Excerpt from Jamaica Observer column published 23 November 2020

_{By: Jean Lowrie-Chin}

Chief Medical Officer Dr Jacquiline Bisasor-McKenzie has given a stern warning: with 70,000 expected arrivals of Jamaicans for the Christmas holidays, we may very well see a Covid-19 spike in January. Oh no – we have been counting the days for 2020 to be over, please give us a break 2021! On the positive side, scientists are saying that if 95 percent of the population would wear a mask, we could get Covid under control and two vaccines should be available in a few months.

We Jamaicans have been fortunate that our leaders have not politicized mask-wearing, yet as we move around, we notice that less than half of folks are not wearing masks. Further we hear that people arriving from abroad think it is clever that they can dodge the authorities by breaking quarantine and gathering with friends at popular hangouts. It is beyond belief that there was a mob-killing of a police officer who tried to break up a party which was breaching curfew.

We should be aware that over 90 persons are now in hospital here with Covid. Older persons are the majority of those who have died from the virus. As much as Grandma and Grandpa will be happy to see family returning from abroad, the welcome home hugs have to be replaced by blown kisses. There are many young people who are Covid-positive and asymptomatic. That one hug could be a death sentence for an elder so please restrain yourselves.

As for family dinners, I admit I am in a state – how can I face Christmas without preparing a feast for all the people I love so much? But I must accept that for their safety and ours, we have to stay in our bubble. Let us try to live to see another Christmas where we can finally get together. We can deliver Christmas treats to our loved ones and plan a Facetime or a Zoom Christmas get-together. Our family enjoyed a Zoom Mothers’ Day Brunch, showing off dishes and toasting each other.

JMEA President Richard Pandohie is appealing for a later curfew time over the holiday season, but that will only happen if right away, we work with our families and communities to mask up and keep infection numbers down. Come November 30, the PM will have to listen to the health experts before he reviews the hours.

Meanwhile, let us look at organizing ourselves to get out earlier to do our shopping. We were pleasantly surprised to know we could call ahead to Island Grill and skip the line to collect our order. Our CCRP shopper Charmaine has also organised with seniors to collect their purchases at various supermarkets if they call in their orders, and NHF will deliver prescriptions drugs to persons over 65.

We are sad to hear that the global death toll for Covid has passed 1.3 million and grieve with members of our Jamaican Diaspora and indeed our entire human family who are mourning their loss. Let us do our best to avoid becoming another Covid victim.

Boost for Special Needs

In previous years, thousands gathered in downtown Kingston for Jamaica’s first ever night run, the Digicel 5K for Special Needs. The company found a way around Covid, staging a virtual 5K last month and inviting the Jamaican Diaspora to join in. Last week, The Digicel Foundation was able to present a total of $7.5M to The Jamaica Association for the Deaf, The Jamaica Autism Support Association, Early Stimulation Plus, The Jamaica Downs Syndrome Foundation and the Promise Learning Centre.

In addition to the building and renovation of 10 Special Needs schools, the Foundation recently partnered with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information to establish two new schools for special needs – the Rosebank School (formerly Rosebank Primary) in St Mary and the Pear Tree River School in St. Thomas.

It is heartening to see the progress being made by special needs students when they have the right teachers and facilities to help them develop their skills.

Oliver Samuels honoured

Oliver Samuels, the only CCRP Living Legacy Honouree this year, shared his love for theatre and his dedication to those in need at a recent live broadcast from the PCBJ studio. He is celebrating his 50^th year in Jamaican theatre and shows no sign of slowing down. He describes cultural icon, Hon. Louise Bennett Coverley (Miss Lou) as his mentor. After a pantomime performance early in his career, he recalls Miss Lou asking him, “Likkle boy, where yuh come from?” He was thrilled when his idol told him that his recital of her poem “Love Letta” was the best interpretation she had ever heard. 

Oliver Samuel’s innate generosity and empathy with “ordinary Jamaicans” is a quality that has remained with him throughout his career. He has donated proceeds of his productions to several good causes. He has been a mentor for many young people – his own children, as well as many others he has “taken under his wing” and maintains that his children are his greatest blessing in life.

That call to Prince Phillip

As we watch Season Four of ‘The Crown’, the Netflix series on the British royal family, I recall the day that I had an actual telephone conversation with the Duke of Edinburgh. It was the summer of 1966 and the Duke and Princess Anne were in Jamaica for the Commonwealth Games. We were at home on holidays and we had read that the Royals were staying at the Olympia Hotel. Our parents were out, so this daring teenager decided that she would call the hotel and ask to speak with the Prince.

You can imagine my shock when the operator put me through, and I heard this lovely voice saying ‘Hello?’ My siblings can attest that I asked first if this was Prince Phillip, to which he answered ‘Yes’, then I asked if he was the Duke of Edinburgh and sounding a bit amused, he again said ‘Yes’. Well at that point I lost my nerve and said, “It was nice to speak with you Sir, good-bye.” He was kind enough to stop me, ask my name, and say it was a nice name. I was able to stutter that I hoped he would enjoy his visit and asked him to say hello to the Queen. He said he would, and we ended the call. Well you can imagine the breathless laughter with my sisters and brother. Our Dad, an ex-RAF man, was strict on protocol, so we were afraid to tell him. He finally learned about it a few weeks later and was delighted, only sorry we didn’t tell him earlier as he said he would have called the Gleaner to report it.

When my sister told her classmate, she tried to call Princess Anne the next day, but she didn’t have the same luck.

Excerpt from Jamaica Observer column published 09 November 2020

_{By: Jean Lowrie-Chin}

The streets of Philadelphia rocked last Saturday to the Toots Hibbert- Chaka Demus & Pliers classic “What a Bam Bam!” They were in high spirits, celebrating the Biden-Harris victory in the US General Elections. It was fitting to have our song  heralding the first woman in US history to be Vice-President elect – the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants.

The mood of Democrats was quite different on Election night, when the numbers seemed to be going Trump’s way. Political strategist James Carville came on MSNBC late that night with words of reassurance, telling viewers to “put away the razor blades and the Ambien – we are going to be okay.”

On Wednesday, as the mail-in votes started to be counted in the heavily courted ‘Blue wall’, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, the Democrats sensed victory.  It must have been a satisfying result for Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who had been vilified by the President for her lock-down measures as she tried to protect citizens from the rapidly spreading Covid virus. The presidential insults appeared to be a dog-whistle for a right-wing militia group which was thankfully intercepted and members arrested before they could carry out their plans to kidnap the Governor. As news broke about the plot, it was stunning that the President continued to tweet insults to Governor Whitmer.

Since that night of dismay in 2016 when Donald Trump defeated Hilary Clinton, the entire world has watched in fear at the weakening of NATO, the exit of the US from the Paris Agreement for climate change, the rise of right wing violence and racism in the US, the separation of immigrant families and the politicisation of the Covid pandemic. To hear a President mock his opponent for wearing a mask during a life-threatening pandemic was unbelievable.

The initial cases of Covid in Jamaica originated in the US, so we took it personally when we discovered that President Trump had known from January that the virus was worse than the flu and that it was airborne, yet told the American people that it was ‘just like the flu’ and that it would disappear in the spring ‘like a miracle’. To date, over 230,000 Americans have died from the virus, the highest number of any country in the world – there in the US with the best scientists by whom the Trump White House refused to be guided.

Despite catching the virus, the President continued to hold ‘super-spreader’ rallies across the country, which a study from Stanford University noted was responsible for over 30,000 Covid cases and 700 deaths. Meanwhile, President-Elect Biden’s team following CDC protocols, organised drive-in rallies with supporters applauding with honking horns.

One of the most caustic critics of President Trump is satirist Bill Maher who three years ago predicted that even if Trump loses the election, he would refuse to leave the White House. Trump had famously sued Maher for jokingly saying that he was fathered by an orangutan, and as if to twist the knife, Maher repeated the joke on Friday night on his ‘Real Time with Bill Maher’ HBO programme. Maher’s was the first show to declare Biden and Harris the winners of the election, complete with a celebratory balloon release. Maher expressed his concern that with Trump’s threats of lawsuits to overturn the election results, he could stir trouble in the streets and may still yet refuse to leave. Let us hope that the will of the people, and the very well monitored vote-counting will be respected ultimately.

Biden’s support network

Former President Barack Obama was the most important campaigner for Joe Biden, and he seemed to have enjoyed stumping in several states for his former VP. With his sense of humour fully charged, he took down Trump for his criticism of the Biden campaign’s focus on Covid. “And what’s his closing argument?” asked Obama. “That people are too focused on Covid. He said this at one of his rallies. Covid, Covid, Covid, he’s complaining. He’s jealous of Covid’s media coverage.”

We are sure Obama had a cheerleader in his wife. In her bestselling autobiography, “Becoming”, Michelle Obama described her disgust with Trump’s racist ‘birther’ lies against her husband: “The whole [birther] thing was crazy and mean-spirited, of course, its underlying bigotry and xenophobia … But it was also dangerous, deliberately meant to stir up the wingnuts and kooks … Donald Trump, with his loud and reckless innuendos, was putting my family’s safety at risk. And for this I’d never forgive him.”

Biden had music greats to entertain his audiences including Stevie Wonder, Lady Gaga and John Legend while Trump engaged rappers.

One of the most interesting political action committees formed to support the Biden-Harris ticket was the Lincoln Project, a group of Republicans who flooded social media platforms with videos and memes bashing the President and his administration. It is unfortunate that Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been criticising this committee that has wooed the Republican vote for her Party.

Another genius move was the partnership of three brothers, Ben, Jordan and Brett Meiselas to form MeidasTouch, in March of this year. Their motto is “Because Truth is Golden”. As the US Senate leadership hangs in the balance with a run-off of two Senate Seats in Georgia, they tweeted, “Our work isn’t over! We will spend every day moving forward working to flip both Senate seats in Georgia!”

Laughter with purpose

Jamaica’s own Sarah Cooper did her part, lip-syncing some of President Trump’s most outrageous moments, the most popular being ‘How to medical’ which got over 24 million views on TikTok and Twitter. The famous Helen Mirren joined her to recreate the Billy Bush video in which Trump laughingly discussed his sexual advances on women. Other leading late-night comedians never failed to remind us of Trump’s missteps.

Now the world breathes a sigh of relief and we wish Joe Biden and Kamala Harris many blessings in their efforts to reunite their country, to control the coronavirus and to energise the economy.

Congratulations Mark Golding

Here in Jamaica, there was another campaign raging for the leadership of the PNP. Both candidates Mark Golding and Lisa Hanna kept their promise personally to run a peaceful campaign though some of their supporters went a bit off track. Before he went into politics, Mark Golding served with us on the Board of Food for the Poor Jamaica so I got to know him as an altruistic Jamaican. Well contested Lisa Hanna and congratulations winner Mark Golding.  

CCRP Award for Oliver Samuels

We are looking forward to a celebration of Jamaica’s beloved Oliver Samuels on Wednesday afternoon live on PBCJ television, when he will be honoured with this year’s CCRP Living Legacy Award. Marking his 50^th year in theatre, Oliver has brought love and laughter to audiences here and abroad. His ‘Oliver at Large’ series reveals an artist with brilliant comedic timing. Oliver will share his journey in a conversation with Emcee Joan McDonald – it will be memorable.   

Excerpt from Jamaica Observer column published 02 November 2020

_{By: Jean Lowrie-Chin}

We celebrated our National Heroes and those five brave men who rescued a child from the raging waters of Sandy Gully in October. Last Thursday, we ended the month of heroes with news that Michael Henry, a fruit vendor from Allman Town, risked his life to save a neighbour from a burning house.

According to Jamaica Observer Staff Reporter Sharlene Hendricks, last Thursday evening a youngster shouted that his sister Jody-Ann Moncrieff was trapped in their burning house, and begged for help. Without hesitation, Mr Henry ran into the building and by the time he located the young woman, the fire had roared towards them. They ran to the back door which was locked, but he was able to kick it open and take Ms Moncrieff over a wall and to safety.

When asked about his action, Mr Henry explained, “I couldn’t do anything else because I know it’s a life. So mi just tie mi handkerchief round fi face and just move.”

Such stories of bravery remind us that nobility exists in every part of our society, so we should never be quick to judge people because of their address. Indeed, what we should do is to see how we can help this brave-hearted Michael Henry to develop his fruit stall into a sustainable business. He has the spirit that will overcome whatever challenges he may face.

Seniors ‘get a new life’

Heroes come in many forms. Imagine a busy entrepreneur Robert Scott, aware of the financial challenges of retirees, taking the time to call our seniors organization, CCRP, to offer a complimentary workshop for members. Entitled, “Get a new life – turn your skill into an income,” the registration for the event was so overwhelming that he readily agreed to host a second one.

Mr Scott gave us the example of “Ms Smith” who retired after working many years in a dry-cleaning business. In a consultation with Mr Scott, she realised that she could leverage her wide experience in fabric knowledge and care into several endeavours: teaching, writing a care manual and consulting both locally and internationally.

He recommended the ‘Upwork’ website. This is said to be “an upscale version of ‘Fiverr’ – an open marketplace for posting jobs and connecting with freelancers that offers more safety regulations for payment exchanges and more professional standards.”

He offered strategies for building credibility, including joining business associations, public speaking appearances, strategic alliances and use of both traditional and social media to build one’s brand. “Be prepared for a variety of opportunities to make your pitch,” he advised.

Small or medium businesses (SMEs) which may not be able to hire full-time staff should consider hiring retirees on a part-time basis.  From companies who have, we get reports of their vast experience, their discipline and their sound ethics.  Robert Scott, whose company is StartTrade Jamaica reminded our members that the internet opens opportunities for jobs anywhere in the world. He invited members to them to call him, volunteering further assistance. For us, Robert Scott is a hero for seniors – he opened their eyes to exciting new opportunities, for which they were all very appreciative.

Diplomatic dynamo HC Peters

Outgoing Canadian High Commissioner (HC) Laurie Peters began her tour of duty in Jamaica in September 2017, and has played a significant role in the promotion of commercial, scientific, educational and cultural exchanges between the countries, undoubtedly bolstering Canadian presence locally and regionally. An outstanding aspect of her work in advocacy and international diplomacy was her advancement Canada’s feminist foreign policy by championing commitments for gender equality, peace, and security.

HC Peters directed Canada’s continued support of Jamaica’s response to COVID-19 through its health, economic growth and education activities. Since the outbreak, Canada has provided over $75 million (CAD 500,00) in support of the health and development sectors.  Most recently, Canada made available an additional $482 million (CAD$4.7 million) for Jamaica towards the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRF) premiums. She spearheaded a new $20M Canada-Caribbean Resilience Facility at the World Bank to provide Jamaica with timely technical assistance and emergency funding in the aftermath of a disaster.

Other highlights of her tour was swift hurricane response in the region, immigration activities including the Seasonal Agricultural Worker’s Program (SAWP), programmes promoting peace, security and justice, skills training to access the ‘green’ economy, and Canada’s long-standing defence partnership with Jamaica. In the area of multilateral cooperation, she supported the roundtable held by PM Trudeau with four small island developing states (SIDS) leaders including PM Holness during the 2019 G7 Summit.

HC Peters gave special focus to programmes in education, and in April last year, signed a Memorandum of Understanding between UWI and Brock University to establish the Canada Caribbean Institute which will “harness academic expertise to help address important regional topics and foster intercultural understanding.”

In spite of her demanding schedule, HC Peters was ever gracious and approachable. We thank her for her meaningful support and advocacy, and wish her continued success in the service of her great country.

Farewell generous Joseph Duany

At last Friday’s Thanksgiving Service for advertising and racing personality Joseph ‘Joe’ Duany we learned even more about his remarkable 82-year-life. Educated at the Jamaica School of Art, Joe Duany impressed his employers at Pearl & Dean with his vivid billboard creations. He later formed one of the most successful outdoor advertising companies, Signtex and invested in some of Jamaica’s legendary racehorses. His friend Clovis Metcalfe shared that after Joe survived a life-threatening illness, the doctors at the Florida Hospital where he was treated dubbed him ‘Miracle Man’. Joe gave this name to the only Jamaican bred racehorse to have won an international event. Another personal experience led him to name his Triple-Crown winner, ‘I’m Satisfied’.

Joe’s boundless generosity was gratefully recalled by family and friends. I remember when I started my business with a sparsely furnished office, Joe surprised me with a delivery of chairs, and when I asked him to donate a welcome billboard for Pope John Paul’s visit in 1993, he created an exquisite rendition. He told me joyfully that the goodly Pope spotted him after an event and surprised his official party by stepping away to have an extended conversation with him. Whether for business or outreach, Joe applied the same passion for excellence, mentoring his children and staff to uphold his high standards. He was the recipient of the prestigious Media Personality of the Year Award from the Advertising Agencies Association of Jamaica.

Joseph Duany’s son Raul gave a moving remembrance of his father, declaring this man of compassion, authenticity and love as his role model. Our deepest sympathy to his wife Hyacinth, children Raul, Alicia, Tiana and other family members. May his great soul rest in peace.

Excerpt from Jamaica Observer column published 26 October 2020

_{By: Jean Lowrie-Chin}

We know the old saying, “If it bleeds, it leads” but look at the outpouring of love and support for Taneka McKoy Phipps, who first came to attention via a UNICEF Jamaica video on social media. The dedicated teacher said she noticed children playing in the street in her Kingston community though they would have been in school in normal times. She figured that their parents may not have had connectivity and decided that she would create  ‘community blackboards’ on various walls. Every weekday morning, she and assistants write up lessons on the walls. 

The video shows parents taking photos of the wall, and children copying the lessons in their exercise books. Mainstream media picked up the video, featuring Mrs McKoy Phipps, resulting in significant offers of assistance to the dedicated teacher.  There was a similar response to Keron King, Principal of the Little Bay Primary School who rode around on his bike to deliver worksheets to his students as they prepared for GSAT.

We have extraordinary teachers in this country, some who take up the role of parenting in cases when they discover incidents of child abuse. We hear many of those stories from successful Jamaicans who remember that one teacher who believed in them when even their family members were talking them down.

Several of our brilliant teachers have been doing the same abroad and I am proud that my  Convent of Mercy ‘Alpha’ classmate Dr Denise Aloma (formerly Wehby) was recently honoured by the South Florida Business Journal with the “Power Leader In Education” Award. A teacher of nearly 50 years, Denise taught at her Alma Mater before moving to South Florida where she served as teacher, Vice Principal and Principal since 2014 of the St Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale.  

Here and abroad, we hear stressed out parents recognising the effort and care required to instruct children as they struggle with Covid induced virtual learning. We are also realising how poverty can keep our children in a cycle of desperation. We welcome the Government’s plan to install broadband islandwide, and the free-to-air programming offered by our television stations. There is also that age-old invention called the book – let us get our children reading more and become the best allies of their teachers. That alliance should include monitoring our children so they do not Google their way through homework. Remember, there is no quick fix to developing critical thinking and that is central to their future success.

Heritage Week Celebration

We met a brilliant Jamaican via a virtual session last week – Mrs Ann-Marie Howard-Brown, Senior Archaeologist and Curator at the Jamaica National Heritage Trust (JNHT). She was Guest Speaker at a National Heritage Week Celebration organised by IGT for students at their After-School Advantage Programme centres at various homes islandwide.

Mrs Howard-Brown introduced us to the well-ordered society of Jamaica’s first inhabitants, the Tainos, whose history here was traced back to 650 AD. She noted that with their structure of government and their inventions, these were civilised people and therefore it was not Columbus who ‘civilised’ us. Indeed, she dubbed Christopher Columbus ‘Jamaica’s first tourist’.

We learned that they used the Lignum Vitae for medicinal purposes, and to create large canoes accommodating up to 50 persons that sailed to various Caribbean islands – cruises of olden days. ‘Tainos were biochemists’ she averred, as she described how they extracted the poisonous juices from the bitter cassava with well-designed devices, producing an edible staple.

Debbie Green, IGT Jamaica General Manager commented on Mrs Howard-Brown’s riveting style. Indeed, she held us with her passion for the subject and her sense of humour. We have a national treasure there at JNHT.

Outbreaks and Care Homes

Just when we felt there was a levelling of Covid Cases, we got the grim news that there was an outbreak of the disease at the Golden Age Home in Kingston and at the Mustard Seed Community’s Jerusalem Home in St. Catherine. Both residents and staff were affected and there are complaints of the carelessness of some Jamaicans who have come from abroad and are not observing health protocols. Imagine, they are stooping as low as bribing officials at our airports to not install the monitoring app on their phones.

Further, since last June, long before Covid, the CCRP seniors advocacy organisation has been calling for closer inspection of our care homes.  There was a report of gross neglect at a home in Portmore and when we investigated, we discovered that there were only two inspectors assigned by the Ministry of Health and Wellness to oversee care homes in the entire island.

In last week’s press briefing, Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton said he would be recruiting more health inspectors, but in the meanwhile, may we suggest that the very competent staffers at the National Council for Senior Citizens (NCSC) be authorised to make comprehensive tours of these homes. The NCSC has offices in every parish and they do visit homes but are prevented to go beyond certain areas by the operators of these homes. Until the Ministry can have adequate personnel in place, we are asking that they prepare inspection guidelines for the NCSC and grant them full access to care homes.

Rains bring tragedy and damage

The recent heavy rains resulted in a landslide at Shooters Hill in St Thomas, taking the lives of Romeo Leachman, and his 15-year-old daughter Sanique, a promising fourth former at Queen’s High School. 

Those of us who have been involved in construction projects know the various agencies from which we must get approvals before we can start. Why then are the authorities allowing so many houses to be built in some of the most dangerous locations? Our over 200 parish councillors should be tasked with touring their communities and reporting on dangerous start-ups. Then there is the issue of the extensive damage to our roadways, including some recently built. This begs the question as to how well they were constructed in the first place.

As usual, we saw piles of plastic bottles in the garbage washed up on streets and in gullies. Do Jamaicans know that our tap water is safe? If you believe something may be wrong after a weather incident, just a few drops of bleach can make it perfectly drinkable. I remember an American embassy staffer Joshua Polacheck noting that he never bought bottled water here, as Jamaica has great tasting tap water. We should stock up on bottled water for emergencies but in normal times, just refill your reusable bottles and give the gullies a break.

Excerpt from Jamaica Observer column published 19 October 2020

_{By: Jean Lowrie-Chin}

It is difficult to accept that we will no longer hear those affirming pep-talks from the phenomenal Ena Wong Sam, who passed away recently after having a Covid-related illness. The founder of the popular distribution company Ena Wong Sam Limited at Norman Road in Central Kingston, she was a self-made woman with a heart of gold. She told us that each morning before the truck drivers for her company headed out, she would gather them together and pray for their safety on the roads.

A dedicated Justice of the Peace for St Andrew, Ena went the extra mile to support various educational programmes. At a summer camp in St Thomas sponsored by Chocolisto, one of her flagship products, she noted, “My passion is education. Many of the domestic problems that we are experiencing in Jamaica are simply because people cannot reason … and resort to violence … If we can assist them … we can save the lives of many of these children.”

The 87-year-old Ena Wong Sam was youthful in outlook and appearance. She encouraged her fellow women to be bold in their endeavours. “We are powerful!” she told the 51Percent Coalition movement. “We need to rise up!”

Her business associates remember her genuine interest in their progress. Wayne Chen noted on her passing, “A wise and wonderful lady who did many good works. She was always supportive of me over many years, generous with advice and in so many other ways.” Deon Edwards Kerr wrote, “I remember this lady being very gracious to my father while he was in business … on behalf of Benny’s Wholesale Mobay, grace and peace to the family of Ena Wong Sam.”

Ena Wong Sam taught us how to live – diligently, courageously, generously and honestly. May her great soul rest in peace.

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.

On October 23^rd and 24^th from 8pm EST, Digicel hosts the One Love Together concert featuring dozens of extraordinary performers from across the Caribbean, Africa, Asia Pacific and beyond.

In celebration of Digicel’s relaunch as a Digital Operator and Better Together brand positioning, these musicians will take to D’Music’s virtual stage for a weekend of entertainment and charity. Streaming live via D’Music, the concert will also be shown on Facebook Watch and Digicel’s social media pages, giving viewers a range of options for this digital experience.

Looking to show that Digicel and its customers are better together, viewers tuning in to the One Love Together concert will be encouraged to make a small donation in lieu of a concert ticket. These donations will go towards bridging the digital divide by providing children in need with tablets and internet access. Contributions can be made via Paymaster: http://www.digicelgroup.com/onelove. 

Digicel Chief Marketing Officer, Peter Lloyd said: “Universal access to a good education has never been more important. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we have seen a massive swing towards online lessons in all of our markets, with virtual classrooms quickly becoming the norm. We are looking to bridge the digital divide, by raising awareness and funding to provide children with tablets, devices and internet access in our more vulnerable communities.”

Hosted by ZJ Sparks from Jamaica and Barrie Hype from Saint Lucia, the concert will feature reggae royalty Stephen Marley along with other musicians, including Bounty Killer, Beenie Man, J Boog, Pato Ranking and Patrice Roberts.

Peter added, “To watch the concert, simply download D’Music or check out our social media pages and get ready for a big-night in! Actually – make that two! With so many amazing performers supporting, we’ve had to spread the love over two nights. And the excitement doesn’t stop there, because after the concert you can stream music from your favourite artistes through D’Music, watch the highlights on Digicel’s social media pages, and read the recap on Loop.”

Rhonda Bynoe is an avid player of The Barbados Lottery games, consistently playing since1995.
She didn’t imagine how lucky she would be when she purchased a Double Draw Spot 6 ticket with the Multiplier, resulting in increased winnings of $125,000.

“Double Draw is my favourite game.  I play every draw and normally play the same numbers, but this time I chose a Quick Pick with the Multiplier”, expressed Ms. Bynoe.  The lucky Double Draw ticket with numbers 02, 04, 07, 21, 25, 30 for Draw #25833, was purchased from The Barbados Lottery Retail Agent at Millar’s Bar, St. Barnabas, St. Michael.

Having previously won $15,555 a few years ago, a very happy
Ms. Bynoe informed that she plans “to clear off some bills and debts”. She will definitely continue to play and advised other players to, “Keep playing, your chance to win will come.”

Shelly Ann Hee Chung, Site Manager at The Barbados Lottery, warmly congratulated Ms. Bynoe on her Double Draw win. “We do admire
Ms. Bynoe’s dedication in playing with The Barbados Lottery, especially her favourite Double Draw game” she said. “We encourage each player to not only try their luck with Double Draw, but to also take the chance of increasing their winnings up to 5 times the amount with the multiplier,” she reiterated.

The Barbados Lottery Double Draw game draws take place four times a day, Mondays to Saturdays, live at 12:25 pm, 4:45 pm, 6:53 pm and 9:00 pm. Tickets cost only $1 each and are available at The Barbados Lottery Independence Square Retail ‘Flagship’ Store and retail agents islandwide.

Proceeds from The Barbados Lottery games, including Double Draw, support the many sports, youth and cultural programmes provided by beneficiaries: The Barbados Cricket Association, The Barbados Turf Club, The Barbados Olympic Association and National Sports Council.

Excerpt from Jamaica Observer column published 12 October 2020

_{By: Jean Lowrie-Chin}

Last Friday, we attended a stakeholder’s workshop organised by the Ministry of Health & Wellness (MOHW) where various organisations discussed their programmes to assist our seniors and the less fortunate during this pandemic. We were surprised that a Statin-MOHW survey showed that 75.7% of the Jamaican people did not perceive their community as being at risk for Covid-19.  Clearly, many of us are in denial, but the statistics speak for themselves. A table revealed that while it took 151 days to arrive at the first 1,000 cases of Covid in Jamaica, it has taken only 6 days for the last 1,000 cases to emerge. Dr Simone Spence urged us to “treat everyone as if they are positive.”

The concentration of cases in certain areas of Kingston & St Andrew and St Catherine is a warning.  The spike is real and the deaths are devastating. Many of his patients are mourning the excellent Dr Lenworth Jackson who passed away from Covid last week.

Thank goodness, there are several organisations who have been giving amazing service to our people. The NCSC led by Cassandra Morrison has been at work islandwide, counselling, assisting with health aids and care items. Saffrey Brown, head of the Council for Voluntary Social Services (CVSS) says the organisation has distributed 50,000 masks and 71,000 care packages.  They are collaborating with the Jamaica Council of Churches to set up food kitchens in communities.

Lois Hue, Deputy Head of the Jamaica Red Cross has been increasing their ‘Meals-on-Wheels’ programme for indigent elderly and handicapped persons, even as they also continue to distribute care packages and sanitizing items.

CCRP has contributed $500,000 to Food for the Poor for the preparation of care packages for the elderly indigent, and these were distributed with the assistance of the Police Community Safety Division. The organisation also received a considerable amount of foodstuff from the Digicel Foundation which was distributed to churches and infirmaries islandwide. Mrs Vilma McDonald reported that the Lions Club of New Kingston have continued their outreach to the elderly, also delivering food packages for them.

The PSOJ’s programme for outreach, led by President Keith Duncan has seen top companies stepping up to give millions, and a recent video aimed at the diaspora features a Go Fund Me page so that Jamaicans everywhere can contribute.

R. Danny Williams Autobiography

Congratulations to the legendary R. Danny Williams on the launch of his autobiography ‘I Tried To Make A Difference’. The title reflects Danny Williams’ humility as those who know him, know the huge difference he has made in business, philanthropy and mentorship. It was amazing to see this patriot, this force of nature, at work when he raised funds in record time for the building of the UWI Hospital Intensive Care Facility. As the Founder and President of Life of Jamaica (now Sagicor Life), he changed the face of the insurance industry in Jamaica, creating thousands of successful careers in the field. Danny Williams and Shirley, his wife of 65 years inspire us to give of our best to family and country.

All proceeds of ‘I Tried To Make A Difference’ will go to the R. Danny Williams Endowment Fund, to benefit the students of his beloved Alma Mater, Jamaica College. Copies of the book can be purchased at Sigma Secretariat, Ground Floor – R Danny Williams Building, 28-48 Barbados Avenue.

Digicel Virtual 5K

This ninth running of the Digicel 5K for special needs will take place virtually this month. A unique plan designed by Alfred ‘Frano’ Francis of Running Events will deliver you a ‘Virtual Bib’ after you register at their website so anyone here and abroad can now walk, run and wheel anywhere for special needs. When you submit your time online, you will be rewarded with a medal and certificate.

Since 2012, the Digicel Foundation has raised J$61.5 million to assist school renovations, provide scholarships to students with special needs.

Excerpt from Jamaica Observer column published 12 October 2020

_{By: Jean Lowrie-Chin}

Yes, we have many challenges, but we will not be defeated. This is because many Jamaican organizations are looking out for the less fortunate.  It is particularly moving to see the special focus that has been placed on the elderly during these Covid times. We had dancing and solid advice from top experts at a Wellness Forum during Seniors Week.

Dr Le’Anne Steele reminded us of the importance of exercise for both physical and mental health. What a joy it was to see a video featuring 80-year-old Mrs Gurlene Johnson, champion participant in numerous athletic events both locally and in the region. Holding trophies and decked in medals, she shared that she walks or runs up to four miles each day. She has no non-communicable diseases and is not on any medication. “To God be the glory,” she declares, thanking the Health Ministry and the National Council for Senior Citizens (NCSC).

Dr Sharon Dawson gave information on nutrition, highlighting the immunity boosters: fruit and vegetables, turmeric, garlic, red bell pepper, almonds, ginger, green tea, sweet potatoes and oily fish. She emphasised the importance of staying hydrated. We learned at another session that sometimes it is dehydration and not dementia that causes confusion in elderly persons. Let us remember also that blessed sunshine which gives us Vitamin D, one of the most important vitamins to build immunity and keep our bones strong.

Deputy Chief Nursing Officer Mrs Karen Nelson reminded us to monitor our health daily, to watch for fever, cough, shortness of breath and other symptoms of Covid 19.  We understand that some of the serious Covid cases resulted from delayed action in reporting such symptoms. She reminded us that masks should fit well, covering the nose and mouth. She said adequate sleep was important as this is when hormones beneficial to one’s health are released. She warned against too much alcohol and cigarette smoking. Mrs Nelson ended her presentation with a lively dance.

Dr Judith Leiba spoke on mental health, reminding caregivers, “Think of your own mental health before you help someone else.” She said a senior told her that prayer, exercise and fierce determination were her way of coping with these Covid times. She recommended the “Rs”: Reflection, Responsibility, Relaxation, Retooling and Rebooting, Recreation, Relationships and Resources. She urged participants, “Be aware of your emotions and be patient with yourselves.” She warned that although cleaning and sanitizing were important, we should be wary of obsessive behaviour.

Dr Leiba encouraged that we watch positive, humorous programmes. We know that with the Covid updates and news here and abroad, we can become stressed. Indeed, the morning I was to have surgery on my wrist, my blood pressure went up and after watching “Oliver at Large” on YouTube, it stabilized.  Laughter remains the best medicine.

Please check the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS) YouTube channel for this excellent Forum.