A donation from the Usain Bolt Foundation valued at US$40,000 will provide 150 laptop computers to schools in rural Jamaica. The donation was announced on March 17, 2021. The Dr. Hon. Usain Bolt, Jamaica’s eight-time Olympic champion, said the initiatives are central in his efforts to honor his commitment to ensure that Jamaica’s children reap the benefits of his hard work.
According to Bolt, the best thing about his life is being able to give back to the children of his home island. He noted that the COVID-19 global pandemic has forced many children to receive their education only through online classes. It has also exposed the critical need for appropriate technology, including laptop computers. Bolt said he and the foundation plan to continue working toward providing the much-needed equipment and to support the educational needs of the next generation.
The mission of the Usain Bolt Foundation is to create opportunities through education and cultural development for positive change. It is dedicated to the “legacy of happy children,” according to its vision statement, and works to “enhance the character of children through educational and cultural development, as they live their dreams.” The foundation focuses on promoting healthy and safe environments, the effective use of recreational facilities, children’s opportunities to “Dare to Dream,” and the responsible use of financial resources.
The foundation centers on children at the basic and primary school levels and continues to affect children throughout Jamaica with its efforts to foster hope and to help whenever possible. In 2020, the foundation donated printers and other supplies to 21 early childhood institutions in Jamaica’s rural areas, as well as to seven school’s in Usain Bolt’s home parish of Trelawny, which received donations of computers or tablets. The schools receiving the donations included Granville Primary, Albert Town Primary, Spring Garden Primary, Duanvale Primary, Waldensia Primary, Perth Town Academy, and Falmouth All-Age.
The Usain Bolt Foundation launched in 2010 and has been helping children in sports and education activities ever since. Its first project was to renovate a health care center in Sherwood Content, Trelawny.
Photo Source: The Usain Bolt Foundation
