Digicel plugs $5.9M into training persons to attend to special needs children

Jul 20, 2023 News

Kaieteur News – Digicel Guyana on Tuesday handed over in excess of $5.9M to train persons to take care of children with special needs.

As part of the gesture, 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). By investing in her education, Digicel Guyana aims to cultivate a highly skilled workforce of physiotherapists who will play a pivotal role in improving the lives of individuals with special needs.

An additional $4.16M was donated to support 40 Guyanese professionals in attending 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, who will all be equipped with specialized knowledge and skills to better understand and support individuals on the autism spectrum, ensuring they receive the highest quality care and assistance.

(L-R) CEO of Digicel Guyana, Deonarine Gopaul, Scholarship recipient, Jemima Crosse and Director of the Disability and Rehabilitation Services Department, Dr. Ariane Mangar

These contributions are part of Digicel Guyana’s larger commitment of $60M to enhance the skillset of professionals dedicated to supporting individuals with special needs. Commenting on these donations, Deonarine Gopaul, the CEO of Digicel Guyana, expressed the company’s enthusiasm and dedication to making a positive impact. He stated, “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 program, 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.”

(L-R) CEO of Digicel Guyana, Deonarine Gopaul, Kerianne Richards, Dr. Ariane Mangar, Latoya Crandon and Jemima Crosse

Crosse said that this commitment to funding her studies helps to support her passion for helping children with special needs and will enable her to serve with excellence.

Meanwhile, commenting on the 40 trainees at IBCCES, Director of the Disability and Rehabilitation Services Department, Dr. Ariane Mangar noted 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 Hosea where they spent two weeks submersed in programs 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.

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Deonarine Gopaul, EO of Digicel Guyana, Jemima Crosse, offered, Scholarship recipient

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