MONTEGO BAY, St James – Dietitian Rosalee Brown’s story is not unique to many young girls who live in rural Jamaica with a dream to pursue higher education, but have little or no financial support. Even though her parents were lovingly supportive they were unable to financially fuel Brown’s ambitions, especially after her father died shortly after she graduated from high school. Her experiences led her to form the Rosalee M Brown Kindred Sisters Foundation which donates a minimum of four and a maximum of five annual education grants to females in St James.

“As girls we struggle in many different ways to achieve our purpose and what we want, and I know we can all do that, if we just get a little support and especially for women we have a lot of struggles, some of it we don’t talk about and people just see it as being strong,” Brown argued.

“I wanted to give back while I was on this Earth, and one way to do that is through education. Persons can be empowered to know that they are more than what the society sees them to be. With just that little push from a sister, they can get to where they want to be.”

This year, with funds gifted to her for her 60th birthday, Brown will be able to assist five young ladies with their education.

The grants are named after herself, her husband, her aunt, and her parents.

The Egbert Allan Brown grant, which is named after her husband, and is valued at $50,000, was awarded to Shavel Goldson, a final year dietetics and nutrition student at University of Technology, Jamaica (UTECH), while Naulette Reddie and Asha-Gaye Graham Thompson, both students at Northern Caribbean University, are the recipients of the Rosalee M Gordon Brown grants.

Reddie, who received $50,000 is pursuing a master’s in public health, majoring in health education and promotion, said that she had a five-year goal to pursue graduate studies, even though she wasn’t sure where the funds were coming from.

“I am very grateful because one of my goals was to complete my master’s degree within five years after finishing my undergraduate degree at UTECH”, she told the Observer West.

And, Graham Thompson, who received $100,000, is also studying public health, but is majoring in public health nutrition. She has had her fair share of financial woes while pursuing higher education and as such is also grateful to be selected.

“It means the world to me. It is just an ‘on-time’ opportunity, and I’m extremely grateful,” she expressed.

The John Agustus and Geraldine Gordon grant is named after Rosalee’s now deceased parents, and will be awarded to a female student of Cambridge Primary School in St James, while the Norma McGhie Mentore recipient will be awarded to a female student from Rusea’s High in Hanover.

Those grants will be presented in September.