November 4, 2020
One hundred and thirty (130) high school students from JPS Foundation Energy Clubs are set to benefit from tablets donated by Marubeni Power International, one of the major shareholders in JPS. The handover which took place recently at the JPS head office, will enable students with limited or no access to online learning, to participate in online classes and individual studies.
Recently appointed Japanese Ambassador to Jamaica, His Excellency Masaya Fujiwara, was on hand for the presentation and expressed his pleasure at the event, congratulating Marubeni for doing their part to bridge the digital divide, for the benefit of teachers, students and the educational system in general.
Young Brianna Barrett of the Merl Grove High School receives her tablet from Snr. Manager of Marubeni Caribbean, Seiichiro Aoyama, while VP of Marubeni Caribbean, Shogo Otani shares in the moment.
While CEO of Marubeni Power International, Minako Wakayama, noted that, “COVID-19 [has] changed our life in many ways [including] schooling, entertainment … etc. and we were required to adjust to this new way of life… by utilizing tools and technologies.” In light of this, she noted, Marubeni decided to assist Jamaican youngsters to continue their education, by providing tablets for children whose parents have found it challenging to provide this necessary resource.
Addressing the short ceremony, Chief Operating Officer of Marubeni Power International, Mo Majeed, noted that the international conglomerate had recognized the challenges posed by the COVID virus in the Caribbean region and had decided to lend a helping hand to youth impacted by the new online-schooling arrangement. “Just recently, we provided COVID support in Trinidad and Tobago to three organizations,” he disclosed, “the National Center for Persons with Disabilities, Servants of the Poor, and the Autism Society. Remote learning is a reality and will continue to be around in some manner,” he emphasized.
JPS President & CEO, Michel Gantois, is pleased to hand this tablet to Alduah Puranda of Clan Carthy High School. The occasion was the official handing over of 130 tablets to high school students in the JPS Foundation’s Energy Club.
JPS President & CEO, Michel Gantois, told the small group, that we can all make a difference. “The children must not be left behind,” he charged. “When the JPS Foundation was established, it was with education and youth development in mind. We will continue to stand by our commitment to the young people of our nation, and in particular, those members of our extended JPS Family, who are in Energy Clubs across the country. I wish to also say a big thank you to our dedicated teachers and other stakeholders in the education sector, who continue to make miracles every day in our children’s lives, whether times are normal or not.”
Students who are receiving the tablets include members of the JPS Foundation Energy Club which is active in the following schools: Merl Grove, Holy Childhood, Tarrant, Herbert Morrison, Cornwall College, Ferncourt, Immaculate, St. Catherine High, Innswood, Clan Carthy, St. Jago, St. Mary High, Donald Quarrie Technical, and Muschette High.
