Former educator, Booker T. Washington, once said: “Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome.” On examining the life of top Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) History Unit 2 student and St. Andrew High School for Girls past student, Melissa Blair, this statement...

Six schools in St. James and Hanover have benefited from a donation of much-needed educational supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE), valued at US $5,000, by three American teenagers. The supplies, which include hand sanitisers, masks, face shields, gloves, books, pencils, crayons, and other stationery supplies, were handed over to St. James Preparatory, Providence Basic, and Farm, Glendevon and Goodwill...

During 2021, the Legal Aid Council (LAC) continued to carry out its core mandate of providing equal access to justice to all Jamaicans. Executive Director of the LAC, Dian Watson, told JIS News that the Council provides legal advice and representation for criminal matters to persons who cannot afford an attorney. She said representation is provided by two methods, through...

Aggie Reynolds, a 73-year-old resident of Flagaman in St. Elizabeth, is a happy and proud landowner today, having received a certificate of title for her property under the National Land Agency’s (NLA) Systematic Land Registration (SLR) titling programme. She is among 35 residents who were recently presented with their titles during a ceremony at Newell High School in St. Elizabeth...

The new genome sequencing machine acquired through support from the CHASE Fund should strengthen the region’s capacity to test for new variants of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Before the machine was sourced, samples were sent to Trinidad for testing, being the only other Caribbean country at the time with a genome sequencer. This meant that Jamaican samples were queued behind the...

Jamaica’s 60th Independence anniversary year-long celebrations are being observed under the theme ‘Reigniting a Nation for Greatness’. Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) Public Relations Coordinator, Kristen Laing, tells JIS News the entity will be introducing several surprises for this year’s Diamond Jubilee. These include performances by guest artistes who will be featured in the JCDC’s catalogue of competitions leading up...

Students from seven primary schools across the Corporate Area and Clarendon, including children with disabilities, will benefit from a suite of educational products focused on climate change. The products are being provided under a pilot project being undertaken by the Climate Studies Group at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, aimed at strengthening the country’s resilience to climate...

It was with a sense of pride that Dave Coburn and Evadane Smith walked through the doors of their brand new “dream house” in Olympic Gardens, Kingston. The one-bedroom concreate structure, which includes a kitchen, bathroom and charming front porch, was built at a cost of $2.8 million under the New Social Housing Programme (NSHP). It replaces the makeshift wooden...

For many Jamaicans, a marker of personal accomplishment is to own a “little piece of the rock” Jamaica. Homeownership or land acquisition is a goal that most, if not all, citizens dream of achieving. The process, however, to accomplish this is perceived to be difficult and unnerving. Demystifying the experience is vital in helping persons understand how to get their...