For Linstead resident, Fallette Vidal, the official opening of the Drug Serv Pharmacy at the Linstead Public Hospital in St. Catherine on December 13, affords her the opportunity of getting her prescription filled quickly, as the waiting time has been reduced significantly. Ms. Vidal shared with JIS News that it…
Christall Byfield is a very dynamic individual who sets very high standards of achievement for herself. The 30 year-old educator has created history by being the youngest person to be appointed Principal at the St. Ann based Carl Rattray Staff College, where she is tasked with guiding the training and…
The National Council for Senior Citizens (NCSC), which has 84,000 registered members islandwide, is ensuring that the country’s golden-agers live full lives, through several programmes and activities. The NCSC, an agency of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, networks with the private sector, voluntary organisations and citizens to develop…
The National Parenting Support Commission (NPSC) is stepping up efforts to equip parents to properly raise their children. Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Kaysia Kerr, tells JIS News that the entity is concerned about the number of parents who are showing low coping skills and are consciously ‘opting out’, not wanting…
Ten years ago, Karmen Josephs’* life was changed forever, when she was diagnosed with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). She tells JIS News that at the time, she was about two months pregnant, and had gone to the doctor for prenatal checks, which included a blood test for HIV. “I…
The Clarendon-based Hazard Primary School, located along the busy thoroughfare between Mineral Heights and May Pen, has been transformed into a safety zone for students and other pedestrians. The school, which has been the site of several road crashes, none of which has been fatal, has benefited from the installation…
Genuine care and concern for others are hallmarks of a life spent in voluntary service for Social Development Commission (SDC) Kingston and St. Andrew Leadership and Community Development Award recipient, Hazel Veronica Espeut. Now 101 years old, Mrs. Espeut has dedicated her life to giving back to her community of…
Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Billodex Limited, D’Andre Fraser, has carved out a niche in the online event ticket market. Through the Billodex app, the company is making it easy and convenient for consumers to purchase tickets for various events from their smartphone using a debit or credit card.…
In 2016, Trudy Dixon Frith and her family opened their home to a 14-year-old female ward of the State in response to a call by the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) for Jamaicans to ‘Take a Child Home for Christmas’. She tells JIS News that the experience was…
Health officials in St. Ann have lauded the Ministry of Health for the effort to implement its Compassionate Care Programme in hospitals and clinics across the island. The programme, which seeks to improve clinical services with an emphasis on customer care and service delivery in health facilities, has already been…
Abi-Gaye Smythe is not your average 25 year old. From battling a heart disease since the age of seven to almost not finishing University, she has overcome tremendous odds to be where she is today. Abi-Gaye lives with Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia, ARVD for short. It is a rare and…
Over thirty years ago Kenneth Wilson and a group of residents joined forces to stem the gun violence that has stained the image of August Town. Through various social intervention methods, the August Town Peace Builders reaped its biggest success in 2016 when the community recorded zero murders. “We never…
Claudia Chambers can easily match skills with any male carpenter and also hold her own equally behind a welding torch. “I just love building things,” says Ms. Chambers, who is a certified welder and carpenter. “I like the fact that when I build something I can actually go back and…
He started out selling water to churchgoers in the Valdez Road community of Spanish Town before taking on other small entrepreneural ventures. Today, Peter Ivey is a recognised international chef and owner of The Reggae Chefs – a personal-chef business based in New York. The Jamaica College old boy says…
After leaving the comfort of her business decades ago to help persons in Kingston’s inner-city communities overcome addictive disorders, Sonita Abrahams is to be rewarded with a National Honour by the Government. “It is a very good feeling, because a lot of times this kind of work goes – not…
Police Sergeant Wayne Wallace is an officer on the frontline in Western Jamaica, working to build relationships between the police and residents under his portfolio as sub-officer in charge of Community Safety and Security. His job is not always easy, he says, but his affable personality combined with the experience…
“IPAD for life!” shouts a male teen as he commands a group of around 80 of his peers inside an auditorium at the Spot Valley High School in St. James. The teenagers are participating in a summer camp put on by members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) to help…
When the number of road fatalities for 2016 was totalled, 14-year-old Jonathan Grant High School student, Rajar Clemetson was listed among the 377 persons whose lives were cut short while using the roads. He was hit by a car while riding his bicycle along Brunswick Avenue, Spanish Town. The driver…
After leaving her full-time job at Up Park Camp each day where she works as a dental hygienist, 28-year-old Sabrina Smith heads to her farm in Seaview Gardens, Kingston, where farmers and farm lands are few. Mrs. Smith, a University of Technology (UTech) graduate, shares a meagre plot of land…
Trevor Ramikie sees more in his son than his developmental delays. “I love him, not just because he is my son, but because of his character, his attributes, all of that,” he says, rubbing his shoulders against 26-year-old Zane. Zane is affected by Down’s syndrome – a congenital disorder arising…
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