Kingston, Jamaica – Monday March 31, 2014
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Nathan
Anderson (right) perfects his skill on the surf board, with advice from a
Jamaica Surfing Association instructor. Nathan along with a number of other
children with autism and their families were treated to a day of fun on
Saturday, March 29 at Cable
Hut Beach. The
event was hosted by theJamaica Autism Support Association (JASA) in partnership
with the Digicel Foundation.
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For the fourth consecutive year, the
Digicel Foundation lent its support to the Jamaica Autism Support Association
(JASA) for a fun-filled day of surfing for children with autism and their
families. The event took place at the Cable Hut Beach on Saturday, March 29,
2014.
The fourth annual staging of Surfing
for Autism was attended by over 100 children and their family members. Children
were given the opportunity to take surfing lessons with professional surfers from
the Jamaica Surfing Association. Those who preferred a more relaxing day
‘kicked back’ in the wading pool or jumped in the bounce-a-bout.
JASA Co-Founder, Kathy Chang, said
the event is important as it provides the children and their families the
opportunity to let loose in a safe and fun environment.
“Our
children look forward to this event, which gives them a chance to have some fun
in the sun, sea and sand. Our parents also enjoy this event, which allows
their children with autism to be themselves without judgment or stress. They
also appreciate the fact that this is an inclusive event that their whole family
can enjoy and participate in,” said Chang.
Kathy also
expressed her appreciation to the organisations that supported the event,
saying, "On behalf of the families of JASA, we truly appreciate the
support from the Jamaica Surfing Association, the Rotary Club of Trafalgar, New
Heights and all the organisations that made the fourth annual Surfing for
Autism possible. We especially are grateful to Digicel Foundation for
being there for us and for paving the way for other organisations to join
in and support us."
Inelek Wilmot of the Jamaica Surfing
Association explained that for many of the surfers, this event provided their
first point of interaction with children who are autistic. Despite this, he
noted that, “When teaching surfing, dealing with an autistic child is not so
different to dealing with any other child. They are all kids and the really
love it,” said Wilmot.
For her part, Digicel Foundation’s CEO,
Samantha Chantrelle, is delighted that the Foundation is able to be a part of
the Surfing for Autism initiative every year.
“This initiative is very dear to my
heart. Being able to see the children run free along the beach without fear of
being judged and the parents being able to sit back and relax- it is truly an
amazing day,” said Chantrelle.
The activity-driven event at Cable
Hut Beach also provides an opportunity for Digicel staff to get involved. This
year, twenty staff members volunteered to help set up for the event, organise
registration, refreshments and engage in various exercises with the children.
Digicel Foundation volunteer Donna
Henry expressed her enjoyment at being able to participate in the event, “We
are proud to be a part of this very special event. Having the opportunity to
see love in action is a true blessing.”
In addition to Surfing for Autism,
the Digicel Foundation also supports JASA’s annual World Autism Awareness Month
Concert, set to take place on April 12.
Autism is the
world’s fastest growing developmental disorder. It is a lifelong disability
with a normal life expectancy. Autistic children show delays or regression in
speech, social skills and physical abilities. Approximately 450 children are
born with autism in Jamaica each year. Early interventions, such as speech,
occupational and behavioural modification and physical therapies, give children
a chance at a normal life.
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Being
the youngest surfer, did not stop little Kyle Coleman from paddling out to
take on the waves on Saturday, March 29 at Cable Hut Beach. The occasion was the annual
staging of Surfing for Autism by the Jamaica Autism Support Association
(JASA) in partnership with the Digicel Foundation.
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About
Digicel Foundation
The Digicel Foundation is the
largest local private sector foundation in Jamaica. Since its inception in 2004
the Foundation has invested over J$1.2 billion in communities in which Digicel
operates islandwide. The Digicel Foundation has been proactive in the areas of
Education, Special Needs, and Community Empowerment.
The Digicel Foundation has:
- Invested over J$100 million in their Enrichment Initiative in partnership with the Ministry of Education to improve literacy at the primary school level islandwide.
- Invested over J$38 million in resource rooms, including science and IT labs, in high schools islandwide.
- Committed to building three Special Needs schools, two of which, the STEP Centre, and NAZ Children’s Centre broke ground in 2012.
- Invested over J$60 million in Community Empowerment initiatives over the past four years, including $10 million annually and $15 million in 2012 to support the National Best Communities Competition and Program.
- Invested $13 million in the ‘Back to Roots—Stronger Roots, Stronger Communities, Stronger Nation Project.’ The programme aims to help community organizations become more self-reliant by facilitating their transition to social enterprises, by teaching them how to run sustainable community businesses.
About
JASA:
Jamaica
Autism Support Association (JASA) is a support group for families living with
autism. It was initially started in 2007 as a parent support group. Today, JASA
still provides support for many parents of autistic children, but has broadened
its scope to include raising awareness around the disorder, and advocating for
persons living with autism as well as those who provide care for them. JASA
meets every last Saturday of the month at the Kingston YMCA. The organization
hosts annual awareness events such as dental clinics and workshops to educate
parents, teachers and caregivers on how to care for an individual with autism.
It also hosts a church service during World Autism Awareness Month.
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