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A few years ago I made my young daughter and nephew – about four and five – make me a promise. Never again would they use the words “I can’t” in our home.
What was meant to put an end to my nephew’s apparent love for the phrase, caught on in a way I never quite expected.

One Sunday while fixing dinner, my nephew began shouting frantically. “Aunty, she said the word! She said the word!”

As I rushed to the living room where the two were playing, my nephew yelled again pointing to his oblivious offender.

“She said the word, Aunty!  She said the bad word. She said ‘I can’t’”.

‘‘I can!” Those powerful words were my replacement for what I considered one of the most negative utterances ever – the type that can set you back tremendously.

My recent encounter with a dynamic group of young men at an entrepreneurship session got me thinking back to that moment and the power of words.

Deaf Can! Coffee. That’s the name the group of entrepreneurs has given their coffee-making business. The four-member team on hand – all males – and deaf, except for Blake Widmer, (an American NGO worker who is married to a deaf Jamaican), is testament to what is possible when we tell ourselves ‘I can!’

A social enterprise that germinated in the fields of a deaf farmer in St. Elizabeth – a rural parish known to many as Jamaica’s Bread Basket – Deaf Can! Coffee is empowering deaf Jamaican youths in a way not felt before.  The deaf youths now have skills they can use to earn an income as baristas while identifying as part of a community. Importantly, too, Deaf Can! Coffee is bridging the communication gap between hearing persons and the deaf community.

The session brought me face to face with the realities of the disabled community yet again. Only a few short years ago, paraplegic Earl Thomas, himself an entrepreneur, told me of the struggles the disabled community face in pinning down jobs so they could take care of themselves and their families: “People tend to equate your ability with yourdisability,” http://jamaicagleaner.com/gleaner/20120629/social/social8.html  the managing director of Prestigious Bindery & Printery painfully told me then.

Today Deaf Can! Coffee creates a world of coffee-indulging experiences through their range of cappuchinos, expressos, frappes, freshly brewed coffee, coffee beverages and an assortment of coffee-induced sweet treats.

As I took in the group’s presentation, I couldn’t help but think of the many lessons from the Deaf Can! Coffee experience.

Like the rest of us who’ve got all our mental faculties intact and inherently desire to fulfill our potential, the Deaf Can! do anything.  My other take-away was quite simple. People just need opportunities to create something meaningful for themselves and their community.

The Deaf Can! Coffee youths have attracted support from local and overseas partners since their arrival on the scene some two years ago.   Partners have included Digicel Foundation, USAID and a number of other visionary organizations.  In February, the confident group of young men beat out the competition pitching their business venture in the JN Foundation Social Enterprise Boost Initiative, ‘Pitch for Purpose’, to walk away with one million dollars in funding for their business.

Deaf Can! Coffee is definitely brewing something special! I had my steaming cup of Deaf Can! Coffee and the flavour and taste were great!  The achievements of this enterprise, which now not only employs about 30 deaf youths but is empowering scores of others, is proof that, disability or not, Deaf Can!

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The Government has reiterated its commitment to undertake the Downtown Kingston Redevelopment Project.

“The groundwork has commenced, as widespread and substantive meetings with stakeholders have been held and the project document, which outlines its rationale, framework and road map, has been developed,” Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Daryl Vaz, has said.

He was making his contribution to the 2017/18 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on April 25.

Mr. Vaz said the Downtown Kingston Redevelopment Project is one of the most innovative, exciting, growth and job-creating, and socially just projects to be embarked on in modern Jamaica.

He said proposed developments under the Downtown Kingston Redevelopment Project include the Musson’s West Kingston Business Park; Coronation Market; Kingston Lifestyles Plaza; Railway Station Museum projects; Micro-brewery, Restaurant and Beer Garden; B&D Trawling Seafood Market, Processing Centre and the Major Water-Front Entertainment Park; the Culture Hub Social Enterprise in Trench Town; and Pan-Jam Boutique Hotel and Business Centre.

Mr. Vaz noted that the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) will serve as coordinator for the project.

He said the stakeholders who have already made commitments include the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) and the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC), which will provide keen oversight to the project; the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ), Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) and Jamaica National (JN), which will collaborate on business discovery, mentoring and early stage business development.

“This five-year project has the potential to be a real game changer in the economic life of downtown Kingston and Jamaica. The Downtown Kingston Redevelopment Project has the capability to be replicated in other towns and help provide Jamaicans with a bright and prosperous future,” Mr. Vaz argued.

He said the project is almost totally funded by the private sector, with three private-sector companies already incorporated under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement which will impact the Coronation Market and Lifestyle Centre.

“This will lead our beloved country to the broad-based inclusive economic growth, job creation, wealth and prosperity we crave in downtown Kingston,” the Minister said.

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Eighteen-year-old college student Toni-Kay Foster is happy to have access to a cyber cafe with printing facilities that is only a stone’s throw away from her home.

“I don’t own a computer or have access to the Internet at home, therefore, it benefits me to be able to go to the Source Centre, in easy walking distance, because I always have school assignments to complete and print,” she shared.

Foster was commending the availability of The Kairos Network Source in August Town – a social enterprise franchise established a decade ago to address basic social needs in her community – for providing Internet access, being a homework centre and meeting space, as well as providing special projects for young people and adults.

Foster added, “It is central, convenient, and benefits the community as anyone can come here and use it. And it is accessible, with affordable services.”

Established by the JN Foundation, the social arm of The Jamaica National Group, in 2007, The Source was designed to connect community members to innovative services and to resolve social challenges.

Saffrey Brown, general manager of the JN Foundation, said: “We are proud that after 10 years, The Source is still operative, and the community continues to benefit from its expanding services.”

“This is evidence that community transformation takes time and proper management. You need to implement sustainable programmes and facilities such as The Source,” she noted, pointing out that there are four other centres, located in Maverley, St Andrew; Ocho Rios, St Ann; Treasure Beach, St Elizabeth; and Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland.

The Source was subsequently named “The UWI Source” in August 2011 and operated in concert with the UWI Township Project. Later in 2015, it was handed over to the community, and it is now being managed by the faith-based organisation, The Kairos Network Source.

George Scott, current manager of The Source, said that it offers critical services such as an Internet cafe and photocopying services; an after-school homework centre; Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) Top-up (where commuters can top up their JUTC cards); the sale of telephone cards; assistance with letter writing for businesses; research services; and is a meeting space for rental.

“The Source pulls in approximately 150 persons per week. Many persons use its JUTC Top-up service on a daily basis,” he pointed out.

If centre closes, impact will be felt
Helen Ann Brown, senior pastor of the Kairos Group of Churches, said that The Source is an indispensable part of August Town.

“It is part of the social economic fabric of our community. People expect it to be here. Therefore, if the centre closed today, residents would feel the impact as it is now a permanent part of August Town,” she stated, noting that it is a proud element of the community.

Brown pointed out that while The Source was an income-generating enterprise, it also had a social role to play, which it has been doing through its homework assistance, reading competitions, and mentorship programmes.

“To maximise its use, you need to bring the mindset of the community to another level as well,” she pointed out. “We, therefore, have a mentorship programme in which boys between ages 10 and 14 years are taught the principles of the Bible. And, there are sports activities such as football.

“The male role model in our society today needs attention, therefore, this programme comes at an opportune time. It is positive and has been doing extremely well,” said Brown, who indicated that similar programmes were set up throughout the community.

Future Expansion Plans

Brown said that the management team has plans to build on the social enterprise of The Source and upgrade the conference room to a state-of-the-art facility so that additional training programmes can be offered to community members.

She pointed out that The Universal Service Fund (USF) has come on board. The USF is an agency under the Ministry of Energy, Science and Technology mandated to ensure access to information and communication tools to facilitate development. “They will be assisting us to upgrade our computers and provide solar energy for the centre. Within a few months, we will have an upgraded computerised system and solarise them because solarisation will allow us to be more sustainable,” she said.

There are also plans to offer other services to the community such as bill payment and digital services, to design and print magazines and business cards.

“We believe if we can become competitive, we can attract businesses from outside,” said Scott.

Both Scott and Brown hope to take The Kairos Network Source to another level of operation so that it becomes a catalyst for other communities.

In commending the Jamaica National Group for initiating The Source, Brown said: “JN initiated an oasis and gave us a spring board to move forward. If they had not taken the initiative to set it up, it would be difficult to initiate it; therefore, we are striving to continue it,” she said, urging members of the business community to implement similar initiatives.

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MONTEGO BAY, St James – The Social Enterprise Boost Initiative (SEBI), the joint JN Foundation and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) venture, in conjunction with the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) will today host a panel discussion at the University of the West Indies, Western Jamaica Campus, on the effective use of social enterprise to create safer and more sustainable communities.The discussion, which is scheduled to start at 6:00 pm, will share with attendees, lessons learnt thus far by both implementing partners and local practitioners.
At this session, leaders and representatives from communities such as Flanker, Norwood, Salt Spring, Canterbury, Mount Salem and Rose Heights, will be introduced to the social enterprise business model with a view to learning how the hybrid model can create safer and sustainable communities.
Locally, social enterprise is already changing the face of several vulnerable communities such as that of the deaf, blind, physical and mentally challenged through the creation of jobs and new opportunities.
Panellists include: Saffrey Brown, general manager JN Foundation, Charmaine Brimm, technical specialist, Planning Institute of Jamaica and Clover Gordon, Bunker’s Hill Cultural Xperience, Social Enterprise Practitioner and SEBI Incubator member.
“The successes of Jamaica’s burgeoning social enterprise community over the last four years have proven that the model is effective in addressing some of Jamaica’s most pressing challenges,” said Brown.
“Not only has it been beneficial in increasing productivity within some of our most underserved communities, but it has allowed people who were largely outside of the productive sector to gainfully contribute to Jamaica’s GDP (gross domestic product).”

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The Watson Grove community in Gregory Park, Portmore, welcomed the Portmore Self-Help Disability Organisation Mobility Centre (PSDO), a service centre that specialises in the repairs and customisation of wheel chairs and other mobility aids for members of the physically disabled community.
The PSDO Mobility Centre was formally introduced to the community at an Open Day recently.
Mayor of Portmore, Councillor Leon Thomas, commended the partners who supported the centre, which was initiated by the United States Agency for International Development and the JN Foundation through its Social Enterprise Boost Initiative.
George Thorney of the Combined Disability Association, said the facility was a worthwhile and needed centre.
“An initiative such as this, advances wholesome development for persons with disabilities,” he said, “The services being offered are timely and should be supported by a wide cross section of Jamaicans.”

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Twenty-five year-old clerical assistant, Christopher Wright, is challenged managing his monthly salary, as he sometimes spends more than his planned budget, and often on unbudgeted items.

“I try to create a monthly budget, but it can be difficult. And, I will sometimes spend more than I budgeted, on one or more items. I do receive additional funds on a bi-weekly basis, however, I often forget where that money goes,” he said.

He explains that he really wants to get this budget right, because he has goals. “I am currently working on it, because I appreciate that one cannot achieve their financial objective without a proper budget,” Wright laments.

Aneika Buckle, project officer, with responsibility for the JN Foundation’s Financial Empowerment Programme, says that Wright’s predicament is not unusual. And, she offers some financial tips to refine budgets and recommends “sticking to a properly planned budget”.

Understanding Your Finances:

Buckle informed, “First you need to identify all the sources from which you earn your income. Many persons believe that ‘their salary’ is their only source of income, although they have passive income.”

She said that the sum of all wages, dividends, real estate payments, alimony, interest payments and all other earnings received, over a given period of time, are regarded as “income,” and should be treated as such.

Educate Yourself:

Budgeting is more than simply writing down how you will spend your next pay cheque. “It is the first step towards financial freedom, providing you grasp the ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ of creating a budget.”

“Remember, the purpose of preparing a budget is to manage your money, which will result in a better life; hence, increasing your standard of living and that of your family. Being informed about how to spend, save and invest your money will result in greater success with your budget exercise, eliminate debt and ensure a brighter financial future.”

Identify Needs Vs Wants:

To design a successful budget, you first need to differentiate between your needs and wants. And, be realistic about taking care of your needs before your wants.

“Design your budget in a manner that your needs are a priority. Therefore, it would be silly to purchase that new dress or cell phone with the money to pay the electricity bill,” she pointed out.

Keep Track Of Your Cash Flow:

“Keeping a record of all the money you receive and spend over a given period is also critical, as this helps you to determine the total sum received in that period, not only from salary but from other sources of income you have; and the total amount you spend from all the income you received. This is especially true during the initial stages of creating your budget, this will confirm exactly how much you’re spending in each category.”

Keep Receipts And Other Papers Related To Your Finances:

This may seem like hoarding unnecessary papers; however, she noted that these papers can be scanned and uploaded, if necessary, for storage and discard outdated receipts.

“This helps to keep track of all your purchases and payments including utility bills, grocery receipts, credit card and other loan payments. And, allows you to have a better idea of all the expenses you cover for a particular period, and outstanding payments you may have,” she added.

Identify Unnecessary Expenditures:

“Ensure that your personal or household expenditure does not exceed your income. Total your monthly income and expenditure. Then subtract total expenditures from income. If you have a minus balance, then it means that your expenses are more than your income, therefore, you need to eliminate or reduce some expenditures. If your surplus is positive, clearly you have done well, execute as planned,” she commended.

Identify Other Ways To Improve Your Income:

If after balancing your budget, your surplus looks okay, but is not pleasing, it would be prudent to seek ways to increase your income, which could include: getting a better paying job; and using your skills or hobby to earn, or obtain a part-time job.

Savings:

“I know that sometimes it’s difficult to save when you know that after taking care of primary expenditures, additional funds will not be available. Therefore, my take on this is to discipline yourself and identify at least 10 per cent of your income in your budget to be saved,” Buckle said.

Here are some recommended options:

– Take advantage of sales and discounts…

– Buy wholesale or in bulk, it’s cheaper…

– Make a list before going shopping and stick to that list.

– Create an “emergency account,” with funds equal to six months of your living expenses, in case something happens, you will be able to survive until you get back on your feet.

Obtain A Credit Card:

Buckle said credit cards can be used to your financial advantage.

“This is money loaned to you by a creditor to make purchases and pay the bill at a later date. However, you must ensure that you use your credit card wisely and pay off your bill every month; in full and on time. That way, you will not incur any interest, increase your debt, and struggle to pay it off months later,” she advised.

She noted that it is important to select the right credit card, which is suitable for your needs and that you read and fully understand the terms of the agreement. Obtaining a credit card assists you to save your cash; use loan funds; and it is also a valid source for funds in case of an emergency.

Savvy credit card users clear their loan sum monthly; and benefit from the “cash back” and other benefits on some cards, and end up not paying interest on a monthly basis!

Miss Buckle maintains that in the final analysis, budgeting empowers one to appreciate the entire spectrum of income, expenditure and savings; and will eventually inspire some person to invest, improve their financial well-being and ultimately achieve their financial goals and financial freedom.

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Golden-ager Joyce Mangaroo (left) is given a warm hug by communication representative at JN Bank, Ann Marie Kirlew, Thursday during the bank’s annual treat at the Vineyard Town Golden Age Home in east Kingston.

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The Jamaica National Group launched its JN Speakers’ Bureau website – www.jnspeakersbureau.com – at a recent JN Toastmasters Club meeting, held at the JN Bank’s chief office. The first of its kind for a corporate entity, the bureau features JN speakers and presenters from across its group of companies, locally and overseas, and the JN Foundation.

JN Group CEO Earl Jarrett wanted to provide opportunities for JN Toastmasters, who had achieved the Toastmasters International Competent Communicator designation, to use their presentation expertise to promote the JN values and brand.

“At JN, we have always supported people in communities in which we operate, and our staff members play a critical role in this regard,” Jarrett pointed out. “Locally and in the Jamaican diaspora, they actively provide assistance and volunteer their time. We were moved to create this bureau, through which our employees can inform and educate others.”

Distinguished Toastmaster Karen Oliver, an employee on the site, is currently the JN Toastmaster of the Year; and Toastmaster of the Year in the Division B, District 81, which comprises clubs in Jamaica, the Turks & Caicos Islands and the Cayman Islands.

Other members of the JN Toastmasters Club, located in Kingston; and the JN Articulators Club, located at the JN Financial Services Centre at Catherine Hall, Montego Bay, are also part of the JN Speakers’ Bureau.

Tanya Pringle, senior manager, corporate communications, pointed out that as the concept of the speakers’ bureau evolved, it was decided to move beyond members of the Toastmasters Clubs to include other key personnel in the JN Group.

“That inclusive approach allowed us access to executives, subsidiary general managers, chief representative officers in our overseas markets, and other JN personnel with expertise in a wide range of subject areas,” Pringle explained.

SPECIFIC NEEDS

She noted that the website lists a cadre of JN representatives with diverse expertise in the areas of mortgage, insurance, retirement planning, financial literacy, customer service, cybersecurity and education.

“We therefore encourage business associations, service clubs, educational institutions and other entities to visit the JN Speakers, Bureau website, where they can identify speakers who can make presentations relative to their specific needs,” Pringle stated.

She pointed out that the JN Speakers’ Bureau website is technically designed to assist persons to quickly identify a speaker who can address subjects related to their company or organisation.

The ‘Request A Speaker’ form will guide interested persons to identify and request expert JN speakers, who are located in different parishes across the country; in the United Kingdom; Toronto, Canada; Florida, USA; as well as the Cayman Islands.

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Sitting in a wheelchair is an uncomfortable experience if it isn’t adjusted for you, or you are not sitting properly, says Bridgette Johnson-Beckett.
“The Portmore Self-Help Disability Organisation (PSDO) Mobility Resource Centre was developed to help individuals tackle such problems,” Johnson-Beckett states. The manager of the Portmore-based centre adds that it also repairs mobility aids, and provides consultations on the adaptation of public and private spaces to the physically disabled.
“People who sit in wheelchairs for hours can get injured if they are not comfortable,” Johnson-Beckett said. “There is need for the users to be educated.”
There are optimum adjustments for backrests, footrests and armrests for each individual, with adequate cushioning also playing a vital role, she said. The PSDO offers training in the proper use of such devices and also provides a home service for customers, primarily in the Kingston Metropolitan Area and St Catherine.
Expertise in tackling such issues emerged through the original Portmore Self-Help Disability Organisation advocacy group, which she started 15 years ago after she was robbed on her way home in Greater Portmore one night. Then a telephone operator at The Gleaner, Johnson, who lost a leg in a childhood accident, was trapped in an open grating on a canal bridge, at which point a passer-by stole her handbag.
“After that incident, I looked around in my housing scheme to determine if there were other persons with special needs,” she said. “And we got together to advocate for improvements in the layout of the houses and our environment.”
While the group failed to achieve its goal, its advocacy ensured that subsequent developments would include units designed to accommodate the needs of the disabled. And Johnson-Beckett formalised her role, becoming the full-time manager of the group after receiving training at the University of the West Indies.
“We now offer consultation on the reformatting of private and public spaces to accommodate the physically disabled,” she said. Support from the JN Foundation and USAID, through the Social Enterprise Boost Initiative (SEBI) project team, has also expanded the PSDO income-earning options.
The advocacy group, which began meeting regularly at the Portmore HEART Academy, expanded its scope to include persons with a broader range of disabilities, such as the elderly and stroke victims, and soon realised that one common need within their community was the requirement for access to mobility aids.
“That was when we started to repair wheelchairs, crutches, walkers, and canes,” she said. “We secured land in Gregory Park in Portmore and established a permanent home, where the repair and maintenance work could be done.”
… Watch out for the prototype wheelchair on April 20
It was at the point of establishing its own home that engineer Harold Buchanan became involved with the development of the PSDO Mobility Resource Centre.
“I started working with the group five years ago, providing support in repairs to wheelchairs, and other devices such as rollators,” he said. “This work, which is carried out by PSDO members, not only saves money, but also extends the life of the devices.”
Buchanan is particularly pleased with a prototype wheelchair under construction at the centre. He said, “We plan to have it on display at our first open day on April 20 at the PSDO Centre in Watson Grove, Gregory Park, and we are inviting the public to come and see them.”
Opal Whyte, project manager for SEBI (www.sebijm.com), pointed out that “the PSDO Mobility Resource Centre is an outstanding example of a social enterprise. It started out filling a need in the community, and is now developing a business which serves to further its social aims.
“This is one of more than 20 such enterprises which we are working with to develop their capacity to become self-sustaining,” Whyte stated. “At SEBI, we are leaders in the social enterprise field, in which Jamaica is the most advanced country in the entire Caribbean.”
As a project of the JN Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development, SEBI aims to mobilise resources for community development, Whyte stated. “The PSDO has many admirable traits, and they are making a positive difference in the lives of people around them.”

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Neisha Grant Lawrence, teacher at the Crescent Primary School in St. Catherine is the Mathematics Teacher of the Year.

She was presented with her award by Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, during the launch of Mathematics Week at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Visitors’ Lodge on March 6.

Her prizes include a one-year membership to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), which is the world’s largest organisation concerned with mathematics education, as well as a trip to San Antonio for the NCTM 2017 Conference. She also received an Apple iPad.

Mrs. Grant Lawrence said she was grateful to God, humbled and filled with joy to be the recipient of the coveted award.

“I would like to register my gratitude to the Ministry of Education, more specifically the National Mathematics Team, for implementing such a competition, giving me this great opportunity to demonstrate my mathematics skills outside the walls of my school,” she said.

She said her journey started when the Ministry implemented a programme for the training of School-based Mathematics Teachers (SBMT) at the primary level to improve the performance of students in the subject.

“My principal thought I was the best person for the task, despite my unwillingness, and like many, I feared mathematics from childhood. My principal, seeing the great potential in me, persisted, and I went ahead teary eyed, still reluctant; but look at me now,” Mrs. Grant Lawrence noted.

“Students at my school are understanding mathematics and are having fun while learning. It is my will to see… mathematics (become) the top-performing subject in both primary and high school.

I know all the participants in this competition and other mathematics teachers will see to that,” she said.

She also expressed appreciation to her students, Principal, Iris Lewis and family members, who, she noted, were a constant source of motivation and encouragement.

Other finalists in the competition were Leesan Salmon of the Aabuthnott Gallimore High School; Tarique Tomlinson, from the Godfrey Stewart High School; AnnMarie Plummer Wright of the Bethabara Primary School; and Rosemarie McFarlane Morris of St. Catherine High School.

The contestants were observed teaching mathematics lessons by members of the regional and national mathematics teams as well as education officers. They were also interviewed by a panel of judges on mathematics teaching and learning.

Participants were also tasked to prepare an action plan that they would share with their principal to treat five of the issues identified in the National Education Inspectorate Report in respect to mathematics. Individuals were scored based on these interactions.

The Mathematics Teacher of the Year Award is in its fourth year and is sponsored by Jamaica National (JN).

Senator Reid extended special thanks to the financial institution for its support of the competition since its inception in 2013.

For his part, Permanent Secretary within the Ministry, Dean-Roy Bernard, congratulated the 2017 Mathematics Teacher of the Year.

“I say thank you for your continued good service to the people of Jamaica,” Mr. Bernard said.

The Ministry is observing March 5 to 10 as National Mathematics Week under the theme ‘Math Counts’.

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