Toots Hibbert Foundation seeks to assist youth

The Toots Hibbert Foundation recently donated US$5,000 (approximately J$750,000) to multinational non-profit organisation Youths For Excellence Ltd.

Some of the funds will be used to purchase tablets for the Treadlight Primary School in Clarendon, as well as the Trench Town and the Windward Road Primary schools in Kingston. The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information will assist with the procurement and distribution of the tablets. The remainder of the funds will be utilised by Youths For Excellence Ltd to assist children with other needs.

On December 20, Leba Hibbert, vice-president of the foundation, handed the cheque to Jenine Shepherd, founder of Youths For Excellence Ltd, at the office of Education Minister Fayval Williams, who was also on hand to witness the donation.

"We're very happy to partner with Youths For Excellence Ltd and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information to assist these schools. This is a continuation of my father's legacy. When he was alive, he made contributions to several institutions including the [Victoria] Jubilee Hospital, the Alpha Boys' School and the May Pen Primary School. As time unfolds, the Toots Hibbert Foundation will continue to do what we can to help the people of Jamaica especially the youths," said Hibbert.

Her father, considered an icon of Jamaican music, began touring in the 1970s. His landmark album Funky Kingston is rated as one of the greatest albums of all time.

His band Toots & the Maytals won the Grammy Awards for Best Reggae Album twice, in 2005 with an album titled True Love and this year for Got To Be Tough.

The legendary reggae icon passed away at the age of 77 on September 11, 2020 at the University Hospital of The West Indies.