As Jamaicans celebrate the country’s 59th anniversary of Independence this year, we reflect on the work and legacy of the late Hugh Nash, whose contribution to Jamaica’s Festival movement and overall cultural development has left an indelible mark on the country’s history and heritage. Fondly called Mr. Festival, Mr. Nash pioneered the festival of activities we now enjoy every year...

Over the years, Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) has been assisting various companies, from different sectors, to gain access to overseas markets for their products. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency has had to pivot, and change the way it assists these businesses. Manager, Sales and Promotions Division, with a focus on Agribusiness at JAMPRO, Marlene Porter,...

Parents and guardians are being cautioned not to ignore the early signs that their child may have a mental health disorder in order to avoid long-term psychological damage.   Director of Child and Adolescent Mental Health in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dr. Judith Leiba, gave the advice during a recent interview with JIS News.   Among the most common disorders...

Thousands of persons are offered support by the Jamaica Cancer Society (JCS) in their fight against cancer and the JCS relies on the generosity of citizens, through donations and participation in its major annual fundraiser, ‘Relay for Life’. This year, for the first time in 19 years, the flagship fundraiser will be held virtually under the theme ‘Hope from Yaad’....

The Ministry of National Security is steadily increasing the network of cameras that are a part of the country’s national closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance programme, dubbed ‘JamaicaEye’. The public-private partnership, launched in 2018, is designed to network CCTVs owned by the Ministry as well as accommodate feed from privately owned cameras. Right across the island where the cameras have been...

More vulnerable children are benefiting from mental health support being provided by the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) with the recent expansion of the agency’s fleet of mobile mental health units dubbed ‘Smiles Mobile’. Chief Executive Officer of the CPFSA, Rosalee Gage-Grey, tells JIS News that the recent donation of a retrofitted 35-seater bus valued at $14.9 million...

The Corinaldi Avenue Primary School in St. James continues to be a juggernaut among educational institutions in Western Jamaica, as the school is celebrating yet another year of outstanding passes in the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examinations. Of the 236 students who sat the exams, some 206 passed on pathway one, which is the top tier of the PEP examinations....

Deputy Director of the Institute of Jamaica (IOJ), Nicole Patrick-Shaw, describes the Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) Fund’s donation of $27.5 million to bolster the organisation’s work, as “game-changing!” She tells JIS News that the provision, which was presented to the IOJ in January, was utilised to fund several of the organisation’s projects. These included roof repairs to...

While many youngsters yearn for cushy jobs in air-conditioned offices, 17-year-old Jason Malcolm is planning for a future in farming. Currently, he operates a small farm at his family home in Westmoreland, where he cultivates vegetable crops such as Scotch bonnet and sweet peppers, but his main activity is goat rearing, which he plans to expand. “I rear goats for...