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The parish of St Elizabeth has long been known for its vulnerability to drought, particularly during times of meteorological drought. In response, the JN Foundation has urged residents in that parish to conserve on water and implement conservation measures.

Omar Wright, JN Foundation’s lead for environment and community development, said, “St. Elizabeth is considered to be the breadbasket parish.So it is imperative that the parish practise water conservation measures,” he said.

Mr Wright made the appeal while interacting with students and residents of the parish at an exhibition mounted at the St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) in observation of World Water Day, recently.

The exhibition was organised by the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation in collaboration with its agencies and stakeholders. The day was observed under the theme, ‘Accelerating Change – Water, Changing Behaviour and Lives’.

The situation in St Elizabeth is an urgent reminder that water is a precious resource that must be conserved and managed sustainably to ensure its availability for generations to come, said Mr Wright.

Floyd Green, Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister and Member of Parliament for St Elizabeth Southwestern, who spoke at the opening ceremony of the event, said the government is undertaking two major projects to improve the supply of water to the parish.

This he said included the Essex Valley Irrigation system that will serve South St Elizabeth and parts of Manchester. He said the second major project will pull water from the Black River for irrigation purposes in St Elizabeth, which will benefit the farmers of the parish.

“I want to say to all my farmers in South St Elizabeth that on this World Water Day, the government is going to work to ensure that you have all the water you need to do your farming,” he stated.

He also informed that the government was not only looking at irrigation but also communities that do not have regular potable water supply. He said work has been done in Junction and new pipelines have been installed in Middle Quarters, Sandy Ground to Black River.

He said this year the government has earmarked 21 projects valued at $2.5 billion to bring water supply across Jamaica. Four of these projects he said have been earmarked for St. Elizabeth.

Meanwhile, hundreds of students and teachers at STETHS expressed interest and appreciation to the information presented by the various stakeholders who participated in the exposition.

Keisha Francis Forbes, a teacher at STETHS, was particularly fascinated by the JN Foundation’s display, which demonstrated how persons can configure their homes with a guttering system to harvest rainwater.

“It is good to see water being harvested [as depicted by the display]. Growing up as a little girl, that is how we used to harvest water but I realised as I got older and move to a new community, not much of this harvesting is being done anymore,” she observed.

Mrs Francis Forbes stated that given the effects of climate change, where the country is experiencing longer droughts, persons should be motivated to revert to harvesting water. “What I like about the display is how the guttering system is set up. I have an interest in that,” she added.

Grade eight student, Nicola Moodle, now has a greater appreciation for water conservation. The teen said she is often frustrated by constant water lock offs.

“Water is life and it is important that we conserve it,” she said.

With a changing work environment, impacted by advancements in technology and a pandemic that has influenced work patterns and job losses, some persons in the workforce have been forced to adapt by upgrading or learning new skills.

The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2020 states that because of the growing uptake of technology and automation, half of all employees will need reskilling by 2025.

That’s why Tremain Ellis, Acting Learning and Development Manager for the JN Group,   says learning a new skill or upskilling is beneficial to both employers and employees.

“It has become essential to continually upgrade one’s skills to stay relevant, competitive, and employable,” he pointed out.

He underscored that learning a new skill is essential to advancing one’s career, as individuals with up-to-date skills are highly sought after by employers, giving them a competitive edge in the job market.

However, upskilling or reskilling is not just about finding a new job. When employees have access to training and development opportunities, they bring new ideas and perspectives to the organisation, leading to more innovative and efficient practices.

“Just as how we invest in new technology, we should invest in our people. It makes no sense we have the latest technology and our people cannot make the best use of them,” he said.

Mr. Ellis recommends that both companies and individuals conduct a skills audit to identify any gaps.

“The first step is to ask yourself what skills do I need to remain relevant or to be better at what I do? Do I currently have those skills? If not, how do I acquire those skills?,“ he suggests.

The Learning and Development Manager for the JN Group noted that whether persons are self-employed or work for someone, it is important that they are continuously looking for ways to improve. He added that the world has become smaller due to globalisation so the competition is no longer just the person sitting beside you but also someone who is half way across the world.

He informed that after that after it is determined what skills are needed, it is time to do something about it. Acquiring new skills is much easier, more cost effective and convenient in the age of technology, he said.

“Gone are the days when upskilling means you have to register for a programme at a training institution and sit in classes from 8:00AM to 4:00PM Monday to Friday. Many training institutions offer self-paced learning, where you decide how long you take to complete and even set your own schedule. Additionally, there are hundreds of free online certificate courses from some of the top universities in the world,” he disclosed noting that other websites such as Udemy, Coursera, Khan Academy offer online self-paced courses for free or at very low cost. 

“Majority of us have smart phones, so I want to put it out there that we dedicate five hours per week to learning a new skill. Many of us spend more than that time just sitting in traffic, so we can download an audio book to listen whilst driving,” he said.

Mr Ellis stated that YouTube is also an amazing place to learn and that persons could spend one less hour each day watching funny videos and dedicated that time to do their own upskilling.

“Learning is now at our finger tips. We must see upskilling as an investment in ourselves, our companies and the future of our country,” he said.

The face of the executive director of Mustard Seed Communities, Darcy Tulloch-Williams, lit up with joy and appreciation as a team from the JN Foundation recently arrived at its Mahoe Drive location in Kingston, bearing gifts.

The Foundation and the Curacao based IBIS Management Associates donated close to half a million dollars to the organisation to support its efforts with caring for the nation’s most vulnerable.

For Mrs Tulloch-Williams, occasions like these conjure up an overwhelming feeling of gratitude, as she pointed out that the needs of the organisation are great.

“This donation will be going into the coffers in terms of what we need to do. We are taking care of the most vulnerable of the society. Whatever you give will be used well and to the benefit of our residents here,” she said.

As he made the presentation, Parris Lyew-Ayew, Snr, Chairman of the JN Foundation, highlighted the importance of organisations, such as the Mustard Seed Communities, in supporting those most in need of care – a duty they carry out often without adequate resources. Therefore, he said, it is paramount that others, where and when they can, should assist institutions such as Mustard Seed to maintain their services to those who are sometimes forgotten by the society.

“We know too well the value of partnership. So, we did not hesitate to partner with IBIS Management Associates, one of our business partners at The Jamaica National Group. As part of its corporate social responsibility, IBIS gives back to the community in their country and to other children’s organisations throughout the Caribbean through the Bank4Kids Charity Fund,” he explained.

The Bank4Kids Charity Fund donates annually to children’s organisations from contributions it receives from IBIS clients. In November 2022, IBIS invited the JN Foundation to nominate a charity in Jamaica for support. The JN Foundation’s nomination was accepted, and IBIS selected the Mustard Seed Communities to receive a cash donation.

The JN Foundation through its own initiative, during the Christmas holidays, also rallied JN Group employees to make donations and they received several items, such as diapers and feeding tubes, which were presented to Mustard Seed Communities. Along with the diapers, the employees also donated cash to the institution.

Established in 1978, Mustard Seed Communities is home to approximately 500 residents across 12 facilities located in Kingston, St Andrew, St. Ann, Montego Bay, Manchester, and St Catherine. Several are children and adults who are physically and mentally challenged or affected by HIV.

Mrs Williams says individuals and groups can donate to the organisation by contacting them at 876-923-6488 or email: info-jamaica@mustardseed.com.

JN Foundation Encourages Water Conservation

Jamaica is currently experiencing a meteorological drought due to inadequate rainfall. Therefore, every drop of water counts, says Omar Wright, lead, environment and community development programmes at the JN Foundation.

The trained sustainable development specialist recommends the following water conservation tips to householders:

Fix leaks promptly

Fix any leaks in your home, such as dripping taps or pipes, as soon as possible. Even small leaks can waste a significant amount of water over time, he informed.

Install water-saving devices

Mr Wright said that installing low-flow showerheads, faucets, and toilets to reduce the amount of water you use is an effective way of saving water. In addition, he recommends that persons should try to limit their shower time to save water.

Water plants early or late

“Water your plants in the early morning or late evening to reduce water loss through evaporation,” he said. He also advised persons to use watering cans to water gardens and shrub beds, as he said this can save up to 40 per cent of the water used when compared to sprinklers, since sprinklers apply water across the entire swath they are set to cover. Hand watering also delivers all the water right where it is needed, unlike the sprinkler which loses some water to wind and evaporation before it reaches the ground.

Use a bucket instead of a hose

During a drought, it’s wasteful to wash cars on a regular basis. When the car must be washed, fill a bucket with water and use a sponge to apply the water, he advised.

“Refill the bucket to rinse, again using the sponge to apply the water sparingly. A quarter cup of white vinegar can be added to the water to reduce streaks, and this solution does not need further rinsing,” he noted.

Use recycled water

Use greywater (wastewater from sinks, showers, and washing machines) for irrigation, flushing toilets (where possible), and other non-potable uses.

 Let your lawn go dormant

The best way to save water outdoors during a drought is to let your lawn go dormant, noted Mr Wright. He noted that the lawn will turn brown during dormancy, but it will regain its colour once the rains return. Most healthy turf grasses can be left dormant for three to four weeks without the grass dying.

“If drought conditions last longer than four weeks, water should be applied to re-hydrate the grass enough to keep it alive. Water sufficiently to wet the soil down to five inches. This small amount of watering will not restore the grass to its natural green colour but will keep it alive until the rains come,” he instructed.

He advised that when the rain comes, it is best to install a suitable barrel to collect rainwater for use in your garden.

For more water conservation tips visit the JN Foundation’s Water Project website at waterprojectja.com

Rose Miller, manager, Strategic Empowerment Programmes at the JN Foundation is urging more women to take charge of planning for their retirement early in their working life rather than leaving it up to chance or depending on their children.

“In today’s reality it is becoming increasingly obvious that we cannot depend on our children to support us in retirement.  Women must therefore make it their business to take the steps necessary so they are able to provide for themselves when that time comes.  If our children are willing and able to provide financial support that would be a bonus,” she pointed out.

Mrs Miller made the point as she referenced a recent concept paper by the Pension Industry Association of Jamaica, which shows that women are more vulnerable to old-age poverty.

The Pension Industry Association of Jamaica’s (2022) Concept Paper on Auto-Enrolment in Jamaica notes that because women live longer than men, they were more likely to be affected by old-age poverty. The concept paper notes that women were 23 per cent less likely to have economic opportunities than men and that women earned only 63 per cent of income earned by their male counterparts, despite doing the same job in many instances.

The Concept Paper also informed that the situation has become more significant since COVID-19 because many women are expected to be stay-at-home caregivers. It adds that with many persons not having enough retirement savings, even more will be required to work beyond age 65.

Mrs Miller gave the following valuable tips for pension provision:

Start early

She noted that from the day one starts earning, it is best to start planning for retirement by not only enrolling in a pension scheme but also setting aside additional funds towards other investments.

“Starting early is favourable for many reasons – the key one being you have a longer time horizon therefore, it gives you the flexibility to invest more aggressively, participating in higher risk opportunities, which will yield higher income and boost your retirement fund.  Another reason is, understandably, the earlier you start the more you would be able to accumulate and better the chances of reaching your financial goals for retirement,” she informed.

 Understand finance

The JN Foundation team lead on strategic empowerment programmes   encourages women to take responsibility for increasing their financial education, noting that once you have a certain level of financial awareness and education you can cash in on many opportunities.  This will also help you to formulate a retirement strategy that will give greater benefits, based on goals and risk appetite.

“Start by doing some research, also take advantage of workshops and seminars offered to improve your understanding of money management.  Colleagues and friends who are knowledgeable about financial matters can be a valuable source of information, however, at the end of the day, you should contact a financial advisor who is trained to help you understand the different investment strategies and identify which is best for you,” she advised.

Be an active Participant

Mrs Miller stated that financial planning is an ongoing process and one that requires active engagement.  You must also keep an eye on how your investment is performing.  

“It is equally essential to regularly review your investments; meet with and discuss your portfolio with your financial advisor. There are times when adjustments are required and these reviews will provide the opportunity to adjust the strategy if necessary. The ultimate goal is to ensure that you do not run out of savings during your lifetime,” she said.

Make smart investments

She explained that women should understand that in order to increase wealth, they must invest in the right instruments. Insurance is one such important financial tool which is not only used to preserve wealth but also  create it;  unit-linked investment plans, endowment plans, and life annuity plans offer benefits of insurance as well as investing.

“These are ideal options as they offer wealth creation, while also keeping loved ones protected, providing a certain level of security.  Other options for smart investments are mutual funds, stocks, real estate and bonds all of which can provide additional income streams over the years,” she explained.

Why do women need to save more?

“There are a number of reasons why women need to start saving more. Firstly, saving money will allow you to fulfill your individual dreams. Whether it is being able to afford your dream house or car, taking regular vacations with family and friends, or planning the wedding of your children.  With sufficient savings, you can achieve your goals while ensuring the financial safety of your loved ones as well,” she advised.

Secondly, Mrs Miller said, women tend to live longer than men. Studies show that women have a life expectancy rate of 70.3 years at birth, compared to 67.4 years for men. With more years of life, women also need enough funds to cover their expenses. In addition, old age can come with its share of problems such as ill health and the need for support. All of these things require additional money, she pointed out.

Learn more about Financial Literacy

Vanessa Lalasingh’s love for the environment was inculcated at a young age. As a child, the St Andrew-bred attorney spent holidays in Banks District on the vast Vere Plains of Clarendon where she climbed trees, ran barefooted on the sandy banks of the Rio Minho, in which she also swam, and frolicked at nearby beaches.

“From an early age, spending time with my family in the country, I came to believe life is simple until we complicate it, because the environment supports life and happiness,” she reminisced on her childhood holidays along the Clarendon coast.

Her love for the environment was deepened and further nourished in high school. At Ardenne High School in St Andrew, she was a member of the Environmental Club and held the post of President for many years.

“It was really a good club. At our club meetings we would create beautiful and useful things from recycled material, routinely selling some to fund the club. We talked about technology and ways to save water and preserve the environment,” she informed. “Every year we would create a two-storey Christmas tree entirely of recycled materials as the centrepiece of the school’s Christmas event. It was always elegant, and that cemented the fact in my mind that recycled things can easily be very chic instead of shabby.”

The Legal Counsel, who works at The Jamaica National Group, continued on the trajectory when she moved on to tertiary studies at The University of West Indies, Mona campus, where she volunteered at community clean-ups, among other environmental related activities.

She said life became hectic in those intensive years of studying, but after graduation, she continued to volunteer in whatever way she could on environmental projects.

“I never lost that love for nature and animals, so I have been the type who always has pets; encourages animals to come around; and subscribes to everything about sustainable living tips. I love plants so I started planting dwarfed fruit trees in pots and that became a hobby,” she said, explaining how she translates her love of nature while living in an urban area.

Today, her home is like an oasis, surrounded by plants and animals. She is keen on keeping indoor plants, such as Snake plants, also called Mother In-law’s Tongue, and ZZ plants (Zanzibar Gems) that purify the air. She also surrounds her house with birdfeeders and plants that invite pollinators so the birds can feed in a natural environment.

“I feel like living in the city we get so disconnected from the things that keep us both physically but especially mentally healthy. We complain about air quality and water shortages but make daily decisions that disrupt ecological cycles and create those problems. So, I kind of took an approach that anything that concerns me, I try to seek a natural remedy for it first instead of going for the easiest chemical or disposables to purchase,” she pointed out.

Her love for nature and caring for the environment has rubbed off on her friends and colleagues who she gifts plants and “drags” along on hikes outside of the city and to agricultural shows to deepen their appreciation for nature and encourage them to also become bastions of the environment.

Beyond ensuring that she is surrounded by nature, Ms Lalasingh is also very conscious about energy conservation and ensures that she installs energy and water saving devices in her home. She boasts that with the installation of these devices, her light and water bills are much lower than a household that does not have these devices.

“I’m a big advocate for using technology to save money in the long-term and plan my purchases that way. We all want to save money. We’ve come so far with technology and reducing the cost of it. I just think we need to pay attention to using it in a sustainable way. You don’t need a roof of solar panels to start. Solar lights, smart plugs and other small devices make a really noticeable impact with no additional effort and actually increase my daily comfort,” she said. 

Today, she remains actively involved in environmental initiatives as a member of the ‘Don’t Count me Out’ Foundation, which was started in August 2020. The main focus areas of the foundation are community development, education, and the environment. They routinely carry out beach clean-up and tree planting exercises.

As a project manager at the Foundation, she said her position allows her to contribute meaningfully to protecting the environment and other uplifting activities. At The Jamaica National Group, where she works, she also participates in some of the JN Foundation’s outreach activities.

Ms Lalasingh’s encourages other to “Be open about your interest in the environment, however small it may feel. This attracts others with the same values and makes it into a lifestyle that you don’t even think about. You will always be getting tried and true tricks and ideas from likeminded people that will fit seamlessly into your everyday life and become impactful.”

View The Water Project

In the face of more frequent and intensified climatic events, two experts agree that Jamaica must rely on its existing systems and policies to work to strengthen the country’s resilience to climate change.

For Dr Carol Archer, Urban planner and professor in the Faculty of the Built Environment at the University of Technology, Jamaica, the completion of the National Spatial Plan is foremost.

“That would help to direct us with what to do with an area such as Port Maria,” she said, referencing the St Mary parish capital to the northeast of the island, which experienced severe flooding almost a year ago following heavy rains. The flooding affected the entire town, inundating buildings and homes with muck and debris.

“It would not be a question of relocating, but looking at where you put certain services within the parish (St Mary), so you’d have to get your data and analyse your trends and it would show you: ‘In Port Maria, these are the predominant activities, and these are activities that will have an impact over X number of years’, and they will have a relationship with these [particular] areas, and we’d have to use that to make a decision,” she said.

“That is what is needed in the short to medium term.”  

The last spatial plan for Jamaica, the Jamaica National Physical Plan, covered development of the country from 1970 to 1998.

Housing and construction professional, Earl Samuels, adds that the systems for monitoring and maintenance of the country’s urban infrastructure also need to work. Although pointing out that maintenance is not only within the remit of the state, he also insisted that a significant portion of the responsibility must be shouldered by regulators.

Poor maintenance of roads, gullies, bridges, and other infrastructure have been continuously blamed for disasters triggered by climatic occurrences, including the flooding of Port Maria.

The financier, who is also the chief development financing officer for the JN Group and a former managing director of the National Housing Trust, noted that while financial institutions can hold developers they finance to account by monitoring their projects and insisting on the implementation of certain measures, only a small percentage of developments are funded by private institutions.

“So, several are not adhering to best practices,” he outlined, emphasising that the state of inadequate monitoring has left room for breaches, which impact on the wider built environment.

Dr Archer agreed that the issue of maintenance is among the sorest points for many urban centres.

“You don’t maintain the roads; you don’t maintain the [drains and] sewage systems. The population is growing, but you don’t provide the necessary systems to ensure that they get adequate water… All of those things contribute to the [issue] that we are experiencing now,” she said. 

Making a comparison to the city of Miami, Florida in the United States of America, she underscored that although sections of that city are prone to flooding, it is mitigated by an effective maintenance system, which enables the city to build resilience. 

“If you have a broken-down car that you’re driving in flood water, it’s not going to be like having a relatively new car that was being maintained. It’s the same principle that applies to your urban infrastructure,” she argued.

Mr Samuels maintained that better monitoring and supervision of developments in and around urban spaces is critical to building resilience against climate activities. 

“With the expansion of housing development, especially in the coastal areas and, in the hilly regions surrounding urban centres, where vegetation is being cleared, the runoff from the rainwater tends to come down in greater volume and rapidly, because you don’t have the vegetation to trap the water from rainfall before it gets to these coastal towns,” he pointed out.

“And the drainage, with the increase in commercial activities and the increase in the density of these towns, you have more garbage and refuse being produced and they are not properly stored, they are thrown in the drains and gullies,” he painted a picture of the dilemma facing several towns across the country.

With maintenance among the most problematic issues for infrastructural and development projects in Jamaica, executive director of the Mona GeoInformatics Institute (MGI), Dr Ava Maxam says a better balance of both soft and hard engineering will preserve the country’s physical infrastructure and mitigate damage to the environment, as well as to lives and livelihoods.

“Without a doubt, maintenance is our main issue,” she quipped during a conversation with a team from The Jamaica National Group recently. The JN Group, through the JN Foundation, launched a comprehensive environmental programme in 2022 geared towards promoting environmental awareness, and focuses on key areas such as deforestation, waste management, water conservation and energy efficiency.

Dr Maxam noted that Jamaica has a poor history of maintaining its civil infrastructure. The absence of this keen approach to maintenance contributes to disastrous consequences during climatic hazards, such as heavy rainfall.

Better mixing of hard engineering solutions with soft environmental measures make maintenance easier, she insists, but the balance is missing in the pursuit of many of the country’s modern projects.

“For example, nowadays when we are building coastal roads there should be soft measures in place. So you want to know that your seagrass, coral reefs and mangroves are in place and thriving, along with that coastal road development. It’s not enough to just pave the road or raise it,” she said.

“We’ve seen where that makes maintenance easier,” she added, pointing out that seagrass and mangroves help to buffer the shoreline, reducing the level of maintenance required.  

However, she believes while conscientious and ethical practices should prevail, legislating maintenance may be necessary to ensure it is carried out consistently and correctly in order to mitigate damage and loss to life and property.

“It may be [that] our laws need to catch up [by] building in maintenance regulations from the very beginning,” she argued.

How that could be enforced, Luke Buchanan, senior projects manager at MGI surmised, is during the development application process.

“For example, when you go to NEPA (National Environment and Planning Agency), if there is a clause to say, your project can’t go through [for approval] until it has certain maintenance plans in place, you can enforce it in that way,” he argued.

“It should be part of your sustainability plan,” Dr Maxam chimed in. “So if more emphasis is placed on what it will take to maintain these systems, then that will go a far way in making the system last, once it is implemented.”

Referencing the approach taken by her own organisation to underscore the point, Dr Maxam indicated that MGI, which innovates and deploys various software applications for governments and other agencies locally and regionally, insists on entities having a maintenance plan in place to support any solution provided.

“One of the first things we tell clients is that you have to think of maintenance from system planning stages, before we (MGI) build platforms or even code – before we go any further… You can’t just think of building something, implement, then expect it to run itself. You have to execute a thorough maintenance strategy immediately on deployment for sustaining that system for the long run,” she said.

She argued that the failure to maintain and expand drainage systems in urban areas, for example, has been a major cause for flooding along with various other factors to include:  failure to expand the infrastructure to match the increased population and development; poor solid waste disposal habits; deforestation in the hinterlands around urban centres, including removal of mangrove forests. They contribute to increased vulnerability of areas such as Port Maria, St Mary, which, in February 2022, faced a catastrophic deluge following heavy rains. 

“This issue of urban spread – you’re having a lot more paved surfaces, a lot more people and buildings with out-of-date, inadequate infrastructure; once there is this high density of people and buildings with no combination of expansion and modernisation of the drainage itself, you’re going to find that’s going to be disastrous when natural hazards impact these locations,” Dr Maxam said.

Stuart Reeves was only six years-old when he developed a love for the camera, which was first introduced to him by his father, a fireman and hobbyist photographer.

His love for the art form blossomed, and more than six decades later, the educator continues to teach photography and mentor budding photographers.

“Photography is an experience. It is going out and seeing an image and capturing it in the best way, using whatever techniques and processes to get that image. When you have that final image and you realise that is what you saw in your mind and that is what you got in front of you, it can be very rewarding,” he shared.

Reeves, who was born in the United Kingdom, came to Jamaica to complete a one-year tenure as a volunteer teacher in 1970. He was planted at the Glengoffe High School in St Catherine, where he taught Industrial Arts. But what was supposed to be only a gap year for the Englishman after completing his tertiary studies in the UK, turned into half a century, as he put down roots on the island.

The educator taught at various institutions over the years, including the Mico Teachers College (now the Mico University College), Fair Prospect High School in Portland, where he was principal from 1991 to 1995; and Jamaica College, where he served from 1995 -2003. He then served the Ministry of Education as an education officer before retiring in 2004.

Wherever he taught or served, Mr Reeves always tried to engage his students in photography by establishing photography clubs in the institutions he was placed.

Following his retirement, he received the opportunity to do more impactful mentoring of young people, using photography, through the JN Foundation Resolution project in 2010.

“When I was working with the Ministry of Education, I had gone into Rose Town and I heard that there was a photography exhibition going on nearby and that was the JN Foundation Resolution Project. I went across and saw the exhibition and I was really enthralled,” he said.

Mr Reeves was invited to join the team where he was involved in mentoring new cohorts of photography students.

“The JN Resolution Project was an opportunity to engage children. The project had this big thing about advocating with the camera. The students really took to it. We had to teach them what advocacy was and how you advocated using the camera,” he explained.

He recalled that the students were given themes to work with and they were sent to their community to capture images associated with the themes. Workshops were also conducted with the children to teach them about the correct techniques of using the camera and about advocacy.

“They came from diverse communities so when we gave them themes to work with, they interpreted them in their communities, which was important. So, it was not a case where everyone came back with the same types of images. They were really coming back with unique individual images,” he disclosed.

The JN Resolution Project ran for more than a decade. Originally called Youth Zoom, the Resolution Project began in 2004. Each school received digital cameras and participated in workshops in strategic locations across Jamaica. The fundamentals of photography and advocacy, as well as the basics of journalism were taught, and students used the skills they garnered to then tell intricate stories with their cameras; critically examine the issues facing them, and creatively articulate their observations in photographs.

Mr Reeves noted that some exceptional students emerged from the programme, with some moving on to careers involving photography. Among them was Osheenei Zevandell Graham of Grange Hill High School in Westmoreland, who is now an established photographer.

Mr Graham credited the JN Resolution Project for assisting him to develop his craft and gave him the exposure he needed as a student. He was part of the programme for four years.

“The JN Resolution Project gave me the exposure that I needed and it forced me to come out of my shell and be more outgoing and more of a people person,” he said.

He informed that photography is a good way of preserving memories and recording events and that it gave him joy doing so.

Mr Reeves is again engaging budding photographers through the recently launched JN Foundation ‘Greatness through the Lens’ photo-advocacy competition, which invited persons passionate about photography and community advocacy to enter.

The competition, which was launched in October, was conceptualized in celebration of Jamaica’s 60th year of independence under the national theme, “Reigniting a Nation for Greatness”.

It seeks to encourage Jamaican photographers to bring awareness to the unseen ‘helpers/advocates’ whose voluntary service has been engendering positive change in vulnerable communities and promoting environmental preservation.

So far, 50 persons have been shortlisted for the competition, which will culminate in August 2023 during Jamaica’s Independence Day celebrations.

“I’m anxious to see the work they [participants] will come up with. They will be churning out a lot of images and we will give them the necessary guidance and address their weaknesses in photography so they can be better photographers,” said Reeves, who is one of the trainers in the competition. The other trainer is renowned Jamaican international photographer, Radcliff ‘Ruddy’ Roy.

Four couples. Three months. Four sets of water-efficiency kits, and hopefully, a whole lot of savings! That’s the premise of the JN Foundation’s latest campaign, which is geared towards reducing water usage in Jamaican households. 

The campaign, which was launched this month, will see four influencer couples utilising the water-efficiency kits in their homes for a period of three months as a means of conserving the valuable resource and reducing their water bills.

The four couples: Basillia and Brian Cuff, Xaundre and Zhara-Marie Mohansingh, Sasha and Rory Ebanks and Romaine and Elizabeth Virgo will install the kits in their homes and implement the tips from the JN Foundation’s Water Project Homeowners’ guide to water use efficiency, to monitor changes in their water bills over the duration of the campaign. Each kit comprises of a showerhead, aerators for the kitchen and bathroom sinks and a toilet leak detector.

For the Cuffs, this is an excited endeavour, which they’re hoping will not only assist them in reducing their water bill, but will also help them to teach their young children about water conversation.

“I’m excited about learning and spreading the knowledge surrounding water conservation. It is something we practice and emphasize in our home, especially with two children running around who know how to turn pipes on,” said Basillia. “I think this project will help us to zoom in on those little things we do, that we don’t pay much attention to, that add up over time
on our bills.”

She noted that the family now spends about $8,000 on their water bill, each month. “I honestly feel like this project will be eye opening for many of us, and rewarding, when the bills begin to reflect the reduction.”

For Zhara Mohansingh, the JN Foundation Water Project is game changing. “It’s not just practical but helps with a mindset shift which is critical if we desire change. Cutting down on any bill is a good idea for my pocket and I’m excited to see how the practices will help us to stay under budget as we try to stay afloat in such harsh economic conditions.”

Claudine Allen, general manager of the JN Foundation, said the main goal of the campaign is to encourage water adaptation measures and encourage efficient water usage across all sectors of society. The initiative falls under Water Project Jamaica, which was started in 2017 as a joint collaboration with the JN Bank, JN Foundation, the Climate Investment Funds (CIF), the Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and IDB Lab.

“Our hope is that the results of the programme will encourage more Jamaicans to adapt these water conservation strategies in their homes as a way of conserving on their water consumption and cutting down their water bills,” Miss Allen said. “With the help of our influencer couples, we hope to reach more Jamaicans with this message of conservation.”

Data show that a typical single-family home in Jamaica uses between 3,000 and 5,000 gallons of water per month, with about 10 per cent being wasted. Water saving devices and good conservation practices can reduce water consumption by as much as 30 per cent.

Miss Allen further noted that the JN Foundation wants to emphasise the value of water, whether in homes, schools, businesses or communities. “We want everyone to take the message of water conservation and efficient water use as a part of valuing water,” she remarked.

The JN Foundation, under its Water Project, has implemented similar water conservation initiatives in several households and institutions in the past, reaping great success.

In 2021, a rainwater harvesting system and water-efficiency devices were donated to the Wortley Home for Girls in Kingston, which saw the institution reducing its water bill by at least 50 per percent less than a year later.

The donation comprised 12 water-efficiency kits and the rainwater harvesting system, which included piping and guttering, as well as a tank donated by entertainer and The Jamaica National Group brand ambassador Agent Sasco.

Similarly, in 2018, several St Catherine residents, who received water-efficiency kits from JN also reported significant reductions in their water consumption and subsequent water bills.

One family in Portsmount, St Catherine saw a massive 700 per cent reduction in just three months. Their water bill moved from $16,000 monthly to $2,000 per month.

To learn more about the JN Foundation’s Water Project, please visit www.waterprojectja.com. Also, follow @jnfoundation on all socials for more about the campaign.