TWELVE primary schools and a NGO are to benefit under a Western Union initiative geared at improving literacy.

The recipients — Rousseau Primary, Mona Primary, Swallowfield Primary & Junior High, and Holy Rosary Primary in Kingston and St Andrew; Top Jackson Basic & Primary and Crescent All-Age in St Catherine; Mt Carmel Primary in Clarendon; Balaclava Primary, Geneva Primary and Pedro Plains Primary in St Elizabeth; Robin’s Hall Primary and Porus Primary in Manchester; and Grace & Staff Community Development Foundation — are getting help under the company’s I-PLEDGE programme.

I-PLEDGE means ‘I Promise to Lend Encouragement to Develop Growth in Education’ and was established by GraceKennedy Money Services through its brand Western Union in 2009 to support community development with an emphasis on primary education.

Western Union handed over one of 13 sets of computers to the students of Rousseau Primary in St Andrew recently, under the Western Union computerisation programme 2012-2013.

Member of Parliament for East Central St Andrew Dr Peter Phillips said what is available in the national budget is not enough to educate all our children to the highest standards, and thus thanked Western Union for their help.

“Western Union is accepting that it is part of their responsibility as good corporate citizens to do their bit to meet the educational challenge,” he said at the handing-over ceremony at the school.