L TO R – DIGICEL HAITI FOUNDATION’S SOPHIA STRANSKY, CEO, AND RACHEL PIERRE CHAMPAGNE, HEAD OF PROJECTS ENJOY THE AWARDS CEREMONY
Port au Prince, Haiti – Thursday, 21st November, 2012. Digicel was named a winner at the 2012/13 Corporate Citizens of the Americas (CCA) Award last night at a glittering gala in Washington DC. The CCA Awards are an initiative from The Trust for the Americas with support from the Organisation of American States (OAS), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and AES Corporation.Digicel was named the winner in the “Vulnerable Communities” category for its Digicel Foundation education programme in Haiti which sees it on track to build 150 schools by 2014 and deliver training to over 600 teachers who each receive more than 450 hours of training, mentorship and professional development.
Other winners on the night were IBM Latin America for its “Corporate Service Corps” programme in the Economic Opportunities category and CEMEX for its “Comprehensive Assisted Auto Construction” programme in the Citizen Security category.
The Trust for the Americas is a non-profit organisation affiliated with the Organisation of American States (OAS). It was established in 1997 to promote public and private sector participation in social and economic development projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. Its initiatives, implemented through local partner organisations, seek to improve access to economic opportunities for vulnerable communities in the hemisphere. To this end, The Trust also promotes social inclusion and good governance.
Commenting on the Digicel Foundation’s work in Haiti, Digicel chairman and founder, Denis O’Brien, said; “We are deeply committed to helping the people of Haiti to build a brighter future for themselves. Our education programme in Haiti sees between 80,000 and 90,000 children being given the opportunity to receive a much-needed education and teachers receiving proper training and support. We would like to thank the Trust of the Americas and its partner organisations for this kind recognition of our efforts.”