Our Commitment to Give Back

Columbus’ social commitment is to ensure that it leaves any country in which we operate in better shape than how we found it. Hand in hand with technological development, Columbus is committed to demonstrating good corporate citizenship through sustained activities for community development and nation building through the following core pillars:

  1. Poverty Reduction through Technology in Education
  2. Protecting our Identity through Arts and Culture
  3. Building Economic and Social Assets through Sports
  4. Community Partnering

Columbus, through Flow, has supported a vast number of social projects and together our investment in such initiatives approximates $US 2.5M per annum and impacts hundreds of thousands of citizens across Jamaica, Trinidad, Grenada and Curacao.

Poverty Reduction through Technology in Education

Across all Flow territories, all public schools that our passed by our network benefit from free Cable and Broadband. More than 250 schools have benefitted from this program to-date. In addition, we partner with various service groups to improve the teaching and learning environment of schools through computer donations, access to educational software, mentoring and specific skills building. To date, more than 10,000 children have benefitted across the region. Here are some of the main initiatives.

  • Trinidad
    • Hop Along Learning
    • iLearn
  • Jamaica
    • Go GSAT
    • YUTE Programme
  • Grenada
    • Knowledge Bowl
    • Junior Achievement

Protecting our Identity through Arts and Culture 

  • Trinidad
    • Trinidad & Tobago Film Festival - Since 2008, Columbus has supported this landmark festival, which attracts thousands of supporters each year. With an investment now exceeding US$600,000, Columbus shares the organizers’ vision that the festival is an important outlet for the local film industry to showcase their many talents. In addition to the sponsorship, filmmakers are given the opportunity to showcase their work on Flow’s Video-on-Demand platform, with 100% of proceeds from purchases during the first 6 months of viewing returning back to the filmmakers to finance future productions.
    • Gayelle, The Channel - Gayelle is the only 100% local channel in Trinidad and Tobago and Flow supports its objectives as a major programming sponsor. With an investment to date of more than US$300,000 Flow ensures the channel’s continued effort to provide a platform for local content and talent.
    • Trinidad Tunes - Trinidadtunes.com is the only legitimate online music downloading site in Trinidad and Tobago. Flow has partnered with trinidadtunes.com and contributed US$200,000 to promote the cause of legal downloading of music through continuous anti-piracy campaigns. 
  • Jamaica
    • Calabash International Literary Festival- Through a partnership since 2009, Flow has been able to create opportunities for greater exposure for not only this critically acclaimed and world-recognised literary arts festival, but also for Jamaica in general.
    • International Reggae Day, Global Reggae Conference Week and the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival – Bringing much more local, regional and international attention to the cultural attributes of Jamaica and to help garner greater support for our local artistes.
    • HBO Latin America/Flow partnership – A special documentary on the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival was produced 2010. The program was aired to millions of viewers in more than 23 countries. The One Love: Jamaica Special was a collaborative effort between Flow, HBO and the Jamaica Ministry of Tourism.
  • Grenada
    • Grenada Carnival - Flow is one of the major sponsors of Spice. Through our community television channel, Flow supports every major event, ensuring the growth and development of this vital industry.
    • FLOW Rhythms of Summer - Flow is the title sponsor for this premier Rhythmic Jazz music festival. Flow has supported as title sponsor for the past two years, lending support to the growth and development Grenada’s indigenous music industry.

 

Building Economic and Social Assets through Sports

Columbus is committed to being a part of the game in the countries, communities and neighborhoods we serve. Across the region, Columbus shares our customers passion for sports and we strive to play a meaningful and relevant role.

  • Trinidad 
    • Cycling – Major Sponsor of the Beacon Cycling Festival.
    • Golf - Platinum sponsor of the Millennium Lakes Golf and Country Club’s Free Public Clinics and Junior Championship Tournaments. 
  • Jamaica
    • Football – Title Sponsor of the Flow Champions Cup.
    • Football – Partnership with ESPN-Caribbean to host special training clinics to help improve coaching performance and players skills.
    • Basketball – Title Sponsor of the Flow National Basketball Team and League.
    • Swimming – 2010 Major sponsor of the CARIFTA swimming championship and the Jamaica swim team.
  • Grenada
    • Sponsor of Celebrity Football Tournament for the Pink Ribbon Society.
    • Cricket – Sponsor of Mt. Airy Windball Cricket Competition.

Community Partnering

Columbus is committed to partnering with the communities it serves. Working with both public and private sector partners across the region to identify areas of greatest needs, Columbus supports a myriad of initiatives that benefit the underserved. Columbus invests significant resources annually in community development projects that positively impact hundreds of communities and thousands of individuals. 

  • Trinidad
    • Joshua Home for Boys
    • Just Because Foundation
    • KIND (Kids In Need of Direction)
    • Hands R for Helping
    • PAVI (Persons Associated with Visual Impairment)
    • The Red Cross
  • Jamaica
    • Teen Challenge
    • The Western Society for the Upliftment of Children
    • Committee for the Upliftment of the Mentally Ill
    • The SOS children Village in Montego Bay
    • The Friends of Brooks Park in Mandeville
  • Grenada
    • The Pink Ribbon Society
  • Curacao
    • ‘Anti-pest week’ (pest = Dutch for bullying)
    • The Wilhelmina Cancer Foundation

Columbus and CINTEL- Telecommunications Research Center of Colombia

Columbus Networks along with Telecommunications Research Center of Colombia, CINTEL, have provided an STM1 of International Capacity since 2009 as a donation to CINTEL and the Living. This project has fostered innovation for community building through the appropriation of ICT’s. The Living Lab is located in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, surrounding a vulnerable Afro-descent community of approximately 17,000 individuals with very low levels of income and poor living conditions (La Boquilla).

The Living Lab has three public access tele-centres with a total of 43 computers. Wireless networks distribute 100 Mbps of Internet access which connect 4 sites in the rural areas, as well as the informatics laboratories at various public schools in La Boquilla. Participating tele-centres and schools have computer training in Internet literacy. E-promotion & e-prevention activities are developed for different community groups including teachers, adults, students and senior citizens.

The Living Lab has expanded influence by linking 3 more public schools with approximately 10,000 students), a technical higher education institution, not-for-profit organizations and a health services organization. Each one of these organizations has a minimum of 10 Mbps of Internet access. The new locations are within the city of Cartagena (Pasacaballos, Torices, Barrio Olaya Herrera) and are all in communities with similar conditions to La Boquilla.

 

Telesur and the Stichting Cultureel Centrum Coronie 

(Foundation for the Coronie Cultural Centre – CCC)
In July 2011, Columbus donated a STM-1 Internet broadband capacity service to Telesur for the Cultureel Centrum Coronie (Foundation for the Coronie Cultural Centre – CCC). The renovation of the Coronie Cultural Centre and specifically the multi-functional room created, were a permanent gift from Telesur to the local community. People from Coronie, especially the student population, will be able to exchange important information by having new technologies at their disposal. Within the Caribbean Organization for National Telecom Operators, CANTO, Telesur is engaged in the project “Connect the Caribbean” and Columbus is proud to assist in this initiative.

 

Honduras Public School Donations

In June 2011, Columbus Networks signed a MOU with the State Secretary of Honduras following a pledge by John Risley and Brendan Paddick to President Porfirio Lobo Sosa and former President Ricardo Maduro to bring free internet to the public schools of Honduras. This donation provides international connectivity to all the public elementary and secondary education institutions in the country. With this contribution, Columbus Networks is supporting more than 10,000 public schools in Honduras, giving students access to a range of opportunities on the World Wide Web.