Torpedo Loan Foundation hosts fun day for parents and children at Hope Gardens

BILLED AS a treat to rejuvenate and empower children and their parents during the long, hot summer holidays, the Torpedo Loan Foundation embarked on a series of treats geared at exposing children and their parents from underserved communities in St Catherine to interesting attractions across Jamaica.

The programme kicked off on Saturday, August 12 with a fun day at the Hope Gardens Annual Lawn in St Andrew.

Speaking in an interview at the fun day, Rohan Silvera, chairman of the Torpedo Loan Foundation which includes associated companies, noted that the series of events, which is also scheduled to include trips to Dunn’s River Falls and Emancipation Park, grew out of a recognition that many children and their parents in poor communities rarely travelled outside their immediate communities to be exposed to the many beautiful and interesting places in Jamaica.

“We bill the treats as ‘Empowering purpose and impact through exposure’ and it complements our efforts at psychosocial re-engineering to create positive and more enlightened mindsets among children who are not exposed to things more privileged children take for granted, such as trips to the north coast. It will make them realise that Jamaica and the world is much more than what they know in their area and will broaden their horizons and improve life outcomes,” Silvera noted.

The Torpedo Loan Foundation directly sponsors some 50 children to the tune of roughly $1 million monthly, through an arrangement monitored by the parents and schools, ensuring that they have the financial means and supervision to attend school regularly. It includes providing lunch money, bus fares and school supplies. The foundation has committed to sponsoring the children for six years, while monitoring their progress annually.

Among the qualifying conditions is that their parents or caregivers attend Parent-Teacher Association meetings regularly so that they can track their child’s performance and needs, Silvera pointed out. Regular church attendance is encouraged, though not mandatory, and the foundation also helps to direct families in need to the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education so that they can access additional assistance.

On Saturday, children frolicked on the bounce-about, explored the gardens, played games and were entertained by a clown. They participated in dancing and other contests while enjoying ice cream, popcorn, hot dogs and a tasty lunch under the watchful eyes of the Torpedo team and their parents.