Scotiabank yesterday donated US$14,000 to the Tina Insanally Foundation (TIF) with the aim of helping the non-profit organization to continue using music to change the lives of children.
Marketing Manager of Scotiabank Jennifer Cipriani recalled finding out about the foundation and the talented children when former country manager Amanda St Aubyn gave her tickets to attend a concert hosted by TIF.
Cipriani added that it was from there that Scotiabank began making steps to assist the foundation. While it took some time to get the approval, the bank looks forward to throwing its support behind the foundation with an additional US$28,000 in the next two years.
Both the parents and sister of Tina Insanally expressed their gratitude to Scotiabank for its generosity.
“We can now worry a little less about funding and pay more attention to the music,” Sarah Insanally said.
Vic Insanally reported that over the past five years, the Tina Insanally Foundation has funded voice and guitar lessons for over 200 children and hosted five annual concerts. He also sought to highlight that the children all come from different backgrounds, stating that some of the best students come from the St John’s Bosco Boys Orphanage and the St Ann’s Girls Orphanage.
One such student, 16-year-old Yasmin Grant of St Ann’s described the programme as a “remedy to our souls” while adding that whenever she’s down she turns to music to lift her spirits.
According to Vic Insanally, the donation would go towards the main expenses such as transportation for the children, stipends for the teachers and the musical instruments used by the students.
The Tina Insanally Foundation was set up in 2010 by the Insanally family after the passing of their daughter Tina, whose life had been centred on music and helping children. Located on the corner of Irving and Lance Gibbs streets, TIF strives to enrich the lives of Guyanese children through music.
