Impacting Jamaica

From very humble beginnings in rural Jamaica, Carolyn McLean moved to the United States for a better life for herself and her family.The untimely loss of a younger brother some eight years ago was painful, and as faith would have it, that adversity would bring with it, an opportunity to give back to her community and country, in memory of her dearly departed brother, Wayne O. Johnson, in whose honor, she created the Wayne O. Johnson Youth Leadership Foundation, in 2020.Carolyn McLean, a certified insurance agent, a minister of religion, notary public and a philanthropist, is a ray of hope for children in the Coffee Piece community of Clarendon but wants your help to continue making that dream a reality.“I love people. I love to help. I love to give back because I started from humble beginnings myself,” she said.In this episode of Impacting Jamaica, Ms. McLean talks with host Aubrey Campbell about her work and plans for the future.

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Born and raised in the UK to Jamaican parents, Mbeke Waseme grew up wanting to be an air hostess, but was encouraged by her parents to be more realistic in choosing her vocation in life, so she became a teacher. Traveling, living, and teaching in many different countries, Mbeke has inspected, analyzed, and made recommendations within the education system in many different countries.“If we get education right it affects everything,” she declared, adding: “Once you master the science of teaching you will have more successful lessons…”Not only has she observed, retrained teachers and senior leaders, but she has also developed bespoke programmes to help make an impact on the teaching profession within those countries.Get more about the live and work of Mbeke Waseme in this inspirational episode of Impacting Jamaica.

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The D&G Foundation has been at the centre of several initiatives that, for want of a better phrase, are ‘Impacting Jamaica’.One such is the way the organization has partnered with the St Monica’s Home for the Abandoned Elderly.Listen as Impacting Jamaica host, Shelly-Ann Harris speaks with Hermine Briscoe, Manager of St Monica’s. Hear her story of the tangible impact the D&G Foundation has had on the 24 elderly residents there.Then hear from Dianne Ashton-Smith, Red Stripe’s Head of Corporate Affairs, who eloquently puts forward her organization’s vision for the future.

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'Music was my mother and father,' shares comedian, filmmaker, recording artiste and notable branch manager at one of the largest financial institutions in Jamaica, Don Reid. The Boom Shot artiste shares his inspirational journey of overcoming significant odds, such as being given away by his mother at two years old.He insists that the formula for success is hard work and an acceptance that failure is simply not an option.Join Impacting Jamaica host Shelly-Ann Harris as she chats with the affable entertainer who says listeners to his new ‘Boom Shot’ album can expect fun and laughter.

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The Heart Institute of the Caribbean (HIC) is on a massive drive to fight heart disease in Jamaica and the rest of the region.Located in Kingston, the institution, under the leadership of the highly respected and highly qualified Dr Ernest Madu, has engineered initiatives to make cardiovascular care affordable to all.He explained that many locals, including young doctors, have been trained by the Institute, hence making more professionals available across the country. Centres have been established in Mandeville and Ocho Rios to improve access to care and cut the need to travel into the capital Kingston.Additionally, there is a low-cost membership scheme for a fee of J$100, as part of the drive to make care available to as many people as possible. This gives members free consultation for an entire year.“Our key objective is still to provide accessible and high-quality cardiovascular care in the Caribbean, and to make such level of care available to all citizens,” declared Dr Madu.He noted that in Jamaica 40 per cent of deaths each year are from heart disease; and estimated that 7,500 Jamaicans have heart attacks annually. The Heart Institute of the Caribbean was opened for business in April 2005 and since then has provided life-saving cardiovascular care to more than 200,000 Jamaicans.Its head, Dr Madu, is an internationally recognised authority in cardiovascular medicine and innovative healthcare systems and solutions. He holds the academic rank of Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine and Advanced Imaging Technologies.

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The lives of some 7,500 students and their families across Jamaica are being impacted by Red Stripe’s No Mind Left Behind project. The goal of the project is to “foster academic excellence and personal development for youth, specifically focusing on young people, ages three to eighteen,” said Red Stripe’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Dianne Ashton-Smith.The beer company, through its Desnoes & Geddes Foundation, provides this support through “increased access to educational tools, social interventions and experiential activities or excursions where possible,” Ashton-Smith pointed out.With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Corporate Affairs Head noted that the Foundation recognized that there was a pressing need in the education sector brought about because of the COVID-19 pandemic. She pointed to learning loss and the heightened risk of student disengagement, particularly, for the most vulnerable, which can have long-lasting effects on their life outcomes, and their future economic growth and wellbeing, as major concerns.Impacting Jamaica’s host Shelly-Ann Harris also speaks with Guidance Counsellor at the Academy of Yallahs High School, Sheldon Howell, who gives first-hand knowledge of just how this project is changing lives.

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Located in the tough neighbourhood of South St. Andrew, Rose Town has faced its share of challenges for decades such as poverty, unemployment and violent crime. Today, good things are happening in the community. One such is a construction internship programme for young men and women, funded by the Phillip and Christine Gore Family Foundation.The foundation is partnering with the Rose Town Foundation to execute the project, and its Executive Director Ruth Jankee is excited. “It’s a pleasure to find a partner that you see eye-to-eye with,” she declared.She said the project is already reaping results in the community and building relationships. “This project is about empowering community members and the community at large,” she said.Ms. Jankee is pleased with the structure and focus of the Gore Foundation initiative. “It’s not, oh we are sorry for these poor people, let’s just give them hand-outs,” she explained. “It is, we want to help empower and build community and community members so that they can build themselves.”In this episode of Impacting Jamaica with host Luke Douglas, Ms. Jankee speaks about the construction internship programme sponsored by the Phillip and Christine Gore Family Foundation that is sparking hope, fostering friendships and breaking down barriers to a better future for the residents of Rose Town.

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The Jeffrey Town Education Association based in Toronto, Canada, is making its mark in the St Mary community. Patrick Buchanan, the president and one of the founders of the association, notes that both students and teachers at the all-age school and residents of the community get support from the body.On September 6, 1998, a fire destroyed the Jeffrey Town All-Age School. The institution, which was built in the 1950s, is the only public school for many students of six neighbouring communities.Some travel a far distance to get to there. Six years after the fire, the Jeffrey Town Education Association was founded in Toronto in 2004. It has been helping to rebuild the school, provide the students with furniture and tablets, and assist the teachers and administrators with important items.In this episode of Impacting Jamaica with host Neil Armstrong, says his organization works closely with the school community.

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The Sagicor Foundation is continuing to pump millions of dollars into Jamaica’s early childhood education sector.It has just spent in excess of $20 million to upgrade three schools in St Catherine, St James and Westmoreland, massively transforming the learning environment of hundreds of children between three and five years old.“It is a growing family,” said Sagicor executive Michelle-Ann Lettman who notes that three schools are selected for upgrade every academic year; and that the plan is to push this to five.The relationship with the early childhood education sector is taking place under the Adopt-A-School programme, run by financial services giant Sagicor Group Jamaica. In this episode of Impacting Jamaica with host Luke Douglas, Sagicor’s Lettman talks about this worthy initiative in that is transforming education for thousands.

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After the first case of COVID-19 was detected in Jamaica in March 2020, Montego Bay High School past students went into overdrive to support their beloved institution.Chapters across North America and Jamaica came together and pool resources to acquire tablets and laptops and other supplies for students. They also ran development courses such as time management, sexuality and mental health.President of the Montego Bay High School Alumnae Association, New York Chapter, Merlene Mullings, also pointed to the mentorship programme supported by past students; and a weekly Friday night Zoom gathering – Girls in Grey - started at the height of the pandemic. Those virtual link-ups also involved persons who did not attend the school.“It is something that we are very proud of,” declared Ms. Mullings who reported that the meetings inspired a book that has been published and is now on sale.“Every penny (from the sale) will go to the Montego Bay High School,” she promised.In this episode of Impacting Jamaica with host Aubrey Campbell, Ms. Mullings detailed the many initiatives done in the name of the 85-year-old St James learning institution; and restated the commitment of past students to continue working in support of education and the nation’s children.

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