Were it not for Orlando McIntosh’s grandmother being proactive in seeking help for him through the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), he might not have been able to turn his life around from that of a troubled teen to become a respected high-school teacher. Growing up in St. Catherine, Orlando was unruly, often getting into fights and skipping...

Were it not for Orlando McIntosh’s grandmother being proactive in seeking help for him through the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), he might not have been able to turn his life around from that of a troubled teen to become a respected high-school teacher. Growing up in St. Catherine, Orlando was unruly, often getting into fights and skipping...

Parents and guardians are being implored to look out for signs that children may need additional support in coping mentally and emotionally during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. A study conducted by the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) Jamaica in 2020, in collaboration with the Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CaPRI), on the impact of COVID-19 shows that most households reported increases...

Similarly to many other organisations, the Jamaica 4-H Clubs has been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the pandemic has provided an opportunity for the organisation to repurpose its training programmes to online modality, and a number of its usual face- to-face events are also now utilising a virtual platform. This year, the Jamaica 4-H Clubs is celebrating its...

Two outstanding student leaders have endorsed the newly established 24-hour dedicated child and teen helpline – SafeSpot. Chairman of the Office of the Children’s Advocate (OCA) Children’s Advisory Panel, Ronaldinho McLean, and National Secondary Students Council (NSSC) Public Relations Officer, Ree-Anna Robinson, voiced their support and that of their respective organisations during the recent digital launch.    The toll-free helpline is...

As a first-time father, entrepreneur Kristofferson Nunes decided to write a Parental Manifesto that guides how he creates an environment for his son’s upbringing. According to Mr. Nunes, his Manifesto sits in the notepad of his cellphone and is updated daily by inspiration from his past and current life experiences that he believes can transition into principles that will aid...

Internationally renowned scientist, Dr. Arnaldo Ventura, has added poet to his long list of distinguished accomplishments authoring his latest work ‘Memories and Musings: Reflections of a Scientist’. The collection of 26 poems is a homage to the country of his birth, which he portrays as a nurturing paradise, with sleeping hills and valleys, shimmering seas and clear skies, and wondrous...

The country’s early-childhood institutions have benefited from much-needed support to better enable them to operate within the health and safety guidelines stipulated by the Government to reduce transmission of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Through funding of $50 million from the Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) Fund, basic schools across the island have been equipped with personal protective equipment (PPE)...

The plastic separation project in Drax Hall Manor, St. Ann, is progressing well with more than 360 bags of plastic bottles collected since the start of the pilot in February 2020. The community is the first in the parish to participate in the ongoing national plastic separation and recycling campaign being undertaken by the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA),...