Author: jahighlights

Digicel Foundation’s Labour Day project brightens hospitals

Powered by an army of volunteers, Digicel Foundation Jamaica led a major Labour Day initiative at Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) and Victoria Jubilee Hospital (VJH) on May 23. Over 70 volunteers from Digicel, EdgeChem Jamaica Limited, Dutch Construction Limited, and Transcendence Holdings Limited combined to give KPH and VJH a welcome facelift. The volunteers repainted key areas and undertook renovation work to enhance the hospital experience for patients and staff.  The project formed part of the foundation’s ongoing commitment to national development through community upliftment. Here representatives from Digicel Foundation and partner organisations gather for a photo opportunity during Labour Day activities.

Powered by an army of volunteers, Digicel Foundation Jamaica led a major Labour Day
initiative at Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) and Victoria Jubilee Hospital (VJH) on
Friday, May 23, 2025, in partnership with EdgeChem Jamaica Limited, Transcendence
Holdings Limited and Dutch Construction Limited. The project formed part of the
Foundation’s ongoing commitment to national development through community
upliftment.

Over seventy (70) volunteers from Digicel, EdgeChem Jamaica Limited, Dutch
Construction Limited, and Transcendence Holdings Limited combined to give KPH and
VJH a welcome facelift. The volunteers repainted key areas and undertook renovation
work to enhance the hospital experience for patients and staff.
Digicel Foundation CEO Charmaine Daniels pointed out: “When we saw the request
from Kingston Public Hospital and Victoria Jubilee Hospital, we knew we had to step in.
As a company rooted in downtown Kingston, we’ve invested heavily in the community
through initiatives like the Coronation Market, Kingston Art Walk, and the Ocean
Cleanup projects. Supporting our healthcare heroes was a natural next step.”
The work included the painting of the car park and entrance to the Accident and
Emergency Department at KPH, as well as the curbside and parking lot at VJH. The
complete renovation of a doctor’s office and bathroom at VJH also included the
purchase and installation of new furniture.

It was not all about painting, noted Karen Mussington, Commercial Manager at
EdgeChem Jamaica: “This Labour Day, we set out to do more than donate paint, we
aimed to make a lasting impact. By partnering with organizations like the Digicel
Foundation, we’re contributing to projects that uplift communities and inspire change.
These initiatives resonate deeply with us because they’re not just about giving back,
they’re about building the future of our nation, together.”
Digicel Foundation’s Charmaine Daniels expressed her satisfaction at the end of the
day: “We were initially approached to support with painting, but when we saw the
condition of a doctor’s room, we knew we had to do more. Our healthcare workers
deserve to rest comfortably in a space that reflects their dedication and hard work.
We’re proud to have renovated the room, bathroom, and furnished it with new furniture.
We’re thankful for our partners like EdgeChem and Dutch Construction who shared our
vision.”
CEO of Kingston Public Hospital, Mr. Barrington Graham, was delighted with the results
of the project, noting that both hospitals “benefited immensely from the generosity of the Digicel Foundation.” He declared: “The Digicel team turned out in their numbers and
performed a wonderful job…We thank the Digicel Foundation and their team for this
generous display of support on Labour Day, 202​5.”

Historic Win: Antigua Celebrates Its First Super Lotto™ Jackpot Winner

Historic moment captured: Antigua & Barbuda’s first-ever Super Lotto™ jackpot winner “A.C.” (centre) celebrates his life-changing ECD $4.35 million victory alongside the team that made it possible. Joined by (from left) Caribbean Lottery Business Operations Coordinator Vonette Philips, IGT Antilles Director Shelly Ann Hee Chung, Bridgette’s Bar owner Bridgette Dixon—whose Cedar Grove establishment sold the winning ticket—and Antigua Senior Supervisor of Business Operations Chad Kelly. After 16 years of playing the same numbers given to him by his mother, A.C.’s unwavering dedication has finally paid off, marking a milestone moment in Caribbean lottery history.

Marubeni’s US$25,000 investment targets Jamaica’s energy future

Marubeni Power International managing director of Caribbean operations Mo Majeed (third left) speaks with scholarship recipients (clockwise from centre) Alician Lawrence, Martin Gentles, Theoden Ellis, and Breanna Bisnott at the Marubeni electrical engineering scholarship handover ceremony in the University of the West Indies, Mona campus, on Wednesday, May 28, 2025. Also present are UWI Development and Endowment Fund (UWIDEF) CEO Carla Seaga and Damian Obligio, senior vice president operations, Marubeni Power International. 

Marubeni Power International’s latest educational investment underscores a strategic shift from traditional corporate philanthropy to targeted talent development, with nearly US$25,000 in scholarships awarded to five UWI Mona electrical engineering students positioned to transform Jamaica’s energy landscape.

Mo Majeed, managing director of Caribbean operations and chief operating officer of Marubeni Power International, distinguished this initiative from conventional corporate social responsibility during the ceremony at the University of the West Indies, Mona campus on Wednesday (May 28). 

“At Marubeni, we do not view our scholarship program as charity. We view it as an investment in you, in this region, and in our shared future,” Majeed declared to the assembled recipients and dignitaries.

“As engineers in the power sector, your work will literally illuminate lives. This is both a tremendous responsibility and an extraordinary privilege. The energy challenges facing our region – from hurricane resilience to the excessive cost of imported fuels – are indeed global challenges. When you solve problems here, you develop solutions with worldwide relevance,” Majeed addressed the scholars directly, emphasising their global significance.

The partnership between the Japanese multinational and the UWI Endowment Fund represents a deliberate strategy to address regional energy challenges through local expertise development. Recipients Alician Lawrence, Theoden Ellis, Martin Gentles, Darren Passley, and Breanna Bisnott were selected through rigorous evaluation, including academic performance, professional references, and leadership interviews.

Japanese Ambassador to Jamaica Yasuhiro Atsumi reinforced the international dimension of this educational partnership, praising “Marubeni’s commitment to empowering the next generation of talented Jamaicans with engineering skills.”

The ambassador’s presence underscored Japan’s broader commitment to Caribbean development through strategic educational investments.

Dr. Venesse Morrison-Leon, project lead and transformation officer at the Ministry of Education, positioned the programme within national development priorities. “Marubeni is playing an active role in building a more knowledgeable, innovative and self-reliant society. The scholarship programme will assist the recipients in developing the systems, the technologies, and the solutions that our country and our region require,” she explained, before offering direct encouragement to the recipients: “To the five recipients, this moment should be a stepping stone for you, a reminder that you are seen, you are supported, and you are believed in.”

Carla Seaga, CEO of the UWI Development and Endowment Fund, demonstrated the transformative potential of such investments by sharing the inspiring story of Rochelle Stephen, a 2023 Marubeni scholarship recipient who became the first in her family to attend university.

“Education can change the trajectory of a life,” Seaga stated, illustrating how individual educational achievement creates broader social transformation and generational impact.

The collaborative approach extends beyond financial support to mentorship and professional development, creating pathways for graduates to contribute directly to Jamaica’s energy independence goals. Dr Lindon Falconer, deputy dean of quality assurance at UWI’s Faculty of Engineering, noted that Marubeni is “lighting the path” for future engineers, acknowledging the company’s role in bridging academic excellence with industry requirements.

The ceremony concluded with heartfelt gratitude from scholarship recipient Breanna Bisnott, who spoke on behalf of her fellow scholars. “This scholarship is more than just an award, it’s a vote of confidence in our potential,” she expressed, capturing the collective determination of all five recipients to honour this investment through their academic and professional achievements.

Majeed’s philosophy resonated throughout the ceremony as he articulated Marubeni’s long-term vision: “We recognise that the most valuable resource in the Caribbean is not bauxite or tourism or even sunshine – it is the brilliance and determination of the people.”

As these five exceptional students embark on their enhanced academic journeys, they carry with them not merely financial support but the hopes and expectations of a nation poised to achieve energy independence through its own intellectual capital. Their success will illuminate not just homes and businesses, but pathways for future generations of Jamaican engineers who will find that excellence, when nurtured and supported, knows no boundaries. In their achievements, Jamaica glimpses its own limitless potential.

Leadership changes coming for National Leadership Prayer Breakfast Committee

The National Leadership Prayer Breakfast Committee (NLPB) has announced pending changes in its leadership following its recent annual general meeting.

The change comes as the current chairman, Reverend Sam McCook, and his team, have constitutionally completed their full term of four years. The newly-elected committee leaders will serve from 2025-2027, effective September.

Rev McCook will be succeeded by Pastor Claudia Ferguson, executive member of the Jamaica Evangelical Alliance and director of Love 101 FM radio and television. Pastor Ferguson has served on the NLPB Committee since 2013 and is pastor in the Seventh-day Baptist Church denomination. The vice-chair will be Rev Dr Rohan Ambersley, executive member of the New Testament Church of God in Jamaica. In the meantime the secretarial post will be held by Rev Dr Wayneford McFarlane, executive member of the Jamaica Council of Churches and pastor of the Saxthorpe Methodist Church, with the assistant secretary to be Bishop Courtney Golding, currently chairman of the Jamaica Pentecostal Union Apostolic and pastor of the Orangefield Pentecostal Tabernacle.

The NLPB Committee has hosted an annual prayer breakfast in Jamaica for 45 years.

The prayer breakfast is aimed at fostering unity, fellowship, and spiritual reflection among the nation’s leaders.

As part of its commitment to nation building, the NLPB 2025 outreach project has focused on supporting The Tegwyn House — a special unit at the Jamaica National Children’s Home that cares for children who have severe mental and physical disabilities and need 24-hour care

Digicel Foundation Signs MoUs to Establish Smart Labs in Teacher Training Colleges

The partnership is made official!

Permanent Secretary Dr. Kasan Troupe (3 rd left), Joy Clark Digicel Foundation Chairperson (4 th left) and representatives from the Ministry of Education, Youth, Skills and Information, Digicel Foundation, St. Joseph’s Teachers’ College, Mico University College, and Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College share thumbs up following the signing of MoUs to establish fully equipped Digicel Foundation Smart Lab.

Growing Hope: IGT Labour Day Project


International Game Technology (IGT) Jamaica team members (from left) Mail Clerk Owen Campbell, People & Transformation People Partner Simone Seymour-Thomas, and Warehouse & Distribution Manager Dameon Pagan, destined for the SOS Children’s Village, load a vehicle with various vegetable plants and seedlings from the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA). The team is transforming the children’s home landscape through their Labour Day community project—establishing a sustainable vegetable garden. This green initiative represents IGT’s commitment to community development while creating a lasting legacy of food security and environmental education for the residents.

Wellness and Safety

A group of three senior women exercising together, jogging or power walking along a sidewalk in they are having fun, laughing.

Our CCRP members have complained about the lack of parks where they can safely exercise, so we are calling on the Ministry of Labour and Social Services to collaborate with the Ministry of Local Government to establish areas similar to Emancipation Park and Harmony Beach Park in every parish.

We are happy that a petition we circulated for the reopening of the Rockfort Mineral Bath, signed by over 2,500 people, helped to push the envelope for the good news we received this week. We are incredibly grateful to the Caribbean Cement Company for keeping communication open and for the generous features that they are adding to the costly renovation.

As we reflected on the dangers to elders living alone — fire and natural disasters — we are calling for a division of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management to serve the elderly in collaboration with NCSC, the Jamaica Constabulary Force, and the Jamaica Fire Brigade.

The Senate committee also heard excellent presentations from Sandra Latibeaudiere, lecturer and the section head/unit coordinator for the Social Work Programme at The University of the West Indies, Mona, and Dr Brian Kazaara, president of the Jamaica Association of Psychiatrists. Latibeaudiere noted that there is a 6 per cent prevalence of dementia in Jamaica, and with our growing elderly population, called for a National Dementia Plan. She mentioned depression as a worrying factor and recommended cognitive testing. She said the existing community health teams should be equipped with specialists to address these issues.

Dr Kazaara noted the importance of ethics, respect, patient autonomy, and advocacy. He said elderly patients should be allowed to speak for themselves and emphasised that dementia is not an inevitable condition for the elderly. He underlined the importance of cognitive testing and bemoaned the inequity of the delivery of services in rural areas.

In our CCRP outreach activities we see how woefully underserved our needy elderly are, many of whom live in volatile areas. We are grateful to DSP Natalie Palmer-Mair, Sergeant Jerr Johnson-Heron, and other kind officers for assisting in distributing our care packages to destitute elders.

This proposed legislation is everybody’s business. It will not only protect the elderly of the present, but also Jamaicans of all ages — the elderly of the future.

Protecting our present and future elders

Jean Lowrie-Chin

The elderly are an underserved community in Jamaica.

On my way downtown last Tuesday morning, I opened my WhatsApp messages to see photographs of an elderly woman tied to a wheelchair with a wound on her forehead. She appeared to need a bath. They were sent with an urgent appeal for help by her daughter living overseas, who had been sending funds for her care. I later found out that a social worker from the National Council for Senior Citizens (NCSC) had visited the lady and was working with the family to ensure her safety.

Our team was heading to Gordon House to make CCRP’s presentation to the special select committee of the Senate mandated to develop legislation for the care and protection of the elderly. As the image of this poor lady flashed through my mind, my voice cracked at times. It has been a long road for CCRP, as we had activated our advocacy in 2017, writing releases and corresponding with representatives of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and the Ministry of Health.Let us applaud Senator Professor Floyd Morris who moved the motion to push this legislation forward. It was seconded by Senator Sherene Golding Campbell, who immediately agreed to chair the Senate committee which began hearing submissions within a few months. We are grateful for the comments and suggestions made by the members at the meeting last week — senators Golding Campbell and Morris, Senator Dr Sapphire Longmore, Senator Sophia Fraser Binns, and Senator Kavan Gayle.

Reading – A New Subject

Dana Morris Dixon

We welcome the announcement by Senator Dana Morris Dixon that reading will be treated as a separate subject in primary schools beginning in September. There was wide participation for Read Across Jamaica last Tuesday, and the attention and participation of the children showed their enthusiasm for books.

This took me back to the days when our father would take us to Tom Redcam Library to borrow books every week, followed by ice cream treats. Of course, we did not have the competition of digital media in those times, so it is harder for parents to manage their children’s reading habits. This initiative will ensure that children become better readers, which will prepare them for understanding texts on all subjects and directions in their examinations. As the saying goes, ‘Readers are leaders.’