Over 2000 special needs children to benefit from Digicel’s $5.9M donation  

Digicel Guyana on Tuesday handed over in excess of $5.9 million as the company maintains its commitment to investing in special needs training for individuals and professionals within the disabilities community in the country.
Some $4.16 million was donated to support 40 Guyanese professionals – inclusive of occupational therapists, speech therapists, special needs teachers and social workers – as they attend an autism training programme offered by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES).
Through this training, participants are expected to become equipped with specialised knowledge and skills to better understand and support individuals on the autism spectrum in order to ensure that they receive the highest quality of care and assistance.
Director of the Disability and Rehabilitation Services Department, Dr Ariane Mangar noted that more than 2000 children would benefit from this investment.
“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 programmes to upskill their supervisory skills and learn the best practices 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,” Dr Mangar said.
Meanwhile, 26-year-old Jemima Crosse received $1.748 million to pay her tuition for a Master’s Degree in Physiotherapy at the University of the West Indies (UWI).
This investment forms part of Digicel’s aim to cultivate a highly-skilled workforce of physiotherapists, who typically play pivotal roles in improving the lives of individuals with special needs.
Crosse noted that the funding helped to support her passion for helping children with special needs and would enable her to serve with excellence.
These contributions are part of Digicel Guyana’s larger commitment of $60 million to enhance the skills of professionals dedicated to supporting individuals with special needs.
Last September, the company made a financial commitment of $60 million over a three-year period to the Health Ministry as part of its ongoing support to improving special needs and rehabilitation services.
“By funding the Master’s Degree in Physiotherapy and providing support for the autism training programme, 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 health-care and education sectors,” said Digicel Guyana Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Deonarine Gopaul.