WITH crime and violence threatening to destabilise the area, the Grant’s Pen community in St Andrew used to be labelled one of Jamaica’s more “volatile” areas. However, the staff and volunteers of the Stella Maris Foundation, located in the heart of the community, have worked hard to change this perception.
The foundation is committed to the promotion of goodwill and sustainable social and economic development through skills training and social programmes. Their efforts were almost thwarted nine years ago when the building in which the Stella Maris Foundation was housed went up for sale. “We faced a crossroads,” says Omar Frith, general manager of the foundation. “We needed to keep the building, but at a cost of $12 million and with mounting bills, we could hardly afford to pay.
The challenge seemed great.” Then board director Anne Marie Thomas called on philanthropist Daphne Hewett to assist in advancing a down payment for a sale agreement to secure the building. Hewett, who had been conducting weekly praise and worship sessions in Grant’s Pen, happily agreed. Immediately after, the Digicel Foundation stepped in, committing to match Stella Maris’ fundraising efforts to up to $6 million.
The board of the Stella Maris Foundation, led by then chairman Jean Lowrie-Chin, raised the needed funds, and true to its word, the Digicel Foundation provided the additional $6 million, presented in person by Digicel Foundation Patron Denis O’Brien in May 2005. This support has reaped lasting results. Since then, training in collaboration with HEART/NTA at the Stella Maris Foundation has been expanded and more than 1,000 young Jamaicans from surrounding communities have been certified.
The building also houses the Norma Chang Day Care Centre where students can leave their children in expert care while they attend classes. The graduates have either found employment or have started their own businesses. These young people, who otherwise might have been drawn into disruptive activities, are now well respected citizens of the community.
“Our success is undoubtedly linked to Digicel Foundation’s intervention,” said Frith. “Today, in spite of our limitations, the Stella Maris Foundation has security of tenure, and we are the proud owners of this property, thanks to the extraordinary help from the Digicel Foundation.
We could hardly keep up with the rent and the utilities at the time, much less to purchase a building. They stepped up and made the investment in our community, one that has made a world of a difference.” The Stella Maris Foundation is just one of the many organisations that have benefited from Digicel Foundation’s financial support.
Over the 10 years that the Digicel Foundation has been established, it has already given more than $1.95 billion to sustainable national development projects. The foundation has targeted three key areas of support over these years: education, special needs and community development.
“When we see organisations committed to enhancing their communities and improving the quality of lives of the residents, we are compelled to play our part to ensure that these efforts are sustained,” says Lisa Lewis, Digicel Foundation chair. The Digicel Foundation recently celebrated its 10th anniversary with a launch on the grounds of the Stella Maris Foundation and is looking to extend its reach during this anniversary year.
The foundation says it will continue to create centres of excellence for special needs students, bringing the total number of centres from four to 10. In the education sector, the foundation will continue to expand the enrichment programme with the provision of specially designed mobile science carts for 10 schools islandwide.
Additionally, the Digicel Foundation says it will partner with the BREDS Foundation under the Community Development portfolio by contributing an additional $10 million in support of the Treasure Beach Foundation Sports Park. The park, which is already hosting local schools and clubs, aims to host regional and international sporting events.
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Stella Maris, Digicel foundations changing lives in Grant’s Pen
