Excerpt from Jamaica Observer column published 19 October 2020
By: Jean Lowrie-Chin
This Heroes’ Day let us hear it for family, teachers, neighbours, church family, club family, who are always calling, gifting, counselling. Let’s hear it for the frontline workers during these Covid times who are working double and triple shifts to keep us safe and healthy, even as they are in and out of quarantine for being in contact with Covid-positive folks.
Let our hearts be warmed by the five heroes from the Bay Farm Road area who rescued 12-year-old Mikaila Robinson who had fallen into the raging waters of the Sandy Gully after last Wednesday’s heavy rains. The men, who used a long rope to secure themselves, said it was difficult to keep their footing in the moving waters, but they had to try to save the child. Thank goodness, Mikaila was unhurt and the rescue went viral on social media, as we embraced this act of bravery.
Then there was the ‘Ray of Hope’ feature on Television Jamaica, featuring a young farmer, Jermaine Black from Charlemont, St Catherine, who after seeking in vain for employment decided to take up farming five years ago. “I am a proud farmer,” he declares. He started with one goat, and ended up with 27. He says while some do the nine-to-five, “Me go to the farm from Sunday to Sunday.”
As for too many other farmers, praedial larceny has been a plague for Jermaine. Now he has to tie his goats close to where he is working or lock them up. However, he refuses to give up. “I love farming and I love to take care of animals,” he says. Jermaine pleads to his fellow Jamaicans to invest in themselves and to persevere.
How will we nurture this courage in our people that they do not turn to cowardly acts of crime? Jermaine did enrol in a HEART programme, but he still could not get a job. If someone had given him a care package it would have helped him for a week, but not a lifetime. There are enough agencies and universities in Jamaica to help us put hands, hearts and heads together to support our young graduates. Then we should promote their successes in media to attract and inspire unattached youth.
I remember years ago, a young fisherman came to the Daily News office and shared with us that he had been arrested for robbery after yielding to the urging of young friends. He had served his time and was now trying to get funds to buy fishing equipment. We collected the funds for him and he thanked us tearfully. A few weeks later he arrived with some of his best catch to share with us. If we want to heal our country, we must stop judging people after they have paid their debt to society and try to give them a chance. Sandra Ramsay, head of the Food for the Poor Prison Ministry, can tell you about the grateful Jamaicans whose fines are paid every Christmas and Easter for their prison release. They return to their families, resolute to create better lives for themselves.
In each of us dwells a hero who will spare the time to help a child or a parent struggling with virtual classes, take an elder for a check-up, or simply call a Covid-weary friend. Kudos to young Pastor Carrington Morgan of City Life Ministries in Southside, Kingston. He became concerned about the elderly folks in the community who felt isolated because of Covid, so he contacted the Digicel Foundation, asking for simple ‘banger’ mobile phones. Now they can be in touch with him to share prayers of comfort.
Several Jamaican businesses are in a heroic struggle for survival as they try to save jobs. Island Grill’s Thalia Lyn explained on the news that most of her employees are single mothers, the sole breadwinners for their household. Please plan with curfew hours in mind and try to support our businesses as we balance life and livelihood.
Tree planting success
We recently attended the virtual awards presentation for the Caribbean Tree Planting: Empowering Youth Climate Action held by the Clinton Global Initiative and the CariPhil Alliance. Jamaican Mary McLaughlin, the visionary founder of ‘Trees That Feed’ is working along with 13 Youth Ambassadors in the Caribbean. She noted that nearly one-third of the target of one million trees had been planted over the past year in the following territories: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Dominica; Dominican Republic, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Croix, St. Lucia, Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago.
Additionally, the Haiti Small Holder Farmers Alliance led by Thony Loui had planted 300,540 trees. The Timberland company has been a sponsor of the Haiti project.
Congratulations to the young winners of the “It Starts With a Seed” competition: Copeland Smith of the Bahamas, Taniek Williams, Jamaica and Abner Sauveur, Haiti. These Covid times have reminded us of the importance of food security. Let us plant ‘trees that feed’ and give ourselves healthy local alternatives to imported over-processed foods.
Jamaica Highlights 