Twenty-year-old Rashanique Rodgers, a student of the Genesis Academy in Kingston, is beaming with confidence following her recent internship at the Digicel Foundation.

She is one of three students with special-needs who have been given the opportunity by the Foundation to participate in activities geared at first-hand exposure to a business environment.

For the first time this year, the Digicel Foundation has included special-needs students as part of the Foundation Internship Programme. These interns have been afforded a chance to participate in carrying out administrative/clerical functions at the telecommunications company. Selected candidates worked for a minimum of four weeks and a maximum of eight weeks. Rashnique completed her four-week internship recently.

Rashanique, who aspires to be a model and computer technologist, described her experience in filing, inventory and activities with the Special Needs Programme as very beneficial. "I was uplifted, motivated and my confidence was boosted. I am now a better person for having participated in the programme. My mother and my community are proud of me."

grateful

Her mother, Maria Forbes, is equally grateful for the opportunity afforded to her daughter by the Digicel Foundation. "Being a shy person, it helps to build her. Everyday she come home, she talk about the team from Digicel and how much they help her," she said.

Martin Thame, recruitment manager at Digicel Jamaica explained that the internship programme helps the company to connect with people in a different way.

"We operate within a diverse society, so it is important that we have a representational workforce. As an equal opportunity organisation, Digicel is specifically committed to reaching out to those with special needs and providing opportunities for their valuable contribution."

The Internship Programme is one way of demonstrating the Digicel Foundation's passionate commitment to nation building, by providing special-needs students with their first entry into the work environment and allowing them to make their contribution to society.

In addition to providing opportunities for persons with special needs within the organisation, the Foundation also focuses on ensuring that students with special needs have access to first-class education and care facilities through the creation of Centres of Excellence.