Safety & Resources

Press Release – Abstract 

IGNITE IGL SCHOLARSHIPS ARE GOLDEN- Professor Minerva Thame, UWI.

Kingston, December 10, 2021 – Scholarships provided by the IGNITE IGL Foundation to five students of the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the University of the West Indies have been hailed as “golden” by Professor Minerva Thame, Dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Mona.

She was speaking at a Scholarship Presentation Ceremony at the University on December 9, 2021, where the Razai Azard Rahaman Scholarships for Medicine were presented to MBBS students Briana Foster and Jeremiah Baker and the IGL Legacy Scholarships for Nursing to Sheryllee Smith, Samantha Rufus and Britney Hay, who are pursuing the undergraduate degree programme at the School of Nursing.

Professor Thame said that the students were extremely grateful for the scholarships since prior to Covid-19 they were struggling with the continued devaluation of the Jamaican dollar which caused an increase in their school fees and the pandemic has made the situation worse when many parents lost their jobs.

IGL Managing Director, Peter Graham noted that the scholarships are “a continuation of a tradition begun by the IGNITE IGL Foundation; a decade ago and are particularly timely during the pandemic to not only acknowledge the value and contribution of our medical community but importantly, to ensure the sustainability of the professionals that keep us safe.”

The full press release is available at the major media outlets.

The IGL internal bursary programme was conceptualized and initiated over 20 years ago.

Children of IGL staff members are rewarded based on academic excellence.

Each awardee receives a $15,000 annually.

Once selected as an awardee, students continue to benefit from their primary through to secondary education, as long as academic excellence is maintained.

The IGL Legacy Scholarship for Nursing was created in 2007 to reward Jamaican students of the University of the West Indies (UWI) Nursing Programme for academic and practical excellence, positive social engagement and to meet the candidates’ demonstrated financial need.

The IGL Legacy Scholarship for Nursing was initially developed as a $75,000 per annum award for a single candidate, however, IGL was awestruck by the quality of candidates and felt compelled to offer the award to two students. The value of the IGL Legacy Scholarship for Nursing was later increased to $100,000 per annum.

The Razai Azard Rahaman Scholarship for Medicine rewards academic success, community involvement and financial need for Jamaican nationals who are registered in the first year of the full-time undergraduate MBBS programme in the Faculty of Medical Sciences.

The Razai Azard Rahaman Scholarship for Medicine covers tuition annually for each recipient for five years at $650,000 per year.

The Razai Azard Rahaman Scholarship for Medicine is named after Mr. Rahaman, one of IGL’s esteemed Directors. Mr. Rahaman has over 45 years senior management experience and is considered one of Trinidad’s most successful businessmen. He is the Chairman of the Rahamut Group of Companies, and President of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Dealers Association of Trinidad and Tobago.

Since inception of both the IGL Legacy Scholarship for Nursing and the Razai Azard Rahaman Scholarship for Medicine, the Ignite IGL Foundation has invested over JM$40 Million in both programmes for the education of the next generation of healthcare professionals in Jamaica.

The scholarship awardees are selected annually by a panel including IGL executives, UWI administrators and UWI lecturers, and with the support of the UWI Office of Student Financing.

IGL has always been committed to supporting its neighbouring communities by fostering programmes that improve the educational, social, spiritual and economic welfare of students.  IGL continues to support this programme because its owners, board members and staff firmly believe that we have a responsibility to give back to the communities we operates within.

IGL Ignite Foundation has been partnering with the Riverton Meadows Early Childhood Education Centre for over 20 years, donating cash to the Centre for the maintenance of its breakfast feeding programme and a year’s supply of LPG.

The official Annual Breakfast Event is usually scheduled during Child’s Month – May, where a cheque for $300,000 is handed over to St. Patrick’s Foundation.

The official handing over ceremony day’s activities includes catered breakfast and lunch for the staff and students at the Riverton City Early Childhood Centre.  IGL staff members and UWI IGL Scholarship recipients are invited to volunteer their morning at the Centre, serving breakfast, reading to children and bringing cheer.

The Ignite IGL Foundation also provides a donation of exercise books & pencils that are handed out to the students and branded premiums gifts presented to staff during the function.

Over the past 20 years, Ignite IGL Foundation has donated over J$6million in cash and kind to the breakfast feeding programme.