HHF expands scholarship to a third school

WESTERN BUREAU:

The Harriet Hall Foundation (HHF), a non-profit organisation out of Montego Bay, is expanding its scholarship programme to a third all-girls school, despite the challenges faced by the pandemic in the past year.

The scholarship programme started with six girls at Mount Alvernia High School in 2018 by a group of past students. Their sister school, Mary Mount High School, was included last year, increasing the tally of recipients to 20, at a value of US$1,500 each.

Taedeen Stanley-Barksdale, founder and chief executive officer of HHF, told The Gleaner that despite the challenges brought on by the pandemic, they were determined to expand and continue to impact the lives of young girls.

Westwood High was seen as a school they could make an impact on immediately, to help students who had to be seeking transfers because of financial strain.

“We wanted to expand the scholarship programme to another school for the 2021-22 school year. Westwood stood out to us as the one we could have the most impact on at this time. Learning more about their background and history sealed the deal for us.”

“It is a boarding school, and a lot of students who pass for Westwood sometimes can’t afford boarding fees. As a result, they have to get transfers to schools that are below their passing grade,” she added.

A total of 30 scholarships, with 10 for each school, valued at around US$1,500 per student, will be awarded. The package covers computer, textbooks, school fees and boarding fees for the Westwood girls. It originally consisted of a lunch programme for each day. However, the suspension of face-to-face classes and not being sure if there will be any for the upcoming school year has changed that plan.

The onset of the coronavirus last year made raising funds the most challenging venture for the non-profit. However, Stanley-Barksdale said that it all came together in the end, which results in them being more appreciative, connected and passionate.

“Having a non-profit organisation at this time is so challenging because we have to depend on donations. When the pandemic hit we lost a lot of our sponsors, who had to close their doors and are just now trying to reopen, and we understand that. It has been hands and feet on the ground, literally just telling our story, the girls’ story, and sharing the impact it’s having. It’s the small businesses and individuals that are making it happen this year, where in the past we would have had the likes of Doctors Cave and Sandals on board,” Stanley-Barksdale said.

BIG SISTER PROGRAMME

“The pandemic was bad at first, but has maybe been a good thing in the end, because it makes us appreciate the little things a bit more and makes us work harder. Now it is about ‘one one coco full basket’, which make us more connected with the community and make us even more passionate,” she added.

HHF is not only looking to make its mark financially. The academic fallout for some of the students due to online learning has brought into being the ‘Big Sister’ mentorship programme.

“During the pandemic, we were able to roll out the Big Sister programme, where each student is aligned with a board member who serves as her mentor. We had girls that were straight-A students, with averages above 90, that were found to be struggling because they couldn’t manage the online schooling. That’s where the Big Sister programme came in, with us checking on them on a weekly basis. We go through everything, from coursework, homework, SBA school-based assessment), exam recap, and whatever it takes to keep connecting with the students.”

Karen Francis, principal of Westwood, applauds the HHF for coming on board as she believes the scholarship will be of tremendous benefit to her girls.

“I am very elated that we have 10 girls receiving this scholarship. The parents of the recipients have expressed thanks and noted that it will be a huge benefit. These are very bright girls, but their parents might not be able to fully finance their education. We really hail the Harriet Hall Foundation for what they are doing, as the girls will benefit tremendously,” Francis said.