Category: Star

Happy to finally have a home

Friday, January 19, 2018

By: Alicia Barrett

Two years ago, Jazzelle Francis’ worst nightmare became a reality when her home was burnt to the ground.

But now the 21-year-old woman is jumping for joy because Food For The Poor has given her somewhere to call her home.

She is not the only one who is elated, as another family from Rum Lane in Kingston who lost their house in that same dreadful fire will also receive a home.

Francis, a mother of two, told THE STAR that she is very happy that at least one house has arrived, and she is looking forward to the next one which is scheduled to arrive today.

INSIDE BATHROOM
“Me feel really good right now, plus me have inside bathroom and everything. We get table, we get stove, me just happy,” she said.

Francis said that after the house burnt down, she felt weary because she was not seeing any progress being made in terms of getting a new home, even though she had applied for it.

“Me feel good when me see dem come cause me did a call and a wonder if dem never did a come, enuh. When me see the material come and me see the foundation start, me feel good.

Then me get the call last night fi seh the house a come today [yesterday]. Me just go call me cousin fi chop down di tree weh did inna d way,” she said, smiling.

Francis said that living with family members had its challenges, and she is very happy that she now has something that belongs to her.

“It did hard. It did rough cause when you live inna people house yuh see dem a move ‘cumooging’, like them no longer want you there. Me really happy to have somewhere to call my own,” she told THE STAR.

Source: The Jamaica Star

Corporate Jamaica scouts Tanto Blacks

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Dancehall artiste Tanto Blacks says the law of attraction played a role in J.Wray and Nephew’s decision to sign him as the face of their ‘Q is the Key to Cash 4 Life’ competition that ends this month.

According to energetic entertainer, belief in one’s self can take a person a far way.

“I believe anything that you talk into the universe, it will happen in reality if you believe in it. I wasn’t surprised because I know everything was going to come to me. Even when I went for my US visa, I never was fretting,” he said.

Tanto Blacks also disclosed that following J. Wray and Nephew’s signing he has been approached by several other corporate brands for brand ambassador duties.

Brand Ambassador

“A lot of brands were sleeping on me, but Wray and Nephew open their eyes. So, now all of them see me as a potential brand ambassador. The journey was good and nuff brand a call me now. It was also a good feeling to go in pharmacies and stores and see posters with my face on it. I was also happy to see my face on the Billboard in Half-Way Tree and Montego Bay,” he said.

Tanto Blacks will also make his acting debut this year in a Jamaican film titled True Billionaire. His debut EP will also be released bearing the same title.

“This year, everything wi seh will be billionaire because we pass millionaire status now,” he told THE STAR.

Source: http://jamaica-star.com/article/entertainment/20170128/corporate-jamaica-scouts-tanto-blacks

Twins Excelling Despite Difficulties

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Despite being diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and Cognitive Impairment, exceptional twin sisters Shantoi and Samoi Miller, all of seven years old, are outstanding and inspiring students and the celebrated shining stars at the Early Stimulation Programme (ESP) Centre of Excellence.

At this young age, the two girls have faced severe odds, overcome several major health and development obstacles, and are now beacons of hope, showing the value of the early stimulation in the lives of children with special needs.

Enrolled at the stimulation centre over the last three years, their teachers Aunties Melissa Robinson and Norma-Jean Powell quickly realised that the girls needed extra attention to develop their skills and talents.

Issues such as forgetting letters and numerals, not being able to keep up in class, and refusing to eat plagued the girls’ development.

But help was on the way, as Digicel Foundation stepped in and provided critical funding under a programme designed to assist children like Shantoi and Samoi.

The poundation, having assisted some 34,000 persons with special needs since its inception, saw the Early Stimulation Programme as a right fit for the organisation’s input.

The school was able to move into a newly renovated environment with additional tools for intervention. The teachers were more motivated to deliver better results for each child, and the twin girls went from being shy and reserved to outspoken and ready to face new adventures.

Their excitement about going to school could not be contained and they developed a level of confidence that made them no longer worried about what people had to say about their special needs.

At the end of their programme, they were both chosen as valedictorians for their graduating class.

Digicel Foundation chairman Jean Lowrie-Chin, in celebrating the achievement of the twin girls, believes that there are many other children like Shantoi and Samoi who can benefit from the efforts of the organisation.

“It really warms my heart when we are able to help, and to see how lives can be changed because of our partnerships.” Lowrie-Chin said.

Shantoi and Samoi are inspiring classmates, parents, teachers and partners with their contagious warmth and can-do attitude towards life.

The ESP Centre of Excellence is among 45 special-needs projects benefitting from some US$11 million in funding from the Digicel Foundation.

http://jamaica-star.com/article/news/20170109/twins-excelling-despite-difficulties

Food for the Poor assists inmates to get early release

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More than 300 former inmates were able to spend Christmas at home with their families, thanks to generous donors of the international relief and development organisation Food For The Poor (FFTP).

For 18 years, the charity has secured the release of non-violent offenders in Guyana, Haiti, Honduras and Jamaica by paying their accumulated fines at Christmas and at Easter.

Hundreds of the poor, including women, in the Caribbean and Latin America are imprisoned for minor offences because of their inability to pay their court fines, even though the amounts are minimal.

“These prisons can quickly become a black hole of despair, especially for someone locked up with murderers because they do not have the money to pay a fine for a minor offence,” said Robin Mahfood, president/CEO of FFTP.

“Words do not convey the gratitude we have for our loving donors and staff who have not lost faith in a segment of people who are often forgotten or written off as a lost cause,” said Mahfood.

In Jamaica, 21 non-violent prisoners were released from their cells. Four women were freed from the Fort Augusta Adult Correctional Centre, four men from Richmond Park, one man from Tamarind Farm, two men from Tower Street, and 10 men from the St Catherine Adult Correctional Centre.

Among the released is a 63-year-old bus driver who was placed behind bars on December 1 for not wearing the required bus uniform.

He was faced with two options for the offence: pay a fine of $32,000, or spend 60 days in prison. He opted to be jailed because he could not afford the fine.

“I have a daughter attending university, and college expenses are quite costly, but I want to give her a better life. This is why I didn’t have the funds to pay the fine,” he said.

“It has been hard in prison, especially when you think about not having the freedom you are used to. Being on lockdown is not easy.”

When the man found out that FFTP had paid his outstanding fine for his early release, he said, “I feel good! I didn’t have it to pay, and to know that people who don’t know me would just do this for me, it makes me feel really good inside.”

Immediately upon release from the different prisons, the former inmates were each greeted by FFTP staff who provided them with food, supplies and offered words of encouragement.

http://jamaica-star.com/article/news/20161228/food-poor-assists-inmates-get-early-release

Swimming Boss Backs Rainforest Seafoods Ambassador Alia Atkinson for Sportswoman Prize

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Amateur Swimming Association of Jamaica (ASAJ) President Handel Lamey is throwing full support behind swimming standard bearer Alia Atkinson, whom he is hoping will win her second RJR Sports Foundation National Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Award next month.

The prestigious annual awards ceremony will be held on January 13 at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.

In 2015, Atkinson became the first swimmer to win the national award since Belinda Phillips in 1974.

According to Lamey, the only blemish on the 28-year-old national record holder’s performances this year was not medalling at the Olympics.

“I think she is a very strong candidate for this year, being that she has established 100m world record, 50m world record and the only thing is that she did not achieve an Olympic medal. But in terms of performance, she has done exceedingly well,” the ASAJ boss told STAR Sports.

Atkinson, who won three medals at the Short Course (SC) Worlds and broke the 50m breaststroke SC would record, will be looking to upstage double Olympic sprint champion Elaine Thompson for the top award.

Locally, Lamey points to the swimmer’s impact as tremendous, considering Atkinson a household name.

“It’s a big deal for us, considering that she has been the only swimmer in a long time that has had received the award. She is very good to have been nominated on so many occasions and having won it,” he said.

From a sporting association level, the president says the decorated swimmer gives a lot of exposure.

“When you look out there in the winning environment, there aren’t that many black swimmers coming from this region who are participating at that level,” stressed Lamey.