Accounting firm PwC Jamaica gifted J$500,000 towards the welfare of 50 students at the Holy Trinity High School in Kingston to ease their return to the classroom for the new academic year.

The students, ranging from grades seven to 11, received gift certificates valued at J$10,000 each on Friday (September 15), to close the gap in obtaining supplies that may have been challenging to secure.

“The truth is, the children who we have at the Holy Trinity High School are from lower- middle class, poorer families,” stated Father Carl Clarke, principal at Holy Trinity High.

“And so, any gift is always going to be welcomed; and fifty students receiving gifts of gift vouchers of ten thousand dollars is superb; couldn’t have come at a better time. And so we’re grateful to PricewaterhouseCoopers for the continuous partnership with our school. Every time there is an interface it’s always been a very pleasant one, and we want to not only say big up PricewaterhouseCoopers, but we also want to, as I’ve always done, invite Corporate Jamaica to look at us and look at other schools like us, and to imitate what PricewaterhouseCoopers has been doing,” the reverend added.

PwC Jamaica donated 40 tablets to the institution in 2020 to help close the digital gap created by COVID-19, then returned in 2022 with seven desktop computers, 30 tablets, and 100 access keys to literacy training software valued at J$2 million in support of the Academic Intervention Programme (AIP).

Then, in May 2023, the firm gave a donation valued at J$2.1 million that covered the beautification of the enrichment centre (where the AIP is held), a new air conditioning unit and eight desktop computers.

According to Carolyn Bell-Wisdom, partner and sustainability leader at PwC Jamaica, investment in youth and education remains a priority for PwC.

“We truly believe that education can make a lasting difference in people’s lives not only at the individual
level but at the national level as well. That’s why we try to truly understand the needs of our partnering schools and work with them to ensure that their students are able to not only attend school but to thrive as well,” Bell-Wisdom explained.

This donation reflects this desire, by ensuring the students are starting the academic year with the tools and resources they need to supplement their learning. So, I’m delighted that our firm was able to extend support to these students and we hope to see them continue to grow and develop into well-rounded individuals,” she continued.

Currently in its 70th anniversary year, the Holy Trinity High School wishes to raise $70 million, primarily through corporate sponsorship and fundraisers.

It is hoped that a portion of the funds raised will be set aside to launch an endowment fund, which will help to stabilise the school’s financial situation and assist with guaranteeing a high standard of education for all its students.