Spice Urges ‘Besties’ To Sponsor A Child In Upcoming Back To School Giveaway
After a hiatus during the pandemic, the Grace Hamilton Women Empowerment Foundation (GHWEF) is hosting its Back to School giveaway this year at the lawns of Hope Gardens on August 5. Founder Spice is planning on doing it bigger and better this year and has called on her fans (“Besties”), industry friends, and Jamaica at large to assist with helping families with back-to-school expenses.
As crunch time quickly approaches, Spice, who is currently working in Tobago, took to her Instagram Live on (Saturday, July 30) to express her disappointment with the lack of support thus far. She lamented that a whopping 12,000 fans had joined her Live in just 3 minutes to “talk mixup” and yet “none outta di 12 thousand don’t call me” after she had asked for donations.
“Mi have to talk about this, this haffi go in a paper, somebody have to frame this!” she said fuming. “12,000 people deh pon di Live! You want fi tell me say, uno see mi post di likkle back to school fi di pickney dem get two likkle book and two likkle uniform and none outta di 12 thousand ah uno don’t call me?”
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The Queen of Dancehall, whose 40th birthday is a day after the back-to-school giveaway (August 6), said hosting the event was how she plans on celebrating this year.
“You see the 5th of August, next week, ah dis mi want do fi mi birthday! Mi want gi di pickney dem two likkle book and two likkle pencil,” Spice said.
“So one a uno weh have it, mi want uno run up in a mi email, and send ah email on how uno can send something in a di account, how uno can Cashapp me, and how you can PayPal me and buy two likkle voucher. Mi want uno run go outta Kingston Book Shop or Sangster’s Bookshop and buy couple likkle voucher fi di kids dem.”
Spice’s aggressive approach this year is indeed warranted since her last Back to School giveaway in September 2019 came up significantly short. That year, the QOD showed up at the Maverley Gospel Hall in St. Andrew with school supplies packages to cater to approximately 500 children but was instead met with over 2,000 children and their parents. Some turned up from as early as 7 a.m., for school supplies that were scheduled to be distributed at 1 p.m.
Spice, who had been preparing packages for weeks in advance, was taken aback by such a massive turnout.
Determined to leave no hand empty this year, the entertainer is urging anyone who can, to assist with books, uniforms, school bags, and stationery.
“2019 I bought 500 bags and 2000 mothers came out, me alone cannot do it. Weh di rich people dem deh, weh mi rich friend dem deh?” she asked.
“Mi want each mother to leave with a voucher. Mi want the mother dem leave wid a good voucher, no badda feel like say mi a go give di mother dem no $1000, no $2000, no $3000 voucher, cause me is a mother and me know dat cant buy book!”
Spice asked followers to tag persons they knew could donate along with organizations such as JPS, Red Bull, KFC, Pepsi, Digicel, Grace Foods, Scotia Bank, and NCB to name a few.
Though she hasn’t tapped her colleague Sean Paul as yet, revealed she already reached out to Shaggy whose team is putting efforts in place to help in a big way. “Shaggy already say him a give back, and me and his wife a work it out how we a go do it real and proper this year.”
To donate to the GHWEF, fans, and friends of the QOD can request bank details in an email to gracehamiltonwef@gmail.com or on WhatsApp at 1876-877-5956. Additionally, contributions can be made through PayPal to spiceofficialent@gmail.com, or Cashapp to $GraceSpiceHamilton.
“Let’s make a difference together, join forces with me and sponsor a child if you can. Email Gracehamiltonwef@gmail.com if you’re interested in sponsoring💙 My giveaways will be AUGUST 5th!!! In Kingston @gracehamilton_wef,” Spice wrote in her IG post to promote the event.
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