KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica National (JN) Money Services has launched a $500,000 scholarship programme for children of farm workers on the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Programme (SAWP) in Canada.

Six scholarships – two at each educational level – will be awarded: $50,000 for primary, $75,000 for secondary and $125,000 for tertiary.

The JN Fields of Opportunity Scholarship was launched on Wednesday at the JN Financial Centre on Belmont Road in Kingston.

Addressing the launch, Minister of Labour and Social Security, Pearnel Charles Jr, said JN and the ministry’s overseas employment programme share a long-standing and strong partnership.

In July 2024, the ministry signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with JN Money Services Canada Limited, a subsidiary of JN Money Services, to formalise a partnership that promotes the overall welfare of Jamaican farm workers in Canada through collaborative social support initiatives.

“We applaud the efforts to expand beyond just financial into truly impacting the lives of our farm workers and their family members in a very substantive way,” the minister said.

He reasoned that farm workers often miss the birthdays and graduations of their children and noted that “any help we can give to these nation-builders that are dedicating their life to uplifting their families is a good investment.”

Giving details of the application process, Assistant General Manager of JN Money Services, Sanya Wallace, said applicants must be part of the SAWP for at least three years.

Additionally, applicants must have been a JN Money customer for at least two of those three years and must have done at least one transaction since the start of the 2025 SAWP season.

Students must have an average of B and above and should not be a recent recipient of any JN Money or JN scholarships.

Charles Jr encouraged the future scholarship winners to stay focused and remain committed to excellence.