KINGSTON, Jamaica — Ten children’s homes across the island will benefit from wash stations to be built through a signed agreement with the Digicel Foundation and the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA).

The agreement was signed during a meeting at the foundation’s downtown Kingston headquarters yesterday.

The CPFSA has been lobbying for all homes to install wash stations.

“It is very critical in our child care facilities to continue with the protocols, including the washing of hands. We’ve instituted regular washing for the children — these wash stations will be critical in that,” explained Rosalee Gage-Grey, CEO of the CPFSA.

“It’s our pleasure to be partnering with the Digicel Foundation. Some very meaningful projects have been executed before and we are quite appreciative of this initiative to put wash stations in 10 of our facilities,” she continued.

The Digicel Foundation said it has invested over $100 million into Jamaica’s COVID recovery including donations of food and sanitisation items to the CPFSA.

“Throughout the pandemic we’ve been putting children first,” explained Charmaine Daniels, CEO of the Digicel Foundation. “Our children have been greatly impacted by COVID and we have to do everything to create a sense of normalcy for them while ensuring their safety. That’s why we’ve partnered with the CPFSA to provide continued support.”

In 2020, the foundation constructed 10 wash stations in special needs schools to assist the institutions with reopening their doors. It said each station was made from concrete to ensure durability and was equipped with a sensor-operated faucet and a foot pedal-operated faucet for hands-free use.