Last week we broke our own winning record at the Carifta Games. The Schools’ Challenge Quiz continues to be a brilliant competition, with St Jago High School winning in a close battle with Calabar for three consecutive years.

Jamaica Carnival events were held throughout the past week, with the grand finale yesterday. Flights were full and Kingston hotels booked out. It is projected that Jamaica Carnival should earn $5 billion for organisers, contractors, and vendors. The Jamaica Diaspora Conference to be held in June was launched with much fanfare last Thursday. Paramount Pictures was on the The University of the West Indies, Mona campus, for a conference on the box office hit Bob Marley: One Love.

A stream of YouTubers has been visiting Jamaica, one commenting that Jamaica seems to be a magnet for international vloggers. The local favourites are
Wayne and Tami Mitchell; Asafa and Alysia Powell; and for those interested in financial and real estate discussions, there are Kalilah Reynolds and Throp.

It was amazing to see the transformation of the Sunshine Plaza featured on Throp, which is set in Negril. One of Jamaica’s most resilient and successful entrepreneurs, Lee Issa, has rebuilt the area, which will now attract such tourist-friendly places as Scotchies, other eateries, and several boutiques. Issa showed a beautifully made wooden bar created by a carpenter in Red Ground. On another vlog we met an amazing sculptor, self-taught artiste Abdul Mason. He is one of many artistes and craftsmen who need marketing assistance. His breathtaking pieces could earn him a fortune.

The Sangster International Airport’s Club Mobay is featured in several vlogs, and its recent expansion is yet another great aspect of our visitors’ experience.

The HEART/NSTA Trust hospitality programme at Runaway Bay has nurtured excellent chefs. HEART is an inspiring idea and some aspects of the programme work well, but when you hear of a well-equipped facility that is being stonewalled, it is disheartening.

So how will we make sure that more Jamaicans benefit from this buzz? Jamaica is such a big brand that a well-curated website featuring our creations and projects would earn well for them. Our new highways cannot accommodate popular food and craft stalls so we need creative thinking to make them viable again.

AMH — 80 remarkable years

The receptionist at Andrews Memorial Hospital (AMH) greets your call with, “How can I be a blessing to you?” Indeed, AMH has been a blessing to many over its 80-year existence. They have worked to carry out their mission, which begins, “As a Christian institution, Andrews Memorial Hospital is commissioned by Christ, The Great Physician, to alleviate pain and suffering and to cater to the spiritual, mental, and physical needs of its patients.”

The anniversary was celebrated last Saturday with a church service at the Andrews Memorial Church, which shares the Hope Road property with the hospital. The power of church was in evidence as Prime Minister Andrew Holness noted that Senator Dr Floyd Morris, who sat next to him, was his friend, a contemporary at The UWI, and a fellow church member. A good message for political tribalists.

Prime Minister Holness lauded the advances at AMH and his own experience as a young father when his son received expert and compassionate care. The prime minister said his Government is investing heavily in the upgrading and equipping of hospitals as well as the building of more clinics.

Custos of St Thomas Marcia Bennett, who represented Governor General Sir Patrick Allen, read from his message: “This is a time to reflect and to give thanks for the many lives that have been touched and the resilience demonstrated by the outstanding medical staff and their tireless effort to minister to the persons who have been entrusted to their care.”

The message noted AMH’s “state of the heart operating theatre suite, diverse surgical and medical specialities, vegetarian café, dental services, pharmacy, diagnostic services, and the chapel… all delivered by God-fearing individuals who seek to minister to the physical, mental, and spiritual welfare of the patient.”

In sharing Opposition Leader Mark Golding’s message, Dr Morris noted that AMH started the very year that Jamaica achieved Universal Adult Suffrage, a time of hope for the country, and lauded its achievements. The message noted the work of Dr John Golding, who founded the Mona Rehabilitation Centre 70 years ago as Jamaica confronted the poliomyelitis outbreak, and the importance of making health care available to all Jamaica.

President/CEO of AMH Donmayne Gyles, who is an elder of the church, thanked the Tai family for their foundational support, leading to a soon-to-be established dialysis unit at AMH; Adventist Health International; and Loma Linda Health for the upgrade of their medical laboratory.

He also thanked Advent Health, formerly Florida Hospital, “which through its influence contributed a magnetic resonance imaging unit (MRI) and most recently announced the contribution of a catheterisation laboratory, which is scheduled for shipment soon. Both systems… will be operational within this calendar year”.

Congratulations to the AMH family and my Convent of Mercy Academy “Alpha” schoolmate Patricia Lue-Chin who runs one of Jamaica’s finest physiotherapy units at the hospital.

Digicel Foundation’s 20-year impact

Digicel Foundation, founded by Denis O’Brien, is celebrating its 20th anniversary, having invested US$46.4 million in three areas for Jamaica’s national development: education, special needs, and community development, with emphasis on entrepreneurship and environmental preservation.

The team, first led by CEO Major General Robert Neish, several successors, and currently CEO Charmaine Daniels, has worked wonders across Jamaica. Their first project was the rebuilding of the Lakes Pen School and since then have created 231 enrichment rooms in collaboration with USAID, the renovation of 13 science labs, and the establishment of 42 mobile science units, with 11 smart rooms completed to date as part of bridging the digital divide.

Digicel Foundation has put our special needs family on the forefront of the national consciousness. It has constructed or significantly renovated 21 special needs institutions. A total of 48 ramps in traditional schools have been constructed by the foundation to create a more inclusive learning environment. The 5K night run and walk has not only raised over USD$457,000 for special needs projects but also served as a platform for raising awareness and advocating for the rights of individuals with disabilities.

The foundation has created 2,798 jobs and trained 60 individuals in entrepreneurship. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the foundation launched “Operation SAFE Mode”, a comprehensive campaign valued at over $308 million, aimed at sanitising public areas, infirmaries, and prisons, advocating for safety measures and providing food assistance.

The foundation carefully tracks results of their projects and can attest to the fact that they have made a positive impact on the lives of 806,931 Jamaicans. It has been an honour to have served as the chair of this inspiring organisation for the past nine years and I will pass the baton to my successor shortly.

Jean Lowrie-Chin is the founder of CCRP, a legacy project of her company, PROComm. Send comments to
lowriechin@aim.com
.