Marley for Education
Giving educational support to almost 200 Jamaican students

Marley for Education is an annual programme which provides well-needed assistance to boys and girls ages 3-17 years, from basic to high school. The foundation assists individuals by awarding scholarships in the form of school books, school fees and/or school uniform support.

Nine years and thousands of scholarships later, the social intervention programme continues the tradition started by Bob Marley, of giving financial assistance to parents in Trench Town, to meet the ever-increasing costs of education. We have been able to expand the boundaries of our reach to include individuals from areas such as Majestic Gardens, Olympic Way, Rum Lane, and Spanish Town Road.

This year, the Bob Marley Foundation partnered with the Kingston Book Shop, Sandro Paris, Eye Q Optical, Tuff Gong International and Kids Club International.

The successful scholarship awardees are selected from families deemed most in need of assistance. Priority attention is given to children from single parent homes, homes where parents are unemployed, deceased or physically disabled or where a child in the home has special needs. In total, one hundred and ninety-eight (198) scholarships were awarded this year.

Five-year university scholarship awarded

This year, the Bob Marley Foundation partnered with A.A. Joseph Limited to provide a special five-year scholarship to a student pursuing a degree in medical sciences at the University of the West Indies.

James Joseph, the Managing Director of A.A. Joseph Limited awarded the Albert Anthony Joseph Award to Joviell Hayden.

The Book Club donates used and new school books to students

A special feature of the Marley for Education programme is the Book Club. Students who are recipients of scholarships each year are encouraged to participate in the Marley for Education Book Club. In this book club, re-usable books are returned to the club and redistributed to other students. Approximately seventy (70) books were distributed through the book club this year.

The programme is boosted by the assistance of a group of young volunteers who work to ensure that the programme is a success. “One of the high points of the programme, is the feeling of gratification you get from knowing that you have helped someone who is really in need!” says volunteer Trudy-Ann Graham. This was the common sentiment expressed by all the volunteers.