GoodHeart | Barita Foundation: Contributing to national development
Published:Saturday | April 30, 2022 | 12:07 AMKeisha Hill/Senior Gleaner Writer
The Barita Foundation has been executing its mandate and contributing to national development goals by supporting partnerships in education, youth, entrepreneurship and the democratisation of wealth in order for Jamaicans to access resources needed to improve their lives.
Its mandate is to equip tomorrow’s leaders with opportunities to create wealth, focusing on education and financial literacy while empowering the youth. According to Tanketa Chance–Wilson, executive director of the Barita Foundation, its mandate is rooted in the foundation’s history and the passion of Rita Humphries-Lewin, founder of Barita Investments Limited.
“The Barita Foundation has always had youth development at its heart. Our foundation began to take shape shortly after the Friends of St Martin de Porres started an intervention programme at the St Martin de Porres Primary School in Gordon Town. Finding sustainable ways to strengthen and support the school body was a hallmark of their efforts,” Chance-Wilson said.
“When the Barita Education Foundation assumed responsibility for the programme in 2004, it built its platforms on the same ideals: young people deserved every opportunity to learn, grow and thrive,” she added.
The Barita Education Foundation has evolved to become the Barita Foundation. Nevertheless, education and all the access and opportunities it can bring remains one of its core objectives. The foundation has recognised that education has evolved, along with what is required to safeguard its success, and they are working to support learning across a changing educational landscape.
Since 2008, when the foundation was formalised, 31 schools in underserved communities have benefited from the Early Childhood Numeracy and Literacy programme, 184 teachers trained, over 4,000 students exposed to literacy and numeracy principles, with 1,128 parents engaged.
“Participants under this education programme recently received donations of all the learning material used in a numeracy and literacy intervention, in order that they may continue to utilise them in their lessons. So, though we have shifted the focus, we have also expanded our focus,” Chance-Wilson said.
“We are not doing that direct in class training with teachers and social workers, as the major delivery of the foundation. What we have done is to provide the schools with the materials so that they can continue. The teachers have already been trained and a number of parents are still in the schools, so we have provided them with the materials so they can continue with that programme,” she added.
Most recent projects by the foundation include donations of digital devices, including laptops and tablets valued at $10 million dollars, through the National Education Trust. The Early Childhood Commission (ECC) also received a donation of $2 million to support the organisation in assisting early-childhood institutions in achieving the required 12 standards for certification.
In addition, Chance-Wilson said over 200 youth have been exposed to financial literacy and entrepreneurship training while they continue to provide further support as well through charitable giving to causes that align with their focus areas.
As a part of a wider private-sector initiative to support the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) with patient treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic, the foundation also donated US$15,000. This facilitated the hospital’s expansion to accommodate an additional 70 patients.
The Barita Foundation was also among the 2021 sponsors for Lupus Awareness Month of activities. With Jamaica having one of the reportedly highest lupus rates worldwide, Barita, through the Lupus Foundation of Jamaica, made a donation of $300,000.
“When you are driven by what you are most passionate about, giving back becomes so much easier. It doesn’t feel like work and you feel more connected to the cause. So, I would encourage persons to start small and in practical ways, paying it forward can include dedication of cash or kind. You can also give of your time and expertise,” Chance-Wilson said.
For more information on the Barita Foundation, visit its website: barita.com/foundation or email: foundation@barita.com