Excerpt from Jamaica Observer column published Monday,15 March 2021

By JeanLowrie-Chin

WE have heard of the infuriating and sometimes deadly attacks on people of colour, mostly in the US when they were driving while black, birdwatching while black, waiting in a Starbucks while black, or jogging while black. Well, the sensational interview by Oprah Winfrey with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex (Harry and Meghan) has seemingly added ‘gestating while black’ to the list of horrors.

The British Royals seemed to have embraced the beautiful addition to their family — the mixed-race Meghan Markle. Yet we learned from the televised interview that during Meghan’s pregnancy there were discussions about how dark her baby’s skin might be. The British tabloids, which had praised Kate, wife of Prince William, for gently cradling her pregnant belly, went after Meghan with negative comments for doing the same thing. We are told Meghan suffered mental stress and was refused assistance by “Palace HR”.

Driven to giving up duties as senior royals, they were refused security. I love this part of the interview: Their ‘rescuer’ was the once-homeless, black billionaire Tyler Perry, who offered the couple a home and security until they were able to organise themselves.

Harry has been cut off by the British royal family and said it was his mother’s legacy that had enabled him to buy their home. Now with Netflix and Spotify contracts worth over US$180 million, we believe they can now afford the royal comforts to which they were accustomed.

We, watchers of ‘The Crown’, are fascinated by this age-old monarchy. Even as some call for its abolition, the British Monarchy has an arresting history and is Britain’s biggest tourist attraction. However, I agree that Jamaica should have our own head of State, and our Governor General Sir Patrick Allen would make a fine president of the Republic of Jamaica.

Now I am not sure if a friend of mine was, in fact, joking, but he said in a discussion about the nuts and bolts of Jamaica becoming a republic, many years ago, that it would also include the replacement of every button on the uniforms of our security forces, and that the updating of various stamps and seals would cost millions which at the time the country could not afford. Please, let us find the funds after we have recovered from this pandemic, and get it done. We would still be a member of the Commonwealth, sharing in the collegiality and goodwill of member countries.

Along the way to the Food for the Poor Jamaica complex, occupying on the main Spanish Town bypass, street vendors of various kinds festoon the roadway alongside brick and mortar businesses and other industrial enterprises. Essentially a fixture after many years, they may be viewed as entrepreneurs

Encouraging a more community-minded entrepreneurial spirit is what the folks inside the sprawling and imposing structure are increasingly focused on. What began with small-scale food distributions in Kingston has now grown into a massive network of individuals and corporate entities dedicated to lifting Jamaicans out of poverty.

While that dedication initially had as its expression the nourishment of the poor, FFP has long since grown way beyond that marker. To the “Food” in its name, the organization has added homes for the homeless (over 35,000 since its founding), the provision of medical supplies and equipment, and the training of teachers and caregivers. More than 295 schools have been assisted, some 100 schools have been built since 2012, and the organization also provided computers and workstations to schools.

But even those numbers don’t portray the breadth nor the emphasis on supporting self-reliance. FFP has programs in place to train people in Farming, animal husbandry and aquaculture development. With fishing, for instance, that metaphor of self-reliance reflected in the adage “give a man a fish, you feed him for day; teach him to fish, you feed him for life” is being backed by tangible support. At 15 fishing villages around the island, men have been equipped with 69 boats; so not “taught to fish” but specifically given the vital means by which they may pursue the livelihood. Similar projects provide water tanks to facilitate rainwater harvesting, which in turn supports cash crop and other agricultural enterprises.

Of course, the feeding aspect continues as do the other forms of physical care; Nearly 350,000 Jamaicans are fed each month through feeding centres The Our Lady of the Poor Clinic serves over 4,200 patients every year Our Angels Of Hope program cares for 414 children. Food For The Poor today includes more than 1,800 churches as partners in the distribution of the aforementioned food, medicine, educational supplies and other needed items. With the onset of the COVID pandemic, that relief is more vital than ever, and the economic challenges have pressed donors at all levels

Development and Marketing Manager Marsha Burrell says that the organization has thus far met those challenges, “our donors responded tremendously well in 2020, and have really helped us to answer the call; we truly appreciate their contributions, not just monetary or material, but of their time and attention and skill. That has really helped us to adapt to the changing realities, and we intend to deepen that process.”

She attributes the success to the core quality of the organization. “We are a family here, we do what we do primarily out of love and the commitment to see to the needs of our community, not just because it is right, but because we truly regard each other as brothers and sisters.”

Throughout the massive warehouses and the loading bays and the containers and into the offices and  meeting rooms, that spirit of love and concern for fellow man reverberates – expressed both in the direct relief offered and in the infusion of a “can-do” spirit, that in turn enables others to grow, prosper and turn their attention to their own communities.

Excerpt from Jamaica Observer column published Monday, March 08, 2021

By Jean Lowrie-Chin

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“There is life beyond this valley,” declared Michael Lee-Chin during a recent interview on a Canadian television station. He noted that “crisis equals danger plus opportunity” and stressed the importance of long-term planning. He said that, because he had done this for his businesses, there was no need to change their strategy, even in the face of the COVID-19 crisis. “Stay in your lane and stay in your long-term plan,” he advised.

For those who did not have such a plan, now is the time to get one done, and they may find Lee-Chin’s “five rules for wealth creation” useful. These are:

1) own a few high-quality businesses;

2) understand them well;

3) ensure they are in strong, long-term growth industries;

4) use other people’s money prudently;

5) hold the businesses inter-generationally.

He said that, as a Baby Boomer, he went into the investment business when he saw this large cohort of the population looking to retirement planning. Now, Baby Boomers are ageing and health care is looming large on his radar, particularly, the sub-trend, cancer. He is therefore investing in peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT), described as “molecular targeted therapies [which] use drugs or other substances to identify and attack cancer cells while reducing harm to healthy tissue”.

To entrepreneurial aspirants Lee-Chin says one should ask oneself: “How am I making sure my businesses are relevant?” He says they should look at differentiating themselves, be in a constant reputation-building mode, and focus on making sure they are solving customers’ issues. This is the practice of successful businesses — reading the market, gathering the data, making the plan, executing, and preserving your competitive advantage.

Tricia Williamson’s Bambusa straws became popular with the ban on plastic straws and since then she has expanded her line, offering world-class items made from bamboo, some with enthralling digital interface. When Monique Powell introduced her company, QuickPlate at a PSOJ meeting a few years ago, little did we dream that her service would be in such great demand with the arrival of Covid. IT companies are busy, helping companies get up to speed in the new work-from-home dispensation.

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We can take advantage of free online workshops and courses at coursera.com, network on LinkedIn, and pick up well-paying part-time jobs at Fiverr, Upwork, Toptal, Simply Hired, PeoplePerHour, Aquent, Crowded, The Creative Group, 99Designs, and Nexxt.

Job seekers should know that there are many willing executives who will spare the time to help you navigate your way forward. If you don’t ask, you won’t know! With the avalanche of COVID-19 concerns and arguments we can lose focus on that all important long-term planning for family, career, business, and community. If we do not focus, we can become drained and immobilised. We must guard our mental health, make the effort to celebrate family milestones virtually and lift the spirits of our friends and colleagues. Let us power out of this valley.

Excerpt from Jamaica Observer Column published Monday, March 08, 2021

By Jean Lowrie-Chin

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The passing of the great Bunny Wailer, born Neville O’Riley Livingston, was noted far and wide in the global media. He was Bob Marley’s stepbrother, and together they endured poverty and honed their musical excellence to become, with Peter Tosh, Junior Brathwaite and Beverly Kelso (believed to be the only surviving member), the world-famous Wailers.

My husband Hubie believes Bunny Wailer was the top singer of them all. He cited his memorable compositions Cool Runnings, Ballroom Floor, and Rootsman Skanking. We learned only last week from a Jamaica Observer article quoting Marcia Griffiths, that it was Bunny Wailer who wrote Electric Boogie for her; the classic which inspired that joyful group dance Electric Slide.

His past year was a sad, including the struggle to find his wife who went missing and is yet to be found.

We give thanks that Bunny Wailer’s passing is not the end of the phenomenal Wailers; their art will endure for generations to come. Our condolence to his family. May his soul rest in peace.

Excerpt from Jamaica Observer column published Monday, March 08, 2021

By Jean Lowrie-Chin

Jamaica’s Ambassador to the US, Audrey Marks, has initiated a monthly ‘Jamaica Connect’ conversation with members of the Jamaican Diaspora and the response was so great that some visitors on Zoom had to be redirected to the Facebook Live link. Ambassador Marks briefed attendees on the new protocols for those planning to visit Jamaica, and fielded questions.

Participants wanted to see more education in Jamaican heritage, were concerned about the well-being of our children here and expressed their willingness to contribute to their education. We felt their deep love for their homeland; there are still untapped opportunities which we need to further explore. Ambassador Marks, herself a successful entrepreneur, will no doubt be promoting this – there is strength in numbers.

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The Officers, staff and members of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) are tremendously saddened by the untimely passing of its Interim Chief Executive Officer, Miss Greta Bogues, JP.

PSOJ President Keith Duncan in expressing his deep sorrow stated that, “The PSOJ, and I personally, are experiencing an unimaginable loss that is difficult to process. Greta was committed to, and evoked excellence in those with whom she worked. She was a stalwart in the private sector and a servant to Jamaica who could be relied on to give her all in any effort with which she was tasked.”

Miss Bogues’ professional experience spanned the financial industry, non-profit, education, and the distribution and manufacturing sector. She served as the first female Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the combined Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ), the Jamaica Exporters Association (JEA) and the Jamaica Bankers Association (JBA) in 2001. She returned to the PSOJ at a critical juncture in 2020, to serve as Chief Executive Officer (Interim) spearheading a number of initiatives as part of the Organisation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Duncan continued, “She was a treasure to us here at the PSOJ – and even more so to her country. We are beyond grateful for the time she served and the invaluable contribution that she made. We express our deepest condolences to her family.”.

Miss Bogues embodied servant leadership. She was a woman of indomitable spirit who led with distinction, enabling partnerships and building multilateral and multisectoral alliances for national development.

A doyenne of Corporate Governance (CG), she was a certified CG trainer who worked tirelessly to enhance the awareness of good corporate governance practices, helping to strengthen both public and private sector entities. As founding Chair of the PSOJ’s Corporate Governance Committee, she forged a legacy in the field, imbuing others with her passion through training and the willful sharing of her knowledge and expertise.

Her penchant for service extended to her involvement on numerous public and private sector boards as well as philanthropic efforts. She served on the boards of the Toll Authority of Jamaica, HEART Trust NTA, the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) and the National Council of Education, among others. She devoted untold hours of service, particularly at the St. Andrew Parish Church and the Anglican Diocesan, helping to positively impact the lives of many in St. Andrew Settlement, Majesty Gardens Infant School and Majesty Gardens Learning and Health Centre.

Our hearts go out in sympathy to her church, colleagues, friends, and family who feel the tremendous pain of her loss. Greta will be dearly missed.

Businesses look to strengthen resilience of IT infrastructure and improve remote work capabilities

Kingston, Jamaica – Wednesday, 3^rd March 2021. A third of businesses are not currently happy with their existing technologies and 74% are looking to improve remote working capabilities; that’s the assessment according to a survey conducted by Digicel Business.

Across the world, businesses have been feeling the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Not just a health issue, there have been significant changes in how businesses operate and serve customers. A survey conducted in late 2020 by Digicel Business, targeting senior decision makers or influencers within businesses (ranging from SMEs to public and private sectors organisations) in the Caribbean and the Pacific, explored the impact on business performance, current concerns and future outlook, system improvements made since Covid-19 restrictions and priorities moving forward to improve system resilience.

Covering multiple sectors from six countries in the Caribbean and two in the Pacific regions, there were many similar challenges. From the more than 3,000 respondents, some common concerns included funding challenges, business productivity, cybersecurity threats, and dissatisfaction with remote working technology.

In Jamaica, for example, 21% of businesses are struggling to pay suppliers, 29% are facing difficulties when requesting payments from customers and more than a third of businesses are seeing a 40%+ hit on revenue.

Tom Carson, Digicel Group Chief Business Officer said: “Digicel Business is in the business of providing solutions, but instead of presuming to know what the challenges are, we believe in doing the research to find out firsthand, so that we can address problems directly, and turn these challenges into opportunities for our customers. The result of this is our Covid-19 Business Impact Report and Recovery Guide.”

Disruption from the pandemic has tested system resilience at an unprecedented level and highlighted key shortcomings and vulnerabilities, and despite efforts to improve systems, almost a third of businesses are still not satisfied with their existing technologies, and are looking to make improvements primarily in areas concerned with remote working and process automation.

Of those surveyed, 48% plan to offer staff remote working options after the threat of Covid-19 has passed, so strengthening IT infrastructure resilience will be crucial, and by focusing on flexible workplace; collaboration & communication; business continuity; cyber security and smart technologies, organisations can drive long-term business resilience.

Tom continued: “We believe in listening to our customers and providing them with solutions that meet their needs, this is why we introduced the Digicel Business Hub. Whether serving SMEs, large corporate entities or regional Governments, we partner with the industry-best (Cisco, HP, Microsoft, Fortinet, Dell and IBM) to provide end-to-end fully managed business solutions to improve business efficiencies.”

Excerpt from Jamaica Observer Column published Monday , March 01, 2021

By Jean Lowrie-Chin

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Chairman of J Wray & Nephew Limited and Campari Group Jamaica Jimmy Lawrence retired recently after over 25 years of world-class leadership with the two companies. The elegant, understated Lawrence earned the respect of colleagues worldwide, serving on the board of the West Indies Rum & Spirits Producers’ Association (WIRSPA) and as chairman of the Spirits Pool Association, as well as the Jamaica Rum and Spirits Trade Association.

Born in St Ann, Lawrence is a York Castle High School alumnus and studied chemistry at The University of the West Indies (UWI). In an interview with the Jamaica Observer‘s H G Helps he recalled his mother’s insistence on good etiquette and shared his passion for education, sponsoring scholarships for less fortunate children.

Helps quotes Lawrence: “In terms of other plans, being a scientist, I have inventions that I have logged. I have even filed for at least one patent in the US patent office… ideas that I have but when you get engrossed into working and being part of a team it just diminishes the available time and the drive to carry these things to an end. I think in my more relaxed years — retirement — these are some of the things that I would pursue more… I look forward to retiring… it’s another phase and I want to be closer to my kids and my wife to enjoy the fruits of our labour as much as possible.”

We wish Jimmy Lawrence an enjoyable and adventurous retirement.

Excerpt from Jamaica Observer column published Monday March 01, 2021

By Jean Lowrie-Chin

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Here we are in March 2021, one year after the COVID-19 alert was sounded in Jamaica and we closed down our offices, started working more from home, wearing masks, sanitising; doing all the right things to stay well. Meanwhile, some of our fellow citizens were partying and going maskless about their business and taking the illness home to their elderly relatives.

You better believe that these offenders are not all poor, uneducated Jamaicans; some are well-off people whose arrogance has risen to stupidity.

With our hospitals at capacity and our medical personnel in exhaustion, we welcomed the news last Friday that a generous gift of 50,000 Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines from the Indian Government will arrive this week. The Indian High Commissioner to Jamaica Masakui Rungsung said this was the result of the valiant efforts made with various agencies in his country: “This situation has given us sleepless nights,” he shared. Present at the announcement was Foreign Affairs Minister Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, whose diplomatic skills have brought much goodwill to Jamaica. We thank High Commissioner Rungsung and his Government for this urgently needed contribution.

Vaccine distribution

A letter widely circulated on various platforms from the Medical Association of Jamaica (MAJ) requesting information on seniors in preparation for vaccine distribution was really meant for doctors and not the general public. Information regarding individuals over 60 should be supplied to their respective general practitioners so that the MAJ can collate and share it with the Ministry of Health and Wellness.

I understand that the sequence for the administering of vaccinations is, first, health and front line workers; second, the security forces; and, third, the elderly, defined as people over 60.

A US poll has revealed an encouraging high-acceptance level of the vaccine and we are hoping that this will be the same for Jamaica. There is a lot of anti-vaccine nonsense circulating on WhatsApp. Meanwhile, those of us with elderly relatives in countries where the vaccine is being administered are reassured by their messages that there may be discomfort for one or two days, but they are well and very relieved to have the protection of the vaccine.

There are now three vaccines approved by the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) — Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and the single-shot Johnson & Johnson. We have been assured by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that, while they may not have 100 per cent effectiveness in preventing COVID-19, they have 100 per cent effectiveness in keeping those affected from becoming seriously ill and in need of hospital care. Well, if that is not enough assurance, I do not know what is.