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Tag: The Gleaner
Honesty, Integrity, Trust – For 95 Years And Beyond
The following is an edited version of remarks delivered by Don Wehby, group CEO of GraceKennedy Limited, at the company’s 95th anniversary church service held at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Kingston on Sunday:
Not too long ago, as a youngster in khakis, I visited this church every first Friday for worship. In those days, it was mandatory. As I look back on my life, I’m thankful that it was. Those hours of prayer shaped my early spiritual identity and prepared me for a path which I could never have imagined would have led me to standing here before you as CEO of GraceKennedy. It just shows how important it is to dream big, work hard, and give God thanks.
I have also seen – both in my personal and business life – that it is God who makes all things possible, and He can take people, institutions and countries further than they or others could ever imagine. So today, we have come to this house to reflect and give thanks, fully aware that 95 years would not have been possible solely on human strength.
I salute each founder, director, and employee of GraceKennedy from the beginning to now, for the strength, commitment, passion and faith to have laboured in love to make this company what it is today. We honour our founders Dr John Grace, Fred Kennedy and James Moss-Solomon Sr and former CEOs Carlton Alexander, Rafael Diaz and Douglas Orane. And there are many other unsung heroes. I acknowledge members of the founding families who are with us today. We thank God for using them as vessels to build a company that shows love to our people and to our country.
IN PRAISE OF TEAM MEMBERS
We talk about this all the time and it is still worth mentioning: In 1925, we offered employees the right to purchase shares in the company at par. Also, in 1951, GraceKennedy became the first Jamaican company to establish free health, and superannuation schemes, and life insurance for staff. Today, we continue to look for every opportunity to ensure that our staff are well taken care of and can provide for their families.
I would like to salute our retirees. Many of them are here today or would have wanted to be. We hold them dear because of all they have given and how they continue to hold us in their hearts. They give us strength to continue every day. And they are very special to me.
We have a great executive team, which is committed to living the core values and continuing the tradition of leadership and service. We are thankful for their passion and commitment to GK.
JUST THE BEGINNING
Ninety-five years for some businesses is more than a lifetime. But for us, in some ways, it is just the beginning. The best is yet to come. From our humble early days, we have grown from strength to strength, and today, we are fixed on the goal of being a global world-class consumer group. GraceKennedy’s journey to the world is in full flight, with offices in Jamaica, the Caribbean, North America, UK and Europe, and Africa.
As we continue to grow and give the world a taste of who we are, we are more committed than ever to serving our Jamaican market with quality products and to keep GraceKennedy’s brands as household names. We are also encouraged to contribute to the growth of Jamaica and the communities in which we do business wherever we are in the world.
I believe wholeheartedly that even from birth, we have been a company ahead of its time, constantly looking beyond and thinking ahead. We know that greater things lie ahead. History has proven that when a solid foundation is put down, you can build with peace of mind. We have set our foundation, and we are building! And as I tell my team, I know there will be challenges, but if we fall down nine times, we are to get up 10!
Honesty, integrity, trust, humility and commitment are cherished core values which are our compass as we move forward with hope and optimism for the future. These are the same values that I learnt from my parents in this church over 30 years.
May God bless each of you, and our country, Jamaica. I pray for peace and love in this great country.
Source: Jamaica Gleaner | Honesty, integrity, trust – for 95 years and beyond
Food For The Poor Looks To Break New Ground
Charity eyes special emergency-response team
Requests for emergency assistance for victims of natural disasters, fire and other tragedies are a feature of the workday for employees of Food For The Poor (FFP). However, one such phone call from Dr Omar Davies, member of parliament for St Andrew South, about a fire in Arnett Gardens late last year presented some challenges.
The call came about 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve, a Saturday, and, with the following Monday and Tuesday being public holidays, there would be no one in office for at least the next three days.
With the appeal being for immediate assistance for the fire victims – mattresses, food and clothing at least – the agency responded.
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
However, FFP Chairman Andrew Mahfood, acknowledged the situation highlighted the need for a specialised emergency response team to deal with such situations.
“I would actually like to see us be able to do that as well, because we are dealing with a situation where the people don’t have a place to sleep tonight. So if we can even get them some emergency supplies like mattresses, or clothing so they can at least get on their feet the next day, that would be good,” he told The Gleaner.
Proof of ownership impacting assistance in inner-city areas
Andrew Mahfood, chairman of Food For the Poor, says the organisation’s ability to assist with the building of homes for persons in the inner city is being stymied by the beneficiaries’ inability to provide proof of ownership of the land or legal access to occupy the premises.
“It is one of the things that delays our effort considerably. If we were able to go into an area like Arnett (Gardens), where people have been living for many years, and just rebuild, the process would happen quicker, but we require proof of land ownership or lease, to show that they have the right to be on the land, to show that the taxes have been paid on the land. We need to ensure that our recipients have the right to be on the spot that we are building,” Mahfood said.
“What we’ve found in the past is that if we don’t follow those guidelines and regulations, we could end up building on lands that somebody else owns and then before you know it, somebody else comes and says, ‘You have to come out of that house, it’s my land’. But if we can somehow find a way where the lands in the inner city, the people can get the right to them, somehow it will speed up our efforts considerably.”
Charity organisation seeking to engage in community-development projects
Food For The Poor (FFP) is looking to partner with the State in community development in a more sustainable way, involving the construction of houses, community centres, places of worship, schools, etc.
“(The State) could give us plots of land where we can encourage community-type living and farming and co-operative-type. We’ve approached them and we’ve gotten initially some good feedback and it’s something we’re gonna have more discussion on. Agriculture presents a great opportunity for us and the people, given Food For The Poor’s ability to fund agriculture and water harvesting where you can put multiple tanks together with a source and feed it. Food For The Poor can, out in those tanks, we can put in pumps,” Food For the Poor Chairman Andrew Mahfood disclosed.
The charity organisation is now looking for recipients who are serious about getting into agriculture, especially with donors in the United States opting more to fund income-generating sustainable projects in agriculture, with water harvesting and sanitation issues a priority.
Said Mahfood: “We’re looking for areas where we can put in big water projects because donors in the United States are very interested in water, in being able to provide water and being able to provide sanitation. Those two areas we are finding our donors gravitating more towards. So let’s say that we have this project in a community, there is no running water. We can go and put in 30,000 gallons but once we confirm that there is a need, the office in Florida will then go to its donors and circulate it and get it funded.”
LOCAL BUSINESS SUPPORT
In the area of housing financing, which caters to individuals or families, more local businesses are taking an active interest by sponsoring 50 per cent of the cost of a standard Food For The Poor dwelling, which now stands at US$7,200. The charity organisation is quick to match any amount of such offers with a 50 per cent contribution.
Over the three-and-a-half decades of helping the less fortunate, political interference in its operations has been a non-issue, which Mahfood attributes to an appreciation of its stellar service.
“Our politicians and our Government, I think, do recognise that we can play a big role for the country and for them as well. If an MP is able to lobby Food For The Poor to do a lot of work in their area, it helps them. We don’t work with any particular MP. We want to work with every single MP in both parties. I believe that Jamaica, through the organisation, has a huge potential to do a lot more projects and we see those projects being funded in other countries. So one of the things that we have decided to for this year is to really mock up some very big projects and go after those donors in America that are funding the very same projects for other countries.”
Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20170130/food-poor-looks-break-new-ground
Digicel Foundation Gives Old Harbour High Mobile Lab
Old Harbour High School recently recieved a Mobile Science Laboratory as part of their prize for winning the 2016 Television Jamaica’s All Together Sing Competition.
Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20170126/digicel-foundation-gives-old-harbour-high-mobile-lab
22 Prisoners Get Early Release – Food For The Poor Pays Fines For More Non-Violent Inmates
Twenty-two inmates of the island’s prisons are now back with their families, having secured early release through the generosity of donors of the international relief and development organisation, Food For The Poor.
For more than 18 years, Food For The Poor has secured the release of non-violent offenders in Jamaica by paying their fines at Christmas and Easter. This act of kindness is also done for inmates in Guyana, Haiti, and Honduras.
Every year, poor Jamaicans are imprisoned for minor, non-violent offences because of their inability to pay their court fines, even if the amounts they are fined are minimal.
PRAYERS ANSWERED
The prayers of a former inmate in the St Catherine Adult Correctional Centre were answered when he was told that he would be freed late last year after being unable to pay his fine. Most of his money had been used to take care of his sick mother.
“It’s always just me and my mother. When I actually realised that I was going to be locked up, I couldn’t believe that this was happening to me but I prayed a lot and asked God to just keep me out of trouble and keep me sane so I could one day see my mother again,” said the non-violent offender.
According to the former inmate, Food For The Poor’s kindness in paying his fine has renewed his belief and hope in God.
“Food For The Poor coming to pay my fine today so that I can go home to my mother proves to me that God is real,” added the inmate.
Another former inmate broke down in tears when her name was announced as one of the persons whose fines had been paid by the charity.
“When I heard my name, I thought I was being asked to do an item on the programme. Little did I know it was much more than that. When the announcement was made the tears just started to flow, and I couldn’t stop crying,” she said.
David Mair, executive director of Food For The Poor Jamaica, said the prison release tradition is one that the organisation intends to continue because of the impact it has on inmates.
Women Dominate JMMB Client Base
JMMB Group has launched a suite of products designed especially for women in response to a trend observed over the years where a greater number of its clients are female.
Its client base is currently 59 per cent female, according to JMMB country manager for Jamaica Kisha Anderson at the unveiling of a new product, JMMB Her Wealth, at an event in New Kingston.
Under the new offerings, women will be able to access insurance, investments, loans and savings accounts, the company said, “from a financial institution that has sought to customise some of its financial solutions to empower women to achieve their financial goals”, JMMB said in a statement.
By tailoring products for women, JMMB said it positions the company to attract even more business from the demographic.
“Research indicates that women represent a huge potential market opportunity for growth across many industries, including finance where there are gaps perceived in the way financial institutions cater to women and their unique needs,” Anderson said in the company release.
PROFIT NOT MAIN OBJECTIVE
Speaking with Financial Gleaner at the launch, Anderson said that while JMMB anticipates a wide take-up of the new products, profit was not the primary objective.
“As we were thinking about this campaign, we weren’t necessarily thinking about a dollar figure. The objective of the campaign is us being intentional about reaching out to women,” she said.
“If you think about our revenues and profit, it’s a near 60/40 split in terms of the revenue we make from women,” said the JMMB Jamaica head.
JMMB Her Wealth will also feature a rewards programme for services typically utilised by women. The company has partnered with merchants who offer medical care, beauty, auto, and home and garden services to provide five to 20 per cent discounts, among others benefits for women.
To design JMMB Her Wealth, Anderson said focus groups and surveys were conducted over a 12- to 18-month period.
“Before we started the study, we had several focus groups where we asked the women about their needs and expectations of a financial house. We found out what their dreams are so we could figure out how we will help them towards those things,” she said.
“You find that women don’t generally trust themselves when it comes to financial products, so improving their financial literacy is something that we want to focus on.”
JMMB says it will be hosting quarterly financial education sessions aimed at women.
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/business/20170120/women-dominate-jmmb-client-base
Transformational Leadership Through God Can Bring About Vision 2030
Transformation among leadership ranks is the primary focus of the 37th National Leadership Prayer Breakfast (NLPB) to be staged at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel on Thursday, January 19.
The purpose of the NLPB is to foster greater unity in the nation, particularly among the nation’s leaders at all levels.
In keeping with national protocol, the list of invited guests is headed by Governor General Sir Patrick Allen and includes Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Leader of the Opposition Portia Simpson Miller.
God-Empowered Intervention
At a press briefing yesterday at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel to officially launch the event and commence prayer week the Rev Stevenson Samuels, chairman of the NLPB Committee, spoke of transformation brought about by God-empowered intervention.
“In the process of the NLPB, we trust that we will contribute to our leaders experiencing transformation, a transformation that will impact core values for the betterment of all,” Samuels said.
He added: “We feel that for Jamaica to grow, for Jamaica to progress and experience true prosperity, there has to be transformation. That transformation must begin at the top, at the head of the stream, at the helm of our society. Transformational leadership is what is required to take us to the next level. Jamaica, as it is, cannot experience the growth and development that we all long for. If we are going to see this nation rise to new altitudes, we must change and challenge both Church and State to do that change.”
Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20170113/transformational-leadership-through-god-can-bring-about-vision-2030
GraceKennedy Fetes Seniors In The Spirit Of Christmas
Christopher Serju, Gleaner Writer
The senior citizens were the ones being feted, gently tapping the desk or rocking to the beat of Christmas carols as they caught up with friends from neighbouring communities at the De La Vega Community Centre in Spanish Town, St Catherine, recently, but Don Wehby was clearly having just as much fun.
“This is the nicest part of my job,” the GraceKennedy Group chief executive officer shared with The Gleaner in-between greeting some of the more than 60 persons who turned out for the annual Christmas treat hosted by the Grace and Staff Community Development Foundation.
Former GraceKennedy employee Desreen Mighty caught Wehby off guard when she proudly showed him two identification cards from her days with the company, having spent 28 years on staff.
GREAT MEMORIES
As she started right out of school, the older of the two cards showed her with an Afro hairstyle and with her maiden name, Allen.
However, she proudly pointed out to Wehby that it had been signed by the late Carlton Alexander, former chairman and chief executive officer of Grace.
The retired 75-year-old described the company as “outstanding” and was quite willing to share stories about her time spent there.
Drawn from March Pen, Lakes Pen, Lime Tree, Quarrie Hill and De La Vega City, the beneficiaries are selected by members of the Grace and Staff Community Development Foundation who work in these communities, and the event is eagerly anticipated, according to Joan Black, treasurer of the De La Vega City Benevolent Society.
“It is always well received,” she disclosed.
All the senior citizens were treated to Grace gift baskets, as well as lively interaction with members of the GraceKennedy Group and the Grace and Staff Community Development Foundation, who combined their singing talents to form a company choir, serving up rousing rounds of carols and Yuletide cheer.
It was obvious that, for the retirees, some of whom had been bussed to the location, it was a welcomed intervention.
Wehby really made their day when he promised that as long as he is head of GraceKennedy Limited, they would always have a Christmas treat. For this, he earned a sustained round of applause.
Jamaica Highlights 