Jamaican-based managed IT services provider, tTech Limited, hosted a tablet handover ceremony on its 15th anniversary on Wednesday, December 1. 

The initiative, according to a tTech statement, is the first activity in the company’s anniversary celebrations, which saw tTech donating close to $1 million worth of tablets to needy Jamaican students.

A total of 60 tablets were earmarked for students from the primary to high school level hailing from 15 different schools across the parishes of Kingston, St Catherine and Westmoreland.

The tablets were distributed during the ceremony to the Kingston and St Catherine-based students, who were identified by the charity organisation, House of SDM. 

Central to tTech’s decision to embark on this initiative was their recognition that access to technology for schooling was still a pressing issue for local students.

Marketing manager at tTech, Gillian Murray, said the company has foregone any celebratory events for their decade-and-a-half anniversary and, instead, channelled those funds to provide tablets as a necessary resource to students whose education has been negatively impacted by the pandemic.

“tTech has always, and especially throughout the pandemic, supported initiatives that cater to youth and education, so it was important for us to channel our efforts into giving back to our community in this way and effect change in how children learn – so 15 schools were chosen to celebrate our 15th anniversary,” Murray stated.

tTech CEO, Christopher Reckord, in his address during the ceremony, urged the awardees who ranged from 5 to 14 years, to start now in creating goals for themselves that would lead them to success – mirroring tTech’s trajectory from a five-employee startup to now one of the most trusted IT service providers in the country with about 55 employees.

“It was important for us to make this investment in the children, as the future of tech in Jamaica is in their hands,” Reckord said.

Francine James-Prince, finance director for the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) and the event’s guest speaker, encouraged the children to follow her example in using education to their advantage, to navigate negative circumstances that they may face.

These sentiments were echoed by House of SDM’s chairman, Sheldon Millington, who was pleased to be able to partner with tTech to support vulnerable students.

“The best thing that anyone can give is the gift of education and that is why we wanted to provide these children with something that could positively impact their lives,” Millington added. 

The students were gleeful to receive the gifts and their guardians expressed appreciation that their children would now have the opportunity to fully participate in their online classes because of the donation of tablets.