“When you are in a position to have gotten so much, the gift at this point is to give back”. Sandals South Coast Butler, Joyawardena Griffiths, affectionately known as Joy, shares this sentiment. A stalwart Sandals Foundation Ambassador, Joy has been part of the Sandals family for over a decade. During this time, she has given both her service to the operations and her time to effecting change. Many activities planned on behalf of the foundation at a resort level will see her present, smiling and going above and beyond to engage with the community.
Joy reached out to the Sandals foundation requesting a donation of school supplies for Windsor Basic School in Siloah, St. Elizabeth. This institution holds a special place for joy, as this is the school at which she started her educational journey. “I feel so blessed that I am able to honour this space that has given so much to me growing up. The teachers were so resourceful with the little they had to ensure that maximum learning took place,” says Joy. She’s happy to work for a company that allows her to exercise her philanthropic muscle by providing much-needed school supplies. “The children are so excited, and the staff grateful that they will be able to employ creative ways to engage learning.”
Thanks to Sandals for Joy
The principal of the Windsor Basic School, Mrs Christene Dennis, thanked the Sandals Foundation for their donation. “We try our best to make charts and other things to complement our lessons as well as share resources between the classes because we know some parents aren’t able to afford the supplies needed. So receiving these supplies will help us to do so many more activities because there are more resources,” said Mrs Dennis.
Since its launch in 2009, the Sandals Foundation has touched the lives of over 1.1 million people across the region. Their reach has touched health, education and community initiatives like this one. They’ve partnered with the United States-based SickKids Caribbean Initiative to advance pediatric cancer research and care; collaborated with Great Shape! Inc, a volunteer group to host free dental, eye, and wider health clinics. They will also provide infrastructural support to various hospitals and health care centres in Jamaica, Antigua, St. Lucia, Grenada, Turks & Caicos, Bahamas, and Barbados.
