Lamar Douglas made history last year as one of four Jamaican farmers with disabilities selected for the Canadian Farm Work Programme. She spent six months in Ontario, from June 12 to December 9, before returning home. Ms. Douglas is a former student of the Abilities Foundation where she spent two years studying housekeeping and horticulture, while working as a full-time...

From shaping international consensus to shattering glass ceilings, as Jamaica’s first female Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, is a force to be reckoned with. Through her poise and grace, it seems like a breeze, but after nine years at the helm, which has earned her the title of Jamaica’s longest serving Foreign Affairs...

Healthcare professionals who successfully completed their eight-month Leadership Training Programme say the public health system will be better served from their enhanced knowledge. The training was organised by the Ministry of Health and Wellness, in collaboration with the Southern Regional Health Authority (SRHA) and the University of Technology (UTech) Jamaica. One of the participants, Medical Officer of Health for Clarendon,...

The Abilities Foundation of Jamaica has been empowering persons with disabilities to create their own income, thus live satisfying lives. One such individual is 27-year-old José Allen, who is the owner of Powerful Stitches and TP Collection, a successful embroidery digitising graphic design business. Diagnosed with intellectual disability at age 12, Mr. Allen attended the Carberry Court Special School in...

Part of her job as a Security Officer is to escort persons who visit the organisation where she works, and for some time Ann-Marie Brown watched air-conditioning technicians service the system and became convinced that she could be one of them. Despite being told that that type of work is for males, she kept looking and seeking answers as to...

The Industrial Disputes Tribunal (IDT) is this year, celebrating 50 years of service to the people of Jamaica. Established in 1975, the IDT aims to resolve conflicts between employers and employees and has become the foundation of Jamaica’s industrial relations, balancing the gap between labour rights and organisations’ interests. Chairman of the IDT, Errol Miller told JIS News that to...

Rushawn Legister, a student at the Rhodes Hall High School, is a living testimony that no soul is beyond saving, when he stood before a congregation inside the Christian Fellowship Church in Lucea, Hanover, to accept an award as a beacon of hope during the ‘I Have Triumph’ award ceremony, held on March 29. The event, was a celebration of...

Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness during his contribution to the 2025/26 Budget debate announced a raft of measures aimed at accelerating growth for peace, productivity and prosperity. National Housing Trust • Effective July 1, the National Housing Trust (NHT) will raise the loan limit for individual borrowers to $9 million, up from $7.5 million. For two co-applicants,...

Where despair once held him captive, Chrishawn Cornwall now walks with renewed purpose, a testament to the life-altering impact of a well-timed government intervention that gave him a second chance. In 2020, Mr. Cornwall’s world came tumbling down. The 38-year-old father of three was walking with his wife to the bus stop when he felt a cramp in his left...