JAMAICAN DANCEHALL ARTIST AIDONIA SUPPORTS EDUCATION THROUGH HIS ‘ONE VOICE’ SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM!

Despite a full roster for summer, dancehall artist Aidonia on Wednesday morning reaffirmed his commitment to education with a visit to the Maxfield Park Primary School to personally hand out awards and five scholarships to students of that institution through his One Voice Foundation.

Worth over $300,000 Jamaican dollars the annual scholarship program focuses on five students at the grade six level, who exemplifies good behavior, attitude, maintain the highest grades throughout their school tenure and pass their GSAT examinations. At the end of the school year the top-performing student is awarded a grant of $200,000 for high school. The remaining four are allotted book vouchers annually to offset their academic expenses.

Aidonia and scholarship recipients

Speaking at the award ceremony Aidonia said, “Good intentions and a good heart are always a formidable combination. But when you add to that a literate mind, then you have something very special. Not because many of you are from certain socio-economic backgrounds you should never let that define who you are. I would love to see some more Doctors, lawyers and even Entertainers coming from this school”.

Similar sentiments were echoed by the Principal Beverley Gallimore-Vernon and Vice principal Annette McDonald.

This year’s awardees are Rushell Collins, Shenelle Matthews, Renard Wedderburn, Brianna Walker with top honors going to Shamara Baker

Now in its third year the One Voice Foundation, a non-profit organization has taken a multi-pronged approach to nation building of which the scholarship program is one such node. The ‘Banga’ hit-maker is also currently scouting locations to build a public computer lab in Kingston, with the intent of providing free computer access to children who are without such amenities.