Excerpt from Jamaica Observer column published 18 January 2021

_{By: Jean Lowrie-Chin}

World famous futurist Edie Weiner, who spoke at an IWF (International Women’s Forum) event here in Jamaica some years ago, was back last week to address us at a virtual IWF Conference. Weiner is convinced that we are entering a new civilization where humans are capable of three things: leaving the planet, destroying the planet and designing the future. She believes that with Elon Musk’s advances, in ten years we may be holidaying or even living on Mars. She warns that Arctic ice is melting faster than the models had predicted. She said that with artificial intelligence (AI), we are designing different futures in which genetic engineering, nanofabrication and 3-D printed body parts will see us humans no longer as just this body we live in, but merged with IT.

Weiner says that HR and IT must now be joined together, as one cannot function without the other. She challenged us to ‘go back to square one, re-imagine everything.’ She says we now have three life cycles: 1-50 years old, 51-100 years old, and the life ‘out in the ether’ – our entries saved in a cloud and thoughts on social media – what are the ethics around these? For architects, the built environment must take climate change into account – design on water as coastlines disappear and create extra-terrestrial developments. Soil testing on Mars will be an interesting exercise.

She notes that we have moved from workplace to work-space, that gender has new definitions, that e-sports is gaining as much popularity as physical sports. She has seen 30,000 people watching e-sports in a stadium (pre-Covid), beamed to 30 million. Universities are offering expensive scholarships to ‘e-thletes’!

She says the generation of energy will come from previously undiscovered sources as ‘everything is made up of energy’, so that innovators may be turning batteries into motor vehicles. She opines that with the new wearables and remote medical care, doctors may become the last resort. Indeed, the Texas A&M is recruiting mechanical and electrical engineers for medical studies as that is the way of the future.

She notes that we are moving ‘from mankind to mind-kind’ where the mind will be far more necessary for productivity and therefore the emphasis must be placed on critical thinking. We will go from education to learning, she says, where technology will allow you to be immersed in every subject. You will not need teachers, she notes, but you will need millions of ‘guides’.

She sees the rise of ‘distributive income compensation enterprises’ (DICE), like Airbnb and Uber forcing us to re-imagine the structure of economies. She notes that capitalism now has two branches, private and public, wherein ‘things that matter will become part of the bottom line’, the relentless evolution of corporate social responsibility. Interestingly, she notes that Trust is today’s new luxury, ‘much wanted but in short supply’ 

She described an experiment with the female and male brain when faced with a problem to solve: the man’s brain lit up in a particular place while the woman’s brain lit up all over ‘like a pinball machine’. She believes organisations need both types of brains to be successful.

She wants us to allow the younger generation to imagine their future, “From John Lennon to John Legend to young legends. Let us pass on our hopes, not our judgement to the younger generation.”

Regarding Covid, she declares, “The virus did not stop our lives. It has accelerated the need for change, it has forced us to re-examine healthcare, social welfare, prisons and workplaces.”

She said that successful organisations must promote true diversity, valuing the thinking of different types, and understanding that in the gaming world young people are choosing to be anyone they want, so they do not feel limited. Referring to her humble beginnings as a foster child enrolled in a school that was described as the worst in America, Edie Weiner believes, “It’s not about the haves and have nots, it’s about the cans and the cants.”

She said Nelson Mandela used his mind to escape from his physical 27-year imprisonment and emerged to change his country. “Power is not something someone gives you,” she explained. “Power is what you take.” She said successful leaders have three things in common: vision and passion, the ability to articulate them in word and deed, and a complete lack of embarrassment.  On this Dr. Martin Luther King Jr day, we can agree that he manifested these qualities. 

In short, to seize the opportunities of this new civilization, we must return to square one, shrug off the old formulae, re-imagine a brave way forward and take our power to make it happen. 

Gut-punch for the free world

The dawning of 2021 brought us new hope. We were so glad to see the back of 2020. Then on January 6, not even a full week into the new year, we watched with horror the attack on the US Capitol, a gut-punch to the free world.  Our country has benefitted greatly from the USA via the USAID and Ambassadors appointed by both Democratic and Republican administrations have engaged generously with our people. Ambassador Sue Cobb and Ambassador Pamela Bridgewater served with excellence and grace.

The last time we met with outgoing Ambassador Donald Tapia was at an event sponsored by his embassy to celebrate Jamaica’s Unsung Heroes. Past US Ambassadors have come together to create the American Friends of Jamaica (AFJ), raising millions each year for our worthy causes.

There is hardly a Jamaican family that does not have close relatives living in the USA and even in this pandemic, remittances have increased, the fruit of their labour, many serving on the frontline of the Covid crisis.

America is our family and so we wish President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris a successful way forward through the tragic suffering and death caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, and the trauma of last week’s insurrection. They need our prayers.

Domestic violence and our children

One of the elements of the ‘Nurturing Care Model’ developed by the Early Childhood Commission, is a safe environment, and so we are heartbroken at the murder of four-year-old Cloey Brown, caught in the crossfire of a domestic dispute between her father and her uncle in Trelawny early last week. Just a few days later, we learned that two-year-old Akeira Kerr was injured in another family dispute in Trelawny: her aunt threw a stone at her father, fracturing the child’s skull. Thank goodness we hear that she is showing improvement at the Bustamante Children’s Hospital where she underwent surgery.

Our social workers and psychiatrists should be engaged by the relevant ministries to creating mediation training programmes especially during these Covid times when tempers are short and patience is wearing thin. Mental health issues are on the increase worldwide, and we cannot afford to have our innocent children becoming victims of yet another serious health hazard.

Excerpt from Lowrie-Chin Post published 02 June 2008

_{By: Jean Lowrie-Chin}

Sharing this column on Hon. Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart who passed away yesterday.

“Butch Stewart’s childhood was no easy street,” said the young voice on the call-in radio show. Jaime Stewart was 12 years old when she made her broadcast debut correcting a talk-show host’s assumption that her father was born into privilege. It was this challenging start as an early breadwinner for his humble Jamaican family, that helped mould Gordon “Butch” Stewart into today’s business titan.

Jaime, now a Director at Sandals Resorts Intl, reflects on her father’s unwavering ethics: “He makes decisions based on what is correct and then fights for them. This applies to the environmental issues with other properties. It all boils down to laws that have been broken. My Dad is a strong patriot and when it comes to his country, he will stand up and take the beating.”

Last Tuesday, hundreds of guests converged on a glittering Hope Gardens to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the ATL Group. In his trademark style, founder Butch Stewart shared the kudos with six ATL long servers who in turn paid tribute to their visionary leader. They had their own special stories about the man Virgin’s Sir Richard Branson saluted as “a guy who knows how to build a brand… a maverick (with) guts, determination.”

Long before branding became the hot marketing buzzword, Butch Stewart had slapped the Fedders logo on the side of his first luxury buy, a white Mercedes, much to public amusement. For him, it was simple: Fedders had helped him to buy his Benz and he was going to use his Benz to sell the brand. And how. Butch Stewart and his lean team became the talk of the middle and monied classes, as the folks you could call in the morning and know that by the time you had returned from the office in the evening, your home would be as cool as a Fedders breeze. ATL Technical Control Manager Errol Lee related the rush he was in during those early times, to deliver the instant gratification promised by his boss, resulting in three fender-benders.

It is this single-minded focus, that has seen Butch Stewart parlay a nine-man operation into the ATL Group of Companies that now employs over 10,000 persons throughout the Caribbean. The humble company has spawned the Sandals and Beaches chains, an automotive company and this venerable newspaper.

As Sandals Project Manager Betty Jo Desnoes tries to define the maverick style of Butch Stewart she describes a scene: “He gets a call, spins around in his chair, punches his calculator and gives an answer. Or he will call in about ten of us, listen keenly and quickly sum up. I have never seen anyone cut through the fog of indecision so quickly.”

In reading his marvelous book, “All That’s Good”, one discerns that the guiding force of the Stewart empire is the synergy of three basic Christian principles, faith, hope and love. Only a person of faith would have invested in the run-down Bay Roc Hotel in 1981, rapidly rolling out a gold-standard hotel chain that would cop the most coveted international tourism awards. ATL’s master plumber and jack-of-all-trades Aston “Plum-Plum” James remembers being told by his boss, “Plum-Plum, come take a ride with me. We’re going down to Montego Bay to look at something.” It was nine months before James returned to Kingston, leaving behind a shining restored property, Sandals Montego Bay.

And hope. Betty Jo remembers the devastating blow dealt by Hurricane Gilbert in 1988 to the three Sandals properties in Montego Bay as well as two others being built in Ocho Rios and Negril. She said on hearing the news, “Mr Stewart…began galvanizing. He dispatched every truck he had and bought up every piece of lumber and nails.”

Butch Stewart decided that he would rebuild the properties even better and hastily called a press conference in New York to outline his plans. With their reputation on the line, every team member toiled ceaselessly, no one working harder than the boss himself. Hailed by travel writers as “a miracle”, the resorts were rebuilt and reopened three months after Gilbert in time for the beginning of the 88/89 winter tourist season.

Most obvious is the love. Former ATL Warehouse Manager Josephine Marshall who recently retired after serving the company for nearly 32 years recalls her trepidation in the seventies when people were selling out and leaving Jamaica. She said Butch Stewart called them into the boardroom to assure them that he was going nowhere and that their jobs were safe. “That’s why I stayed so long … Mr Stewart is a fantastic man!” she enthused.

Former ATL Branch Manager and now Sandals Projects Director Eleanor Miller remarked that Butch Stewart “never asked you to do something that he would not do himself … It’s very much a family environment.” The other 30-year veterans Larry McDonald, Phillipa Thomas, Carl Ennis and Checks Nichol all relate incidents of his quiet generosity: airlifts to Miami to get the best medical care, scholarships for children of team members, personal guidance and mentorship. This care is part of the ATL and Sandals culture, warmly extended to customers and guests.

But make no mistake; Butch Stewart has no patience for dishonesty. “There are only two things that will get you fired from this company,” says Betty Jo Desnoes, “lying and stealing. He won’t fire you for a bad decision and will even say a bad decision is better than no decision at all.”

Jaime Stewart recalls a business-imbued childhood where family vacations became trade show visits. “It was extraordinary, going to England, the ITB show in Germany. These were experiences that can’t be taught.” Jaime and her siblings share their father’s passion for the industry: “He lives, eats, breathes his work and makes room in his life for all those in his business,” comments Jaime. She says that growing up, her mother PJ “helped us to understand that he couldn’t be with us as much as he wanted because he had this huge commitment not only to us and customers but to his employees and employees’ families.”

But there was a great sadness in Butch Stewart’s life, the loss of his son Jonathan to a motor vehicle accident in the 90s. “A lot changed when Jon died,” said Jaime. “Dad became even closer to his family and more spiritual. Now, wherever he is traveling, he goes to Mass every Sunday and on his way he will call us to find out if we are planning to go.” She reflected that he also lost his father and brother in recent years and is very emotional when he prays. “This is why he wears dark glasses in church,” explains Jaime, “he hardly ever has dry eyes when he is worshipping.” The shades were very much in evidence on Wednesday, when Butch Stewart and his staffers attended a 40th anniversary service in downtown Kingston conducted by Father HoLung, who lauded Butch Stewart’s generosity to the less fortunate.

Butch Stewart has stayed a tough course, taking every challenge as an opportunity and every employee as family. Prime Minister Bruce Golding has observed that he will be remembered as the man who revolutionized marketing in Jamaica, and enjoys the fierce loyalty of his staff. No doubt, the annals of tourism will also record him as the man who redefined the “all” in all-inclusive.

Excerpt from Jamaica Observer column published 21 December 2020

_{By: Jean Lowrie-Chin}

Our bumpy ride through St. Thomas was relieved by the parish’s beauty spots.  We passed Bull Bay, where we had enjoyed happy reasonings on the beach with Fred and Cynthia Wilmot of blessed memory. Three generations of Wilmots still continue their legacy of wholesome living, with an ever-expanding fan base of surfers worldwide. The Roselle Falls take your breath away and there are colourful fruit stands; this parish yields some of the sweetest fruit in Jamaica, matchless naseberries and mangoes.

The parish is home to our courageous National Hero Paul Bogle and we see his spirit reflected in the teachers and parents of special needs students, resolute that with the right testing and guidance, the children will one day be able to make their way in the world. We had met them at the opening of the opening of the Lyssons Centre of Excellence in 2017, and now we are back, because that school is at capacity and so the Digicel Foundation team has added a second special needs school in the parish, rebuilding the Pear Tree River Technical and Vocational School, the former Pear Tree River Primary School.

With a background of lush greenery, the school stands out with clean and colourful lines, created under the watchful eyes of the Foundation’s construction Manager Carnel Campbell. We are inspired by the enthusiasm of the Education Ministry’s Director for Region 2, Janet Brimm. She also was the Ministry’s coordinator for the Lyssons Centre of Excellence.  

On arrival ahead of our starting time, I am greeted by the Education Ministry’s PR representative Cheryl Smith, informing me that Minister Fayval Williams had arrived. We have attended several events with Minister Williams, and she is ever punctual. With constituency and Ministry duties, she manages to appear unhurried, graciously greeting us and pausing to speak to the teachers and commend the Lyssons students on their stunning art.

We have seen Minister Williams’ efforts during this critical year for education, meeting with stakeholders, implementing plans, engaging with media partners to ensure that our children would be able to continue their education. It is heartening that the Ministry has been ensuring that children with special needs are included in these efforts and that they will be providing the staff, furniture and continued maintenance of the Pear Tree River School. She noted that the special needs division at the Ministry also ensured that lessons are printed in Braille for blind children.

The art and craft items produced by the Lyssons students are exquisite. Miniatures of their paintings and papier mache sculpture would make great Jamaican souvenirs. Minister Williams agreed that she would speak with the tourism ministry on the matter. We hope that Tourism Minister Ed Bartlett will encourage our in-bond merchants to buy more of our fine local items instead of importing items stamped ‘Jamaica’ that are not made here.

Wherever we go in Jamaica, we are impressed by the professionalism and genuine care of our teachers. Rev. Remia Gordon, past principal and student of Pear Tree River Primary led us through meaningful Scripture Readings as she blessed the re-purposed school. Jacqueline Hendricks, Acting Principal of Lyssons Centre of Excellence navigated the programme with good humour.

It was great to meet the youthful Eastern St. Thomas MP Dr Michelle Charles. Hers is literally a hard road to travel but she does have a great deal of political experience in her family to assist her in making the lives of the long-suffering citizens of St. Thomas more tolerable. As I remarked to her, St. Thomas is a hidden treasure. The parish is becoming increasingly popular for folks who work in Kingston and when resilient infrastructure is in place, it will be set to thrive.

Five lives for a bike?

A 96-hour curfew was declared by National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang in Central Clarendon last Friday after a week of terror in which five persons have been shot dead and several others injured.  He noted that there had been an upsurge of gang warfare in the area.

Jamaica Observer staff reporter Horace Hines quoted the Minister: “I have been informed by the security team that this entire episode of killings has come about because of a dispute over a bike, which reflects the level of literal depravity in the behaviour of some of these elements out there.”

Several family members have fled the area for fear of their lives. We keep asking,

‘How did we come to this?’ Well, we are here now, so let us work on how we can emerge from this darkness. I am encouraged by folks like Dahlia Harris, willing to install cameras in their communities linked to ‘Jamaica Eye’ so there can be quick response and video to identify criminals more readily. We are relieved that there is now a facility that will allow witnesses to remotely participate in identification parades.

Meanwhile, remember that children who do not know love, cannot show love – the social aspect of crime fighting requires a vigorous plan involving church, community, civil society and Government.

Tankweld’s 50^th Anniversary

With a small bank loan, John Greaves and David Bicknell founded the steel fabrication business Tankweld in 1970 and grew it into an industrial giant which has implemented most of Jamaica’s major pipeline projects. The second generation, Chris Bicknell, Bruce Bicknell and Rusti Zacca expanded into steel distribution and in 2006, invested in the Rio Bueno Wharf with a 500,000 square foot warehouse. Chris Bicknell, Chairman and Group CEO notes, “Today our network sits on four solid pillars: the Rio Bueno Port facility, innovative shipping solutions, two million square feet of mechanized warehousing making us the only building material supplier able to store all our stock under cover, and the largest fleet of modern heavy-duty trucks.”

The company has done extensive outreach, supporting the Waterhouse and Arnett Gardens Football Clubs, a Homework Centre in Rio Bueno and the Seaward Primary and Junior High in Olympic Gardens. Food for the Poor (FFP) Jamaica Chairman Andrew Mahfood notes, “Their help with engineering, Board advice through FFP’s Vice Chairman Chris Bicknell, and support of our projects over the years has been nothing short of a company going above and beyond to ensure that those who need help, are helped.”

Farewell 2020

It has been a year of trials but finally it is ending. Stalked by Covid, we have experienced the heartache of mourning good friends virtually. We empathize with stressed-out frontline workers in health and security, and parents juggling jobs and virtual classes for their children. Then came the rains ruining roads and crops. Yet we give thanks that Government stepped up to give cash relief, the private sector financed thousands of care packages for the indigent and tablets for students, and special attention was given to our seniors.

Former Miss Jamaica World, coach, mentor, volunteer and philanthropist Joan McDonald has been appointed the CCRP-Gallagher Wellness Ambassador. 

This was announced by Saundra Bailey, Chief Operating Officer for Gallagher Caribbean Insurance Brokers on Friday, December 11, 2020. 

As Wellness Ambassador, Ms McDonald will share information on the CCRP Comprehensive Group Health Plan designed by Gallagher and underwritten by Sagicor. She will also use digital and traditional media to engage members in discussions on wellness and lifestyle topics.

Ms. McDonald sees her new role as yet another opportunity to help others to “still live a wonderful life.” She notes that her work in a variety of fields in public service has enabled her to make connections between people, embracing “everything that has come my way.”

In August 2019, she was honoured with a Congressional proclamation from Yvette D. Clarke, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, at Jamaica’s 57^th Annual Black-Tie Gala in New York.

Gallagher Chief Operating Officer Saundra Bailey said, “We believe Ms. McDonald’s appointment will strengthen our partnership with CCRP. We know she will serve as a truly gracious and supportive ambassador and facilitator, who will ensure that CCRP members appreciate all the tremendous benefits of the health plans available to them. This can only be a ‘win-win’ for both CCRP and Gallagher and we very much look forward to working withMs. McDonald.”

A long-serving volunteer with CCRP, Ms. McDonald was the first to win the Miss Jamaica World competition when it was officially established in 1978. At the time, she was a dance teacher at Wolmer’s Girls’ School. 

She has established a successful career as an event planner and personal development coach, grooming contestants for Miss Jamaica World and Miss Jamaica Festival Queen and mentoring teen mothers. She has also worked as a

Branch Director with the Jamaica Red Cross, and with Citizens’ Action for Free and Fair Elections (CAFFE). She is an active member of the Lions Club of Kingston.

Ms. McDonald is a Justice of the Peace, a trained facilitator for Restorative and Community Justice Practices, and a former director of the Lay Magistrates Association of Jamaica. 

“My life is a wonderful kaleidoscope,” smiles Ms. McDonald. She maintains a positive outlook on life despite its challenges, always seeking to “add value” in relationships and bring people together. 

Gallagher has served the Caribbean for over 45 years, operating seven subsidiaries as the largest full-service broker in the region.

CCRP is a non-profit organization for persons 50 years and over, with a membership of over 10,000. It advocates for the empowerment, respect and protection of seniors. In addition to its Kingston head office, CCRP has three chapters in Central, Western, and Northeast Jamaica.

Excerpt from Jamaica Observer column published 07 December 2020

_{By: Jean Lowrie-Chin}

Born of Jamaican parents who had migrated to Britain in the sixties, Susan Pitter was inspired when she saw the lovely photos in the funeral programme of her Dad’s friend, to create an elegant publication, “Eulogy” for the Jamaica Society Leeds. The well-researched book includes the history of the “Windrush generation”, photographs and quotes donated by 76 families whose parents and grandparents had migrated to Leeds over two decades from the 1940s. Some were former RAF members who after the war, decided to settle down there.

Their stories tell of ambitious, decent, hardworking families who were activists and contributed to the development of their community. One nurse recalls that even as she was caring for patients, they were disrespecting her with racist remarks. Susan’s parents were an attractive couple, Hermerde and Enid Pitter (nee Neil) who hailed from St. Elizabeth. They worked hard to raise their four children, all of whom are successful professionals. ‘Eulogy’ is a valuable keepsake and all proceeds go to the Jamaica Society Leeds.

Susan quotes the late Professor Rex Nettleford in her book: “If you don’t find the time to document your own history, it is likely to be forgotten – or worse still, misrepresented.”

Excerpt from Jamaica Observer column published 07 December 2020

_{By: Jean Lowrie-Chin}

Despite Covid, we had a memorable Disabilities Awareness Week. Please note that we should say ‘persons with disabilities’, not ‘disabled persons’ as we should put the emphasis on the person and not on the disability.

Last Thursday Special Olympics Caribbean announced that our world-famous swimmer Alia Atkinson will be their Champion Ambassador.  I have had the pleasure to work with Alia; she has always been passionate about uplifting her fellow Jamaicans.  

Alia, who said it was an honour to be so declared, will work closely with the excellent Lorna Bell, Executive Director of Special Olympics Caribbean to affirm the efforts of our Special Olympians. In reflecting on the Motto of Special Olympics, “Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt”, she expressed her admiration for the Special Olympians’ courage.

Sports Minister Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange said Alia would “help them to be proud of the value that they add to our society” and commended Lorna Bell and Special Olympics Jamaica Chairman Allie McNab for their dedication to their charges. “Let us all as Government representatives commit to creating a more inclusive and enabling environment for all,” she urged.

The event ended with a thank-you by my bubbly little friend, Special Olympian Kadian Ingleton. “Alia is a great motivation and inspiration for us,” she said.

One of the benefits of being Chair of the Digicel Jamaica Foundation is seeing the efforts made by those who are physically and mentally challenged. They bring joy and pride to their families when they excel in educational programmes, tailored to their needs.  On Friday, we visited the Genesis School for Special Needs on South Camp Road where the initial enrollment has more than doubled. Principal Angela Bowen-Stewart said 70 percent of the students are online and keeping up with their lessons. We saw a demonstration of the modified wash stations in special needs schools by the Foundation. The ever-upbeat Alphanso Cunningham, Paralympian Gold Medalist was on hand to give his own words of praise at the well-kept grounds and classrooms.

Paralympians are persons with physical disabilities while Special Olympians are persons with intellectual disabilities.

We welcomed the news that Senator Dr Floyd Morris, Jamaica’s first blind Senator, has been elected to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Rising from the despondency of becoming blind as a teenager in St. Mary, he made his way to Kingston where he enrolled in classes at the Jamaica Society for the Blind and qualified to study at UWI Mona, continuing to gain masters and doctoral degrees and now lectures at and heads the UWI Centre for Disability Studies. His autobiography, “By Faith, Not By Sight” is an inspiring read.

Excerpt from Jamaica Observer column published 07 December 2020

_{By: Jean Lowrie-Chin}

So here we are suddenly in December – nearly nine months of practically living online, looking forward to a ‘drive-out’ like a child in a car-less family. Most of us cannot wait for the month to end and to see the back of 2020. But for some of us, this unbelievable year has given us 20-20 vision. We are re-imagining our aspirations, questioning our priorities.

One introvert I know celebrated it, saying he welcomed the excuse to not socialize. Mothers working virtually found themselves torn between office interface and helping their children cope with online school. Delivery services seem to have got a nice bounce with thank-yous being posted to QuickPlate, 7Krave, Pekkish and CutdiLine. The reduction of curfew time by one hour to 10pm seems to have served businesses well. You have to search hard to find parking in the plazas, including the new one on Constant Spring Road. Remarkably remittances have increased.

We have to give thanks that Jamaica made its way into the digital world so that we can continue our operations. Millenials have come into their own during this time, launching YouTube channels, creating and selling products online and synergizing social media platforms. We are watching business gurus emerge – as they say, pressure creates diamonds, and some are shining bright.

Brittany Singh’s online school is getting fine reviews, and parents are thanking their lucky stars that an incredibly young Gordon Swaby dared to start EduFocal. Kadeem Petgrave’s and Simier Lansend’s EducaTours allows you to explore interesting Jamaican places without leaving your home.  Our pop stars have not taken a breath; we just heard the resonant ‘Hands Up’ by Beenie Man produced by Dominic McDonald’s Troublemekka Music and Koffee has gone international, representing Mastercard and H&M.

We are banking online and discovering it was not as difficult as we thought and we are grateful that Zoom and Microsoft will record our meetings so we can create good notes.

However, with about 30 percent of students not having connectivity, the JTA has reported that primary school children are falling behind in their studies and they are anticipating the same for high school students. We understand that some students are experiencing mental health issues and worldwide health authorities are concerned that the fallout from Covid will be mental health crises. Rise Life Management is a good resource, so please do not hesitate to reach out to them.

As we try to tough out this pandemic, let us find time to connect with family and friends, to play games with our children and to worship together, whether in person or virtually. We understand that a vaccine may be arriving in Jamaica in March of next year – just in time for Easter when we can celebrate a ‘resurrection’ of gatherings and a new appreciation for the family and friends we have been missing.

Excerpt from Jamaica Observer column published 30 November 2020

_{By: Jean Lowrie-Chin}

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Like most Jamaicans, they may have gone to church, then returned home to prepare lunch, then sat with family to eat and relax. This may have been the scene when gunmen invaded the home of 81-year-old Iciline McFarlane, murdering her and her two grandchildren 10-year-old Christina and six-year-old Mishane McFarlane two Sundays ago. National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang says that investigations reveal that this was a contract killing, apparently ordered by a gang leader allegedly in search of a connection to the family.

We ask ourselves, how can anyone look at an elderly woman and two little children and mercilessly end their lives? What makes their hearts so cold, their minds so warped? Even as we call for justice, we have to get to the root of the series of horrific acts over the past week, the most recent being the murder of Mandeville businesswoman Marcia Chin-You, hailed as a community supporter.

Ironically, we are now observing 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), from November 25 to December 10, November 25 being the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (IDEVAW).

We have to be playing advertisements warning young girls that it is not natural for adult men in a household to be sexually abusing them. Several hospitals have reported that since the start of the pandemic they have seen more cases of abuse. Imagine, these big men who should be out in the yard planting food for their family, are inside molesting young children. I remember the play ‘Sleeper’ by Trevor Rhone, dramatizing the laziness of men in a household and the mute acceptance of their women. Towards the end of the play, we saw the son taking up the same habits of the father.

Poor parenting results in a lifelong handicap of no self-discipline and no work ethic. In the book, “The Road Less Travelled” by M. Scott Peck, he explores the downward spiral of such lives. These damaged human beings have no dignity, have no respect for themselves and therefore none for others. They become a plague on their families and their communities.

Law enforcement must go hand in hand with social healing as promoted by Dr Elizabeth Ward’s Violence Prevention Alliance and Horace Levy’s team at the Peace Management Initiative. Kudos to the creators of the ‘Jamaican Dadz’ YouTube series, Dennis Brooks, Marlon Campbell, Floyd Green and Garth Williams. How refreshing to see the joy they take in raising their children.

We can be part of this healing by participating in IDEVAW activism as recommended by Professor Opal Palmer Adisa, Director of the UWI Institute for Gender & Development Studies Regional Coordinating Office (IGDS-RCO). Some of these include:

December 2 International Day for the Abolition of Slavery: the enslavement of Africans was an egregious and violent act. Hug yourself for surviving the violence and not passing it on. Read their Facebook post on Gender-based Violence (GBV) against women during slavery.

December 3 International Day of Persons with Disabilities: Read their Facebook post on deaf women and GBV. Speak out about GBV against people with disabilities.

December 5 International Volunteer Day for Social and Economic Development: volunteer one hour of your day helping a woman or child who has been victimized and or provide them with a care package.

December 9 International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime: read their Facebook post on human trafficking in the Caribbean and share content.

Please try to participate. If you can change one heart and comfort one weeping soul, then you are a healer.

Disabilities Awareness Week

Today also is the beginning of Disabilities Awareness Week, with several activities being organised by the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information (MOEYI), to which the Digicel Jamaica Foundation will be lending its support. One that is special to me is the opening of the former Pear Tree River Primary school in St. Thomas which the MOEYI and the Digicel Foundation have transformed into a special needs technical-vocational school for students 13 to 21 years old. The school will be equipped to teach students life skills in Agriculture, Cooking, Sewing, Carpentry, Tiling and Data Entry.  This is in addition to the Lyssons School for special needs, which is now at capacity.

On Thursday, Special Olympics will host a webinar at which they will announce that one of Jamaica’s most outstanding athletes, the amazing Alia Atkinson, will be their Brand Ambassador.

Broken roads

The videos from Gordon Town and Irish Town are frightening – huge rocks careening down the side of the hills and blocking roads. After the recent heavy rains, the National Works Agency (NWA) has announced that it will take a trillion dollars to repair and rebuild these roads. PM Andrew Holness has explained that the Gordon Town road was initially a pathway to the coffee plantations and not really engineered to be a major roadway. The lure of those mountains has been irresistible and so a solution must be found to make these roads viable.

We note the National Integrity Action’s call for better governance of the NWA; this is even more important now that our strained budget may have to accommodate the astronomical cost of repairs. In the meanwhile, the authorities should take a second look at building applications for such areas.

Dry Harbour dilemma

It seems that PM Holness, anxious to create more jobs on our Northcoast where the pandemic has left thousands jobless, overruled the NEPA decision not to give a permit for limestone mining in the Dry Harbour Mountains on the North Coast. He explained that 70 guidelines were prepared for the operators and that if they were breached, he would order them to cease. However, with environmental experts weighing in on the side of NEPA, it seems that his decision may have to be reviewed. ‘Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown’, especially in these tough times.

Covid Concerns

They call it ‘Covid fatigue’, these careless people who refuse to wear masks and break curfew. However, their fatigue is nowhere near that of our health workers who are doing double and triple shifts and putting their lives in danger, caring for Covid patients.

Recent numbers show a spike, with over 50 new cases being reported each day and four deaths each last Tuesday and Wednesday. Up to last Friday, 77 Covid patients have been hospitalised of whom eight are moderately ill and 7 are critically ill. Western parishes which had previously been doing well now have the highest rate of infections: Hanover, St. Ann, Westmoreland, St James and Trelawny.

As we balance life and livelihood, businesses are grateful for the additional hour before curfew during December as statistics show that up to 60 percent of sales are made during the Christmas season. Please shop local to help keep our businesses open and save jobs, always remembering to wear your mask and keep your distance.