With over twenty years of exposing various generations to the fundamentals as well as the evolution of reggae music, Rebel Salute has provided an educational platform for highlighting Jamaican culture and music. This significance of our efforts for music and cultural expression laid the groundwork for the outreach programmes we undertake under the banner of the Rebel Salute Foundation.
The Rebel Salute Foundation, through its “Teach the Children Scholarship” programme, has supported two very special individuals from the Marcus Garvey Technical High School for the past four years. The school – located in our adopted parish of St. Ann, and named after a man whose principles we hold dear – is just 5 minutes from our event home in Priory.
Our scholarship recipients Kezia Williams and Jevaughn Smith have each been receiving scholarship cheques valued at $60,000 each academic year. The disbursement covers auxiliary fees, lunch and transportation for the year. The scholarship is renewable each year until the students have completed their 5th form graduation, on the condition that their academic performance and discipline remains outstanding and exemplary to their peers.
Foundation Origins
Tony Rebel has been heavily involved in several local communities throughout his career as a promoter and recording artiste. He, along with the Rebel Salute team, has always taken the initiative to support persons and institutions in need, and has donated to various causes including persons seeking medical treatment and providing schools with much needed equipment. The decision to start a Foundation was therefore a natural transition to formalize these efforts.
Over the years, the Foundation did most of its work quietly, adhering to this Biblical principle when pursuing philanthropic endeavours: ” …so that your giving be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly ” – St. Matthew 6:4
The younger generation of the Rebel Salute movement, however, felt it was time to organize and structure our efforts to improve the reach, impact and scope of what was largely an ad-hoc process. The Teach the Children Scholarship became our flagship programme, and one that we hope other like-minded persons and organizations can get behind.
Additional scholarship recipients are to be added to the programme each year from the outgoing 7th grade cohort, based on the selection criteria which includes: performing well academically, showing discipline and diligence among peers, and demonstrating a willingness to help Jamaica’s cultural advancement.
It is the Foundation’s intention to continue to increase the scope of how we aid in Jamaica’s development. Ultimately, our goal is to create sustainable outreach programmes in the areas of music, healthy living and environmental protection.
To support the Foundation’s work you may contact us at + 1 (876) 765-2518 or email us at: info@rebelsalutejamaica.com