With a shared vision to impact Jamaica’s most vulnerable young people, the LASCO Chin Foundation (LCF) has partnered with LASCO Distributors Limited (LDL) at the Clan Carthy High School.
Recently, the students benefitted from an expanded breakfast programme with LDL-donated breakfast items.
LASCO handed over to the school a wide range of nutritious breakfast products including LASCO Oats and Instant Oats Porridge Mix, Corn Flakes, Corned Beef, Instant Chocolate Mix, Jack Mackerel, and iCool Water.
According to Renee Rose, LASCO Distributors Corporate Programmes Manager, LASCO is part of a robust drive to counter the economic challenges faced by underserved families across the nation.
“We are working to chart a healthier, positive future for our country’s youth through our Breakfast Programmes. We saw the need to encourage and empower the Clan Carthy students to be better informed about good nutrition and its impact on overall classroom performance. LASCO was inspired by the commendable efforts of the teachers and principal and saw it necessary to show our support,” Rose said.
In the 2019-20 financial year, the LASCO Breakfast Programme, benefitted LDL-adopted schools Collins Close Basic School and Gwen Neil Basic School; Rock River Primary in St Mary and Jamaica China Goodwill Infant School in Olympic Gardens.
Clan Carthy High Principal Hazel Cameron said the donation was well needed.
“We realise that a lot of our children were coming to school hungry in the mornings, some would not have had a meal from the day before,” Cameron shared. “So, we took a community approach to resolve the situation having recognised that less hunger results in improved student health, and even fewer distractions in the classroom. We are elated to have LASCO on board at this critical juncture.”
Omar Palmer (third left), marketing manager-consumer division at LASCO Distributors Limited beams with pride as Clan Carthy High School representatives (from left) Janaye Graham, Head Girl; Tiana Green; Dovonna Hyman; Shemour Wedderburn, Head Boy and Hazel Cameron, principal show-off their favourite LASCO products during a recent handover of LASCO breakfast items to the school.
LASCO has maintained support of critical areas such as education, health and community development for the past 30 years.
“For some time our breakfast programme had to be placed on hold due to a lack of resources. Now thanks to LASCO more of our children who are in need, are getting the nutrition necessary to learn and thrive. This act of goodwill has certainly lifted the spirits of my colleagues and most of all the children,” commented Maxine Lunan-Matthews, Clan Carthy High Welfare Co-ordinator,
For Professor Rosalea Hamilton, CEO of the LCF, the programme not only helps the children it also benefits the teachers.
“We understand the difficulties that the teachers face daily in teaching students who are hungry and providing support to them outside of the classroom. The LASCO Breakfast Programme is an important part of a range of interventions that the LCF has implemented here, targeting youngsters who are at-risk of all the ills of poverty and criminality,” noted Professor Hamilton.
She further explained: “The LASCO Chin Foundation believes holistic intervention is needed to address not just nutritional need but also psychological, financial and other needs to improve the general well-being of our students.”
Between September to December 2019, the LCF through its Sustainable Social Intervention (SSI) Schooling Support Programme provided financial, nutritional and behavioural/psychological intervention for Grade 7 students at Clan Carthy High who were deemed most at-risk. Following the comprehensive character and social development programme thirteen LASCO Nutritional and Personal Care packages were distributed to the parents /guardian of the beneficiaries.