In this Emancipation Week we give thanks for Jamaica’s beauty, bounty, talent, and the work being put in to share that Jamaican magic with our humble folk, especially women and the disabled.

As we surveyed the huge crowd packed in the Catherine Hall location for Sumfest and listened to the ringing voices of our Jamaican stars, we felt the magic of this country which we are blessed to call home. The next morning, we enjoyed the famous Pelican Grill Jamaican breakfast and drove along the coast to Negril, passing the shaded roadway flanked by the famous Tryall estate, Round Hill, the quaint Lucea town hall, and the blue sea and sky.

Oh, yes, we slowed and rolled our windows down for the young soldiers at the state of emergency (SOE) checkpoints. Our taximan, Michael, who had taken us to Sumfest the night before, said he welcomed the SOE.

“People complain about the early closing hours, but if you organise yourself you can manage alright,” he said. “This is cutting down crime, so we have to live with it.”

Sumfest brought a windfall for hotels, restaurants, taxis, and the folks who had booths and sidewalk jerk offering. Passing Priory on our way back to Kingston, we were caught in a traffic jam, only to discover that it was the attraction of “Pudding Man” with his long row of dutch pots on coal stoves topped with more live coals — “hell a top, hell a bottom, alleluia in the middle”. His puddings have a growing number of fans and, trust me, that pumpkin pudding could hold its own on a dessert plate in the finest restaurant.

However, vendors in craft markets continue to complain to reporters that business is slow and the Fern Gully stalls are now being bypassed. Clearly, there needs to be other opportunities for these folks. I remember the exquisite embroidered linens from the Allsides project — if only this could be restarted so that we can produce unique, easy-to-pack gifts for our visitors. I had heard about a basket weaving project sometime ago, but the baskets I see in our home goods stores are imported. A few Jamaican online stores are gaining traction — hopefully they will reach out to these vendors.

My friend, Clover Baker Brown, discovered a skincare product manufactured by Eden Gardens, and when she mentioned to colleagues that she was going to place an order online she ended up having to order a whole case.

Café Blue has been offering delicious packages of brittle in various flavours — a great favourite to take overseas. Ann Smith and Luciene Morrison created their popular Anilu pudding and cake mixes which are gaining in the export market. We are blessed with the best flavours and the opportunities are endless.

It’s St Thomas’s time

The parish of St Thomas is now gearing up for the opportunities being offered by the Morant Bay Urban Centre, the ground-breaking for which took place last month. HEART Trust/NTA last week hosted a community consultation at Paul Bogle Vocational Training Institute in Lyssons, St Thomas, to determine and plan for the skills training needs of the parish. The HEART Trust/NTA mobile unit was on location to conduct on the spot assessments and course registration.

We remember when Portmore opened up, which is now a bustling community sought after by big business. We believe that with its proximity to Norman Manley International Airport, Caribbean Maritime University, and the myriad businesses bordering the Kingston Harbour, St Thomas is the next frontier for development. Stay alert investors!

PSOJ joins with Win-Win

The findings speak for themselves. Even with the lowest unemployment rate ever in Jamaica, the unemployment rate for women is twice that of men, noted UN Women Caribbean representative Mary Alison McLean. She opined that “removing barriers is the core element for economic growth… Jamaican women bear the brunt of economic hardship”.

Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) President Howard Mitchell and CEO Makeba Bennett-Easy are strong on the cause. At a meeting held jointly by the PSOJ and the UN Women Win-Win programme, last Friday, they noted the support of entrepreneur Thalia Lyn, European Union Ambassador Malgorzata Wasilewska, and Canada High Commissioner Laurie Peters in the formation of their new Gender & Disabilities Affairs Committee. Mitchell said that qualified, competent women find themselves stuck at middle management, unable to access the corporate suite and the boardroom.

“If you believe in your cause, you have to make some noise,” he urged.

Ambassador Wasilewska offered that women bring unique qualities to the workplace as excellent mediators, negotiators and peacemakers. She noted that, as in Europe, it is challenging to have more women in leadership roles. Sweden remains in the top four since 2006, with 44 per cent, while the EU average is 28 per cent. In my last calculation, Jamaica came out as 18 per cent.

The EU is funding a programme to address violence in families, she said, bringing to mind the brave move of US broadcaster Darieth Chisolm who successfully brought to book her former Jamaican boyfriend who had threatened to kill her if she did not reconcile with him and who resorted to revenge porn, posting nude pictures of her on the Internet. How many women cower in such relationships and watch opportunities for self-development pass them by? Chisolm’s courage is inspiring.

Dr Denise Chevannes-Vogel, representing the Win-Win Programme, shared the good news that 36 Jamaican companies had signed on to the programme, making women’s empowerment a priority.

Chairman of the PSOJ Gender and Disabilities Affairs Committee Renee Morrison-May noted that their vision was to have “the core objective of every corporate strategy [being] a diverse, inclusive and equitable workforce”. A series of workshops is being planned for human resource executives in the private and public sector. It’s important to get on board, Jamaica. To quote UN Women, “The McKinsey Global Institute (2015) estimates that if women in every country were to play an identical role to men in the markets, as much as US$28 trillion, or 28 per cent, could be added to our global annual GDP [gross domestic product] by 2025.”

Lady Rheima Hall’s book of art

It was my friend Gillian Glean-Walker who first told me about Lady Rheima Hall’s paintings.

“There is something special about the way she paints orchids,” she said.

With her book of art launched last week — Rheima, a selection of her works — we see that she has also brought her unique perspective to landscapes and flowering trees celebrating Jamaica’s lustrous scenes.

In the foreword, Ambassador Burchell Whiteman notes that the selections “reflect a lifetime of keen observation, passion for perfection, and a love not only of scenic beauty, but also the beauty of our people and their occupations”.

Congratulations, Lady Hall, we will treasure your beautiful book.

lowriechin@aim.com

www.lowrie-chin.blogspot.com