Costs associated with attending school are considerably high in Jamaica, especially for low-income households. Thanks to the generosity of Canadian donors, we recently had the opportunity to support 50 Jamaican children with lunch, textbooks and tuition fees through the Give These Children a Chance program. The beneficiaries were from parishes across Jamaica including St. Catherine, Clarendon, Kingston, St. Andrew, Manchester, St. Elizabeth and St. Thomas. A cheque presentation took place on October 27th at Food For The Poor Jamaica’s headquarters in St. Catherine, and those who benefitted from the program were in attendance. 

Vulnerable families often lack the funds to send their children to school. Food For The Poor’s financial grants cover the cost of uniforms, teaching materials, registration fees, examination fees, and school maintenance fees for children in need so they can get the education they deserve. 

During the cheque presentation, a single mother named Pat spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries. “This organization has done a lot for many people… I am very grateful to Food For The Poor Canada for helping my child in this moment. Sometimes I feel despondent, but I remember getting the call to come in for the voucher and I was so elated and proud. Thank you, Canada, for helping us.” Andre, a father of two and a first-time beneficiary of the back-to-school program, also had a few words of gratitude to share. “There are really no words to sum up just how grateful we are for these grants. We try our best with our children, but additional help is always appreciated and needed. To be assisted by donors who see the need and are willing to help… oh my, it is really a good feeling. Knowing that I am receiving help from someone who doesn’t even know me gives me a great feeling. My son is a good child and he has the potential, he just needs the tools. I am more than grateful, God is good!”

Through this program, we aim to help 400 students per year. We hope to keep giving children a chance with the continued support of Canadian donors. Thank you for giving children access to education, enabling them to give back to their communities, securing a future for generations to come.