DIGICEL, has won a 2015 Ethicalcorp Responsible Business Award for its efforts to help rebuild the education system in Haiti following the country’s devastating 2010 earthquake.
The Awards recognise companies that adopt and promote responsible business practices throughout their organisation, improving the lives of their customers and the communities in which they operate.
Digicel was selected as winner in the “Most Effective International Community Investment” category from a short list of eight global companies including Barclays, the Hershey Company, Primark, UPS and Vestergard at an awards ceremony at the Cumberland Hotel in London last Friday
Haiti’s education system was on the verge of collapse as a result of the 2010 earthquake, which destroyed 90 percent of the country’s infrastructure. Through the Digicel Foundation, Digicel kick-started reconstruction efforts by increasing the number of schools it committed to build in local communities from 20 to 50.
Digicel further expanded its support by building more permanent, earthquake-resistant buildings, funding teacher training courses and creating jobs throughout local communities. To date, the Digicel Foundation has invested more than US$39 million in its school-building project, completing 150 schools and creating more than 10,500 construction jobs and making it the single largest school builder in the Caribbean.
Digicel Group CEO, Colm Delves, said; “Supporting our communities and the needy across the world is a core part of Digicel’s ethos of giving back and helping the less fortunate. It was an easy decision for Digicel to help those who were severely affected by the 2010 earthquake in Haiti – especially the children who were at a significant disadvantage due to the widespread destruction of schools across the country. Winning this award is a testament to the hard work and sacrifices made by our colleagues in Digicel Haiti and the work of the Digicel Foundation. We are happy that these students now have comfortable surroundings in which to learn and grow.”
Today, more than 50,000 students in Haiti attend schools built by the Digicel Foundation. Digicel continues to nurture education throughout Haiti with an additional investment of US$12 million to fund critical teacher training and development programmes, all of which help to ensure Haiti’s young people enjoy the bright future they deserve.