In the Community

The Treasure Box

The Treasure Box is a box of little treasures or special privileges that children can pick.  Children can earn a selection from the box if they are caught three times doing something unselfish, special, kind, thoughtful, by a peer or teacher. Little gifts and tokens like books, trinkets, gaining a special task for something nice are donated to the box. 

An example could be, an older grade child is seen helping a kindergarten who fell off a swing. That would be a good deed. After three or five observed good deed, that student gets to go to the treasure box and pick something etc.

Our objective is to encourage and reward kindness and humanity in kids without telling them...but surprising them after three acts of kindness.

Tablet-2Future

The donation of tablets to rural public schools will contribute to the digitization of the educational system in the rural areas making public schools smart schools. An estimated 90 percent of rural public school students don’t have access to a computer and the internet.

This is program will offer more than a laptop and a hookup to the internet today. It represents the opportunity to stand up and look up towards their future tomorrow. It’s meant to be the first step in addressing digital inequity. We recognized that we needed to take action urgently to close the digital divide for these students and provide them with the tools necessary to thrive in the 21st century committing to our children’s futures. It’s time for us to level the playing field.

COVID-19 Care Packages

We are all in the same COVID-19 storm, but not all countries are in the same boat. The Jamaican economy is heavily dependent on services, which accounts for more than 70% of GDP.  Tourist-based economies throughout the Caribbean region have limited social safety nets. This means Jamaica’s economy and future are far more likely to be wrecked by COVID-19 than nations with more diversified economy.

90% of Jamaica's tourism workers have been laid off due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Airports and hotels are shuttered, unemployment throughout the region is soaring, and nobody knows when these tourism sector jobs may come back.

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, VillageChild sponsored 20 families with a care package with food for a week.

Baldwin Needham Continuing Education Grant

The Baldwin Needham Continuing Education Grant (BNCEG) was established and launched by VillageChild in 2020.

Baldwin Needham was the Principal of Chester Castle All-Age School in Jamaica and Councilor in Eastern Hanover. His desire to educate, support, and grow our community is the foundation of this Grant.  Its mission is to advance literacy and economic independence - two ideals that benefit from continuing education.

The purpose of the Baldwin Needham Continuing Education Grant (BNCEG) is to award $2500US to a student that is accepted in 1st or 2nd year in College. We're proud to reward the achievements of students - both in college and on their way - by supporting their dreams of earning a college degree.