CHILDREN of Tranquility in western Portland and their teachers are now benefiting from a new basic school which was constructed by Food for the Poor (FFP) recently in the parish. The school was handed over earlier this month.
Volunteers from Kind Hearts and FFP took three days to construct the school on the grounds of the Tranquility Primary School.
Christina Hudson, director at Kind Hearts, is hoping that the facility will be beneficial.
“I’m a mother and the importance of children getting a good start in life has never been more thrilling. To the tutors, parents and teachers of this beautifully built basic school, I hope this school will bring you closer to achieving your dreams.
“Education can never be taken away from you and with your education, dedication and hard work, you can do anything that you set your mind to,” Hudson said.
The school will serve 23 students aged three to six years old.
“For the fifth-consecutive year Food For the Poor has partnered with Kind Hearts — a non-profit organisation operated by young adults who are dedicated to giving back to communities within Jamaica — to build their fifth school in the island,” said FFP Executive Director David Mair.
“Our wish from Food for the Poor is that this community will provide ongoing support for its children to help them succeed against all odds,” he added.
Patricia Cary, development officer at the Ministry of Education, praised FFP and Kind Hearts for the school and noted that “this is a step in meeting the ministry’s criteria for early childhood education”.
Not long ago, 31-year-old Latoya Williams was facing the reality of being homeless and unemployed with four children, and local authorities threatening to take her children from her. Now, she says she has much to give thanks for, primarily because Food For The Poor (FFP) Jamaica recently gave her a house.
Williams, who now resides along St John’s Road in St Catherine, was evicted because she was unable to pay her rent. With nowhere to live, authorities told her they would take her children from her and place them in care of the State. After being told this, Williams developed a plan to get a house.
“I used to buy and sell downtown with goods such as bag juice and cookies, but I haven’t been selling since the year began because things got hard on me. I would borrow to buy the goods, and when things don’t turn over with a good profit, I can’t repay,” Williams said in an interview.
“Then I couldn’t pay the rent or send the children to school, so I got evicted. With all of what was going on, I went to Food For The Poor with the hope of applying for a house and getting it. I was told I needed a letter from a Justice of the Peace and my grandmother who owns the land the house was built on, so I went and got those and submitted it, then they selected me for a house.”
FFP Jamaica along with Rainforest Seafoods Limited built the house for Williams during Holy Week.
Roger Lyn, Marketing Manager at Rainforest Seafoods, presents Ms Williams and her children with the keys to their new home.
“I am so grateful. Mi did think mi did ina one gutter weh mi couldn’t come out of, but with the house Food For The Poor gave to me, is like I am coming out of the gutter. All I need to do now is start sell again, and I have another plan for that. I just need a freezer and go downtown and start buy the bag juice them in a big bulk and store them in the freezer,” Williams said.
David Mair, Executive Director, FFP Jamaica, said when the case for Williams was presented to his team, they could not resist assisting.
“When you saw her story, you would have been heartbroken. Immediately after she was evicted, she was literally on the street with her children. She came to us, presented her case and showed us the documents regarding her eviction and her case with the court and her children. We had to assist her, because without a house, she would have lost her children,” Mair said.
He further stated, “Our first 5K Run/Walk which was held in 2015 had a focus of raising funds to build houses for mothers who are in dire need of houses. Our 5K was also planned for May, on the Eve of Mother’s Day, because we see a greater amount in applications being submitted by mothers who need relief assistance along with their children. Williams is one of those mothers. It is so fitting that she has gotten a house two weeks before we launch our next 5K Run/Walk on April 5.”
Rainforest Seafoods are the sponsors who donated the funds needed to construct the house. Roger Lyn, Marketing Manager of the company, said when Marsha Burrell, Development/Marketing Manager, FFP Jamaica called and presented the case to him, his team could not resist assisting.
“When you heard and saw the circumstance of this family, you would have been heartbroken. We had to help. It was a no-brainer, because Rainforest Seafoods is all about family, and keeping families together. We have done work with Food For The Poor before and we were proud to partner with them in building a house again,” Lyn said.
Williams expressed gratitude to both organisations for helping her.
“I am so grateful. I could not afford a house because I started out wrong in life, and my parents could not afford to give me a good education. When I was to do Caribbean Examination Council subjects, my mother seh she can’t pay fi dem. Dem fi send mi home. After leaving school I have to be buying and selling. I made mistakes, but I want better for my children,” the single mother said.
Such an amazing initiative being implemented by Colgate! Happy to know that our little ones across the length and breadth of our island will be able to benefit from dental care and oral care education campaigns. Definitely something to smile about 🙂
Colgate is a household name that I grew up with. It simply means “toothpaste.” When it comes to dental health awareness, there is no doubt we can’t start young enough. Here is the latest on Colgate’s new mobile unit, which visited the Union Gardens Infant School recently. There’s a “cuteness alert” on the photos, by the way! (Provided by ProComm).
The Colgate mobile dental unit – ready for the road…
Kingston, Jamaica – April 25, 2016: Thousands of the island’s children are again set to benefit from top-quality dental care with the re-launch of Colgate’s Mobile Dental Unit, a critical component of Colgate’s Bright Smiles, Bright Futures school program. The Unit was re-launched at a special event held at Union Gardens Infant School in Kingston on April 7, 2016.
Colgate’s programme is a global oral health initiative launched in Jamaica in 1969, in association with the Ministries of Health and…
Hi-Lo has announced that it will be adding a new location to its food store chain, acquiring a lease for the property previously occupied by Empire Supermarket in Liguanea. The Liguanea location will bring to thirteen, the total number of locations island-wide.
“The area is not new to us, and we are very happy to be returning to the Liguanea community. We are excited about providing our Liguanea shoppers with the exceptional customer service that Hi-Lo is known for,” said General Manager, Mrs Renee Nathan. Hi-Lo Supermarket is no stranger to Liguanea, having had a location in Liguanea Plaza, which closed in 2009. “This location is an ideal one for us. We are putting all the plans in place to ensure that we capitalize on this,” Mrs Nathan continued. The location is expected to be open by the beginning of the second quarter.
Hi-Lo embarked on a renovation exercise in 2014, which has seen both its Manor Park and Barbican locations renovated and relaunched in January and June 2015, respectively. The exercise has resulted in very positive customer feedback, as well as an improvement in profits for the chain.
According to CEO of GraceKennedy Foods, Jamaica, Andrea Coy, “We allocated some $US8million to the renovation process, and we are very pleased with the impact it has had on both the customer experience and on our bottom line. Our Fairview location in Montego Bay is next in line to be renovated. That will happen in the first quarter of this year. The opening of the Liguanea location and the renovation of Fairview are top priorities, and we are excited to have both projects completed so we can enhance the customer experience and contribute to our financial performance.”
“I am really pleased with the performance of Hi-Lo. The strategy we have employed is really working there. The team is very committed and their hard work has enabled this transformation. I am very optimistic the future of Hi-Lo. Our US$8million investment demonstrates that we are serious about the upgrade of our existing stores, and the addition of new locations. I want to reassure our customers that they remain our major focus, and that we are more motivated than ever to provide them with an excellent customer experience every single time,” said GraceKennedy Group CEO Don Wehby.
The GraceKennedy Group has announced the formation of a joint venture company with the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA), which will manage the media rights to all of ISSA’s sporting events for the next 15 years.
In explaining how the joint venture came to be, Dr. Walton Small, President of ISSA said, “We wanted to maximize the revenue opportunities from secondary school sports in Jamaica to fund the development of those sports and high school athletic programmes overall. We have a long, rich history with GK, and decided to partner with them to make this happen.”
The strength of the GK/ISSA partnership was underscored by Steven Whittingham, Managing Director of GK Capital Management, the investment arm of GraceKennedy, which will oversee the investment on GK’s behalf. “We have built a very strong relationship with ISSA, and have enjoyed working with its Executive team of Dr. Walton Small, Colleen Montague and Keith Wellington. Both entities are excited at the prospects that exist from this joint venture,” Mr Whittingham said.
He explained that the joint venture company called ‘Greenfield Media Productions Ltd’, has acquired the media rights for all ISSA’s sporting events by virtue of a long term licence. ‘Greenfield Media’ will manage the sale and distribution of the television, radio and internet rights locally and globally.
GraceKennedy Group CEO, Don Wehby, said that the GK Group’s earnings from the joint venture will be used, in part, to increase GK’s support to education in Jamaica through the Grace and Staff Community Development Foundation. “GraceKennedy has always invested in the education of Jamaica’s youth, as we know that this is a significant nation building tool for Jamaica. This initiative will increase that investment significantly, and I am very proud of that,” said Wehby.
Under the joint venture with ISSA falls the entire portfolio of High School Boys and Girls sports, which includes Boys and Girls Championships (‘Champs’), Football, Cricket, Netball, Basketball (Boys and Girls), Volleyball, Swimming, Table Tennis, Badminton and Hockey.
The joint venture aims to increase the development of media content for traditional and non-traditional sports and expand distribution in the local and international markets. There will also be human interest content generated, about athletes and institutions which will promote Brand Jamaica’s sporting offerings, accomplishments and prowess to the diaspora and the world.
Jamaica Highlights 