CHEW Foundation is placing long-term investment and economic opportunity at the centre of its work with children in Jamaica’s state care system through a planned portfolio initiative designed to support an initial 1,000 children as they transition into adulthood.

Founded by Jamaican investor and philanthropist Donovan Lewis and Kathryn Lewis Green, CHEW Foundation was established around the belief that children in state care should have access to sustainable systems of support that include education, emotional well-being, mentorship, financial literacy, and pathways toward long-term wealth generation.

The Foundation’s flagship portfolio initiative is intended to establish individual investment portfolios for children in care, creating long-term financial foundations that can be accessed as they age out of the care system.

The model forms part of CHEW’s wider Health, Education and Wealth mandate and reflects a growing focus on intergenerational economic inclusion for vulnerable children and young people. CHEW Foundation is led operationally by CEO Seretse Bell and continues to develop partnerships with organisations, including SOS Children’s Village Jamaica and Mustard Seed Communities, to support therapeutic, educational, and emotional wellness initiatives for children in residential care. Current programmes include play therapy, art therapy, literacy engagement, mentorship, and educational continuity support for children affected by trauma and displacement.

Following Hurricane Melissa, CHEW Foundation also partnered with private entrepreneurs, charities, and community organisations to support recovery and rebuilding efforts connected to homes and communities serving children in state care. The Foundation helped mobilise building supplies, infrastructure support, and donations to assist affected facilities and families.

Among its recent Children’s Month activities, CHEW Foundation hosted a Children’s Fun Day in partnership with SOS Children’s Village Jamaica, alongside a JMD $500,000 donation supporting educational and child wellbeing initiatives. The event formed part of the Foundation’s broader programme of engagement focused on literacy, recreation, emotional support, and scholarship development for children in care.

Lewis, who is widely regarded as one of Jamaica’s leading portfolio investors through the Ideal Group of Companies, has spoken publicly about the importance of discipline, long-term thinking, and financial independence as foundations for sustainable growth and opportunity.

For CHEW Foundation, the broader vision is centred on creating structures that allow children in state care to move into adulthood with access to support systems, financial resources, and opportunities capable of shaping long-term stability and independence.