22 soccer players benefit from CIBC FirstCaribbean

Twenty-two soccer players recently scored goals towards becoming more cyber-safe-savvy during a one-day session at the historic Warrens Great House.

The under-elevens, members of the Mavericks Sports Club, participated in a Girls’ Empowerment Initiative hosted by CIBC FirstCaribbean under its Adopt-a-Cause Programme and coached by its Technology and Enterprise Security team.

The initiative started with a team-building exercise which saw the girls working in groups as they tried to build their tallest possible tower using macaroni and marshmallows.

In the afternoon, they were engaged in interactive sessions focusing on safeguarding themselves while online by exploring subjects such as choosing and securing passwords, posting personal information, pictures, and their whereabouts as well as safe surfing and anti-virus matters. Later, they went into a serious practice session, dramatizing likely events related to those issues.

One of the club’s directors, Raphael Holder, lauded the bank for staging the session, pointing out that children needed to be aware of the dangers they could face online and how to avoid them.

He said this had become even more critical as children were being required to use the internet in their daily lives
for online learning.

Holder said that the club which had ten teams participating in football, understood the value of providing its over 300 members with training, on and off the field, that would redound to improving their lives.

He added that the Girls Empowerment Initiative allowed the girls to be involved in an exercise that would positively impact their lives and he hoped that the bank would continue to help the club in this regard.

Senior Manager of Business Processes, Design and Change, Gavin James, explained that the bank was actively involved in community outreach exercises and added that through its Innovation Forum @ FirstCaribbean project, there were lectures delivered.

In addition, the bank has been involved in efforts to push innovation. Commenting on the Girls’ Empowerment initiative, James said that it was mind-boggling how many children had access to social media therefore it was particularly important to ensure that they were given adequate information to safeguard themselves while online.

The bank, he said, was therefore happy to help them achieve cyber safety.

The bank also recognised the club’s on field activity and presented them with several footballs.

Holder explained that having the balls would assist the club as it sought to expand to communities on the island.

He said that the Mavericks Sports Club was stationed at the Police Sports Club, St. Michael but had an outreach hub at Orange Hill, St James, the community from which the girls are drawn. He also confirmed that the club would soon be setting up in St. Philip. (PR)