Impacting Jamaica

Blackie, East Indian, Number 11, Bombay and of course Julie are just some of the types of mangoes we know and love in Jamaica.But no doubt about it, many Jamaicans love Julie. Interestingly, they are also quite enamoured by another ‘Julie Mango.’ Nicknamed by her father, Julie Mango is a popular social media influencer whose videos depict everyday aspects of Jamaican life with brilliance, accuracy, and humour.She is also a mental health advocate who is passionate about helping others to overcome their struggles. Join Impacting Jamaica host Shelly-Ann Harris for this inspiring conversation with Juliet ‘Julie Mango’ Bodley.

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Guided by the mission of the Morant Bay High School (MBHS) Alumni Association, (to develop the leaders of tomorrow by preparing all students to meet the high academic, technical, civic and workforce challenges of the twenty first century), past students in the global space, along with faculty members and parents, are making a difference.They have supported a computer lab, launched a scholarship programme (that sees students through their stay at the school from second form); and now are building out the school’s Internet and Information Technology infrastructure.“We have been able to accomplish this only because of the significant contribution of our personal time, effort and resources, the support of our community, families, friends and sponsors, all working together,” said the association’s president Charles Murray in this episode of Impacting Jamaica with host Aubrey Campbell.

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Health and wellness take the spotlight today with fitness expert Shani McGraham-Shirley as Impacting Jamaica celebrates its first anniversary.Shani, chatting at a virtual wellness summit earlier this month, declared that when it comes to taking control of your wellness, “half the battle is what we eat”. She added: “I feel moderation is key; and if we eat the correct portions and sizes that our bodies need you are better off…have a little bit of everything.”Shani told her audience of mainly men, that size does matter; she gave numerous reasons, including this one: For every 25lb to 30lb that a man loses, he actually gains up to an inch on his penis.The fitness expert has more in this anniversary episode of Impacting Jamaica.

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The VM Group is committed to working for the benefit of all its members, declared CEO of VM Pension Management Limited, Mr. Conroy Rose.“We thrive on helping people to achieve financial wellbeing,” he emphasised. “We are driven by the need to serve our members…and that is the fundamental driving force that VM is driven by.”Looking at the pension situation in Jamaica, Mr. Rose noted that less than 10 per cent of the working population is a member of a retirement scheme. “You know what are the implications of this? When persons reach the age of retirement it is highly likely that many persons are going to be a burden on their loved ones or possibly a burden on the State,” he pointed out.Mr Rose implored workers, including the self-employed, to get on board and begin the process to save for retirement, noting the earlier persons begin, the better. “We are on a drive to educate Jamaicans about the importance of a pension plan,” he stated.The VM executive shared what the Group has to offer workers and members in this episode of Impacting Jamaica with host Keisha Hill.

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Sadiki Harris, a child of Jamaican parents, is now a man fighting to keep his black community healthy through the organization, Black Thrive.His journey has brought up powerful questions, like ‘what is the black man?’ and ‘where does the idea of what a black man is come from?’. As he speaks to Impacting Jamaica’s Sinai Fleary, his work with Black Thrive and mental health takes an ever-so-slight detour, and he delves into deep-routed issues like what the ideal of a black man should be.But he comes full circle in what is the final episode in a three-part series and the work of Black Thrive is seen for what it is, incredibly necessary.

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Sadiki Harris is Jamaican, but the marketing ace didn’t always want to be. Media representation and poor examples made him ashamed.That was until a trip to the island taught him different. A big part of Sadiki’s work with Black Thrive, an organization focusing on black mental health, is who he is, a Jamaican.​Impacting Jamaica’s Sinai Fleary began a conversation with Sadiki about his work with Black Thrive but could not avoid his intriguing take on his rich Jamaican heritage. Listen.

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Sadiki Harris is responsible for ensuring Lambeth’s black communities engage with mental health projects that Black Thrive provide.Sadiki joined Black Thrive after meeting Jacqui Dyer at a mental health conference in 2016.Initially he joined as a volunteer, but now he is a key and valuable part of the team – changing the “look” and “feel” of the mental health industry.Between 2010 and 2014, he was vice-chairman of the Lewisham Stop and Search group. He is also an unpublished writer, avid videographer, and talented graphic designer.Sadiki was raised in Brixton, south London, and is the child of Jamaican parents. He chats with Impacting Jamaica host Sinai Fleary in this the first of a three-part episode.

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The Early Childhood Commission (ECC) is the Government of Jamaica’s arm in the fight to give the nation’s children, the very best start possible, with the recognition that stage is critical to the island’s development.The head of that arm is its chairman, Trisha Williams-Singh, who has overseen year-on-year growth in the number of institutions certified by her organization, but there is much work to be done.There are just under 2,800 early childhood institutions in operation in Jamaica and all of them must maintain the protocols that lend themselves to positive results for the most important element of the equation, the child.In this episode of Impacting Jamaica, with host Keisha Hill, Mrs. Williams-Singh outlined various innovations under her leadership, including a brain builder project, and a capacity-building initiative to guarantee the sector’s sustainability.

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The University of the West Indies (UWI) continues to be a pivotal force in every aspect of Caribbean development, residing at the centre of all efforts to improve the well-being of people across the region.At the forefront of its benevolence is the AFUWI (The American Foundation for the University of the West Indies), a fundraising arm, under the executive directorship of AnnMarie Grant.“We need to be able to increase the number of persons who have access to higher education in the region,” she said, noting that this is important to community, national and regional development.Ms. Grant pointed out that this “is even more important now than ever before (as) the new economies require creativity, entrepreneurship, Artificial Intelligence…and many of those things require knowledge that comes from the higher education space”.Over the past 10 years, AFUWI has provided 500 tuition scholarships to students pursuing their degrees at UWI, donated $8.3 million in goods, and brokered multiple relationships with other tier-one institutions. In this episode of Impacting Jamaica with host Aubrey Campbell, Ms. Grant talks about the work of the AFUWI and its upcoming 25th annual legacy awards that will recognize individuals and companies, including the GraceKennedy Group which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

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Today, Tuesday, March 22, is World Water Day; and to observe the day, Impacting Jamaica links with the Managing Director of the Water Resources Authority, Mr. Peter Clarke.“Jamaica is not a water scarce country,” he declares, noting that “we do have quite a lot of water and a lot of water reserves.” Mr. Thomas notes however that there are issues relating to distribution and access to the commodity on the island.In this podcast episode, Mr. Thomas touches on multiple topics relating to water with environmental journalist and Impacting Jamaica host, Miss Zadie Neufville.

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