Buju Banton donted his $3 million prize from the Jamaica Song Festival competition to the Sunbean Children’s Home. Those proceeds were used to establish an egg production business.
Legendary reggae and dancehall artiste Buju Banton’s promise of a egg production business to Sunbeam Children’s Home has been fulfilled.
In July 2020, upon being announced winner of the Jamaica Song Festival competition, Buju Banton declared, “For me the true winners tonight is the Sunbeam Boys’ Home. We did it Sunbeam Boys’ Home. We did it.”
True to his word, Buju Banton, through his foundation, donated the $3 million prize to the St Catherine-based facility for construction of the project and Desmond Whitely, administrator at Sunbeam Children’s Home, is overflowing with gratitude.
“Mr Myrie and the foundation our sincere gratitude for this gift. We see this as the most significant contribution by any single individual [owing to] its impact on the development of Sunbeam. The approach taken by the Buju Banton Foundation to focus and invest in the long-term development of the wards is the best way to attain sustainable life-changing impact, especially for young men. It is indeed easier to build boys than to mend men. The foundation’s contribution is building the boys of Sunbeam and to a larger extent the men of Jamaica,” Whitely extolled.
Rosemary Duncan, director of the Buju Banton Foundation, said that the donation provides for 500 layers and the chicken coop is equipped with all the required resources. “We want a commercially-viable business so that the Sunbeam Children’s Home Layers Project produces eggs for sale to meet demand. A marketing officer has been employed to assist with promotion, sales and product distribution. The income generated will be directly reinvested into the facility to provide for its residents. They, along with staff, will obtain ongoing training in agriculture and management, to ensure the durability of this project,” Duncan explained.
For Buju Banton, it is simple. “My mission, is to help marginalized youths. To ensure they could achieve their destiny. I will continue to do so through the Buju Banton Foundation,” the reggae superstar said.
The Buju Banton Foundation, established in January 2019, continues in its mission to “give help and hope” to vulnerable boys. The icon also enlisted celebrity friend, rapper Kanye West, to support the mission by donating laptops and desktop computers to staff and residents at Sunbeam Children’s Home and Manchester Boy’s Home. Music streaming company, Audiomack, recently contributed US$5,000 to the cause. The Buju Banton Foundation also awarded a full scholarship to Tajay Bailey of Denham Town High School. Food supplies, school stationery, shoes and skills training workshops are among the resources gifted to youths.
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