I-Octane aims to uplift the island’s children with school tours

Reggae artiste I-Octane will kick off the first leg of his school tour under the theme ‘Uplifting the Island’s Children’. The first stop will be at the Marcus Garvey High School in St Ann on Tuesday, May 5.

Aiming to host what he calls ‘a school tour with a difference’, I Octane wants to use the opportunity to interact with young minds in a meaningful way and give them a life-changing experience.

During Child Month, which is being observed in May, I-Octane, who is christened Byiome Muir- will visit select rural high schools and seek partnerships with these institutions.

Each stop on the tour will feature motivational talks from both I-Octane and a representative from the Heart Trust NTA, along with a performance from the artiste and giveaways from sponsors.

“I wanted to visit schools in the country, preferably those that are called ‘deep rural’. The fact is that everything seems to happen in the cities like Kingston and Montego Bay, so unfortunately some places are forgotten,” I-Octane said. ” As artistes, we are always criticized for not using our influence and status to uplift the youth, and with all the killing and the madness that is taking place, I felt that now is the time for me to take some more crucial steps towards that upliftment.”

He added, “We took the decision to invite HEART Trust NTA to accompany us and tell the students in detail what they are all about and let these youngsters realize that this is a wonderful opportunity for them after leaving high school.”

“We are always happy to support our brand ambassadors in their initiatives, especially as they seek to use their talents to deliver positive and uplifting messages to our youths,” said Kamal Powell, Senior Sponsorship and Development Manager at Digicel.

Saint International will also be on hand as part of its model search.

The tour will also visit Lennon High School, situated in Mocho, in I Octane’s home parish, Clarendon, on May 7. Also on the artiste’s school tour itinerary are Titchfield High School in Portland on May 12; Robert Lightbourne High School in St. Thomas on May 13 and Claude Mckay High School, also in Clarendon on May 18.