Once again Corporate Jamaica is coming to the rescue on the issue of Autism and Disabilities.
The Jamaica National Netball Club in collaboration with the Jamaica National Sports and Social Club during Autism month April 2011, officially launched the national, regional and internationally fundraising mechanism: the Every Mickle Makes a Muckle donation account, to support the work of The Maia Chung Autism and Disabilities Foundation (MCADF).
The concept of the account is based on the concept being used by various religious organisations worldwide, which solicit funding to enact their agenda, by having interested persons set up cash donations in a consistent fashion, ideally in the form of a monthly salary deduction.
The funds anticipated will initially deal with assisting Autistically affected get therapies and schooling, as paid for by the Foundation, according to the collection's success.
The board plans include branching out into, also providing wheelchairs, groceries to disabilities affected people of all types in the long term.
These are all activities already being done by the Foundation, but the account is intended to keep the activities consistent, in line with the ever present needs in these areas.
The work to be done, speaks to the core functions of the MCADF, which in tandem with directly reaching into the lives of the affected in a meaningful, non-bureaucratic fashion; is committed to raising awareness about the needs of the Autistically and otherwise impacted disabled people which the Foundation serves.
According to MCADF board member Jeanette Gordon, the Every Mickle Makes Muckle idea was first articulated by MCADF Managing Director, Maia Chung.
Ms. Gordon explains that a dedicated monthly amount of 100 Jamaican dollars equals $1200 yearly from one individual.
If ten thousand people make this dedication , this will yield millions of dollars, annually - to help people who are affected by Autism and Disabilities.
It will help create a consistent infrastructure for a situation for which there is a heavy need for more support systems, in an ongoing fashion.
The numbers impacted by Autism continue to skyrocket nationally and internationally, without any sign of a cure.
Maia Chung indicates, "we have not received a government subvention for our work since the first year of our existence. We started working 2008."
She says funds are chronically low at all times.
Mrs. Chung-Smith says, "the subvention we did receive from government, was spent entirely in paying school fees to special schools across the country for our clients".
"There are no longer any significant major lump sum donations coming in and every company is saying the same thing the government is telling us no money" - Chung adds.
She indicates, "since we can't push the disabled people of the island - we will have to do something. So our organisation is turning to some of the best survivors we know: the Jamaican people".
Jeanette Gordon explains -"this mechanism is one of the several solutions our company has created with a view to filling an urgent need in this society".
Chung added - " families are being ruined by the financial burdens associated with disabilities, from upper class to the poorest. You will see a lot of depression, broken families, untreated people who otherwise can help this nation is valuable ways, but like the normal people we have to help them get to a state where they can be a plus not a minus".
Donors to the account can think of their $100 contribution as a small non-invasive... but extremely valuable way of changing their world for the better.
Chung says, "the MCADF is a bunch of working people who know how to budget and what is realistic for working people to be able to do".
Gordon added - " we have to thank the Jamaican National Building Society for being a Jamaican institution with a heart, as evidenced by their essential role in making this account a reality and giving us the protection and oversight capacity as such an August financial body they are".
The account is accessible worldwide through the bank's online banking system.
The JNBS team says that having the account available online makes it more convenient for most persons who want to donate and they can donate as often as they would like.
It also makes the account readily available to non- JN staff.
Once you have an account at JN you can sign up for free to our online banking https://www.jnbslive.com. The steps to donate to the account is as follows:
Selecting payments, then single and multiple payments. Under category select donation. Under company select the Maia Chung Autism and Disabilities Foundation. Enter the amount. Select add, then pay.
If online is not your forte, you may use any of the island wide or international Jamaica National branches.
Just go in and ask for The Every Mickle Makes A Muckle Account number: 11061480.
The Foundation board as well as Foundation patron Senator Norman Grant lauds JN as one of the many ongoing Foundation supporters, that has stepped in to fill a significant breach, which needs important players, such as Corporate representation, but Government also.
The MCADF says that while government will never be able to do everything,when citizens step in to fill needs that are relevant to societal advancement, these mechanism must get support from the state. And additionally so should the companies which help these efforts.
Chung says she hopes that the mechanism is supported worldwide and one of the blessings is that Jamaica National is a company that has that worldwide access.
She adds that "one time donations are more than welcome and if you decide because you live overseas to dedicate a US dollar, pound or Canadian each month it will help in fact every Mickle (small amount)you give will make the Muckle (larger amount ) that helps us, keep people assisted in crucial ways".
Ms. Gordon says, "Jamaicans need to support the Jamaica Nationals of this nation, Jamaica National being a synonym for every company, individual, group, church ,service club, media house that has ever helped us help others".
The issue of educating Autists is one that is highly problematic in Jamaica.
Additionally the inability of parents to consistently pay fees for specialised treatments/education and is driving the institutions that offer the care to shut down.
Currently government support is not yet at the level to subsidize many of the debilitating education costs.
Autism is mental condition, present from early childhood, characterized by great difficulty in communicating and forming relationships, and in using language and abstract concepts.
