this important initiative – Managing Director Gilroy Williams and Business Unit Manager Rushaine Cunningham - media representatives, good afternoon and thank you for joining us on this special occasion.

I just want to begin by saying a few words about the current situation with the COVID-19 pandemic in Jamaica. I am sure you have noted the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in Jamaica which is cause of great concern to us all. This rise in cases means increased disruption of our daily lives, and increased risk to our health and well-being, but we must continue to remain calm and work together to limit the spread of the virus. The key to combatting COVID-19 is both our personal and collective responsibility. These are challenging times in Jamaica and around the world, but we will get through them by remembering that we are our brother’s keeper, and remaining steadfast and rigorous in our approach to protecting each other.

At a time when we are required to remain physically distant from each other to limit the spread of the virus, it is so good to still be able to connect with you online to celebrate this important initiative. For some, the challenges of COVID-19 have been more manageable because of the technology which allows us to meet virtually and stay in touch with our loved ones online. We can reach out across the world at a moment’s notice, get up-to-the-minute news, and have a world of knowledge available right at our fingertips.

But the reality is that for many, the absence of this technology has added to the struggle of adjusting to life during the pandemic. Working and learning from home has been a simple adjustment for some, but for others, the lack of access to computers, mobile devices and the internet is having grave consequences. Some of those most negatively impacted are our children. Students without access to tools for online learning are at increased risk of falling behind in their studies and delayed development. This lack of access is not new, but it has been made worse since COVID-19. A recent study by UNICEF on the impact of the pandemic on Jamaican children showed that over a third of households with children do not have a device which can be used exclusively for online learning, and fifth of households have no such device or any access to the internet. Many of our schools are also under-resourced in this regard, putting both teachers and students at a disadvantage.

The GK Cares Tools for Schools programme is now more relevant than ever, but it has been a part of our Company’s agenda for many months. GK has long recognized the importance of bridging the technological gap in Jamaica, and made a commitment, even before the onset of the pandemic, to provide much needed support for schools through the donation of laptops and tablets. This began back in January this year, with our presentation of 10 tablets to the Majesty Gardens Infant School in Kingston.

And now, today, we mark our most recent GK Cares Tools for Schools donation - 210 devices - including tablets for students & laptops for teachers – valued at over $5 million Jamaican Dollars. This donation represents the first of its kind, and we look forward to providing more support for online education in the coming months.

GraceKennedy has a longstanding passion for supporting education. I strongly believe that education is a right and not a privilege. It has long been a vision of mine to leave a legacy of empowerment and strong contribution to education in Jamaica. Over the years I have witnessed the rise in online learning, and so I am committed to ensuring that no child gets left behind in this regard, and that GK plays its part in equipping schools and students for an increasingly digital world. It is also particularly important to me that this commitment begins close to home, in the communities where GraceKennedy operates.

The schools and homework centres who are benefitting from today’s donation have a long-standing relationship with GK, having been identified as needing urgent support for online learning. They were selected by our Grace and Staff Community Development Foundation which in recognizing that education is a gateway to community development, has been providing essential support for schools and homework centres for over 40 years.

It was also important to me that this donation emphasized support for our early childhood institutions, where there is often a particularly significant deficit in access to technology. As the popular Jamaican saying goes “what gone bad a mawning, cyaa go good a evening”, so we made sure that several infant schools stood to benefit from the first phase of this initiative. And I just want to take a moment pause to acknowledge the principals of the early childhood institutions who are benefitting from today’s donation - Holy Family, Calabar and St Michael’s Infant & Primary as well as Lakes Pen Infant Schools. We know that COVID-19 has in many ways deepened your need and we are happy to be able to help wherever we can.

I also want to highlight that this donation not only equips students, it also supports teachers. Without access for teachers, students cannot receive the support necessary for effective education as schools take on this online approach to learning. We hope these devices will go a long way in helping your schools adjust to the new normal in the new school year.

GraceKennedy’s “We Care” ethos is at the heart of who we are. We are always so proud of the work done by our foundations, which truly embodies this mantra. So, I want to say a special thanks to the Grace and Staff team for all their hard work in making today’s donation a reality, and for their ongoing efforts to support vulnerable communities, espcially during these challenging times.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank all the teachers and principals who have joined us today. I am constantly in awe of your strong initiative and dedication. No other profession would exist without your work in and out of the classroom. Thank you for everything you do to carve out safe spaces for our children where learning, creativity and civility will grow. Your contribution to nation building and nurturing young minds is truly invaluable, and the sacrifice you are making to continue educating Jamaican children in these challenging times is an inspiration to us all. I wish you and your students all the best for the school year ahead.

The American poet Maya Angelou once said, “if we learn we must teach, if we get, we must give” and it is in this spirit that we have come together today. GraceKennedy’s former CEO, the late Carlton Alexander, like me, had a great passion for education. He declared what is good for Jamaica is good for GraceKennedy and that tradition carries through today. Today’s donation is yet another way of reaffirming GK’s ongoing commitment to education and Jamaica. 

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.