In keeping with its commitment to invest in special needs training for individuals and professionals here, Digicel Guyana handed over in excess of $5.9M on Tuesday, July 18, 2023.
A release from Digicel said that 26-year-old Jemima Crosse received $1.748M to pay her tuition for a Master’s Degree in Physiotherapy at the University of the West Indies (UWI).
An additional $4.16M was donated to support 40 Guyanese professionals to attend an autism training programme offered by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES). This includes occupational therapists, speech therapists, special needs teachers, and social workers.
The release said that these contributions are part of Digicel Guyana’s larger commitment of $60M to enhance the skills of professionals dedicated to supporting individuals with special needs. Commenting on the donations, Deonarine Gopaul, the CEO of Digicel Guyana, said, “At Digicel, we are deeply committed to supporting the development of professionals who work tirelessly to enhance the lives of individuals with special needs. By funding the Master’s degree in Physiotherapy and providing support for the autism training programme, we aim to empower these professionals with the necessary knowledge and skills to make a lasting difference.
These contributions reflect our ongoing commitment to fostering excellence in the healthcare and education sectors.”
Commenting on the 40 trainees at IBCCES, Director of the Disability and Rehabilitation Services Department, Dr. Ariane Mangar said that over 2000 children will benefit from this investment.
“This has been a great commitment from Digicel Guyana. We’ve recently had four speech therapists attend the University of North Carolina and the University of San Jose where they spent two weeks submersed in programmes to upskill their supervisory skills and learn the best practices, new ways and ways we don’t have here in Guyana, to work with children with autism and other children with disorders. So this will impact so many lives as these staff members were selected from across the various regions,” she said. By investing in the development of professionals specializing in various areas related to disabilities, Digicel Guyana aims to contribute to a more inclusive society and improve the overall well-being of the people of Guyana.
