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JN Group Provides Relief for Victims of Walker’s Place Fire
They’re coping, however, the effects of the trauma lingers in the minds of many of the children and care givers who escaped the flames from the  fire at Walker’s Place of Safety in Kingston, on the tragic night of January 15.
“It will take long term treatment,” says Leroy Anderson, manager of the Jamaica National Children’s Home (JNCH) in Papine, St Andrew.
Thirteen of the 34 children who were saved from the inferno were transferred to the JNCH, and others are residing at the Maxfield Children’s Home and City of Refuge. 
“The trauma doesn’t leave them overnight. There are children who, if they hear an alarm or a siren now, they….” he tried to explain, with sympathy in his voice, but was unable to complete the sentence.
He tried to explain, again: “Some go into reflection and they have flashbacks. However, they are learning to cope,” he concludes.
It was with similar compassion that The Jamaica National Group, through its JN Foundation, responded to the urgent needs of the wards of the Walker’s Place of Safety, going immediately to social media to raise funds to replace the furniture and equipment which were destroyed by the fire.
“In February, after taking stock of the ongoing needs, we created a public appeal via JN Foundation’s social media platforms and several persons, many of them employees, responded,” explained Zola Hinds, JN Foundation project officer, who coordinated the relief efforts. 
Through the JN Group Human Resources and Development department, a list of needed items was created, and the funds raised via social media from the public and employees, were used to purchase those items, including: a four-burner gas stove, refrigerator, pots, three double beds and sheets.  
“It’s a big relief!” a pleased Mr Anderson exclaimed. “The children, and the home in particular, will use these donations as best as we can,” he said, noting that the home was in need of additional items to make living more comfortable for the 00 number of children they are now nurturing.
“On behalf of the JN Group’s staff and members, we were happy that we could assist,” said Onyka Barrett, acting general manager of the JN Foundation, as she, along with several JN Group employees, presented the items to the home, recently.
“It is a tragedy when children lose their home in that way, therefore, we are happy that JN members, employees and others have responded so generously to that call,” Miss Barrett stated.

Gareth Manning | JN Bank | Corporate Communications

Saffrey Brown was not yet a teenager when she was thrust into advocacy and volunteerism while living in Trinidad and Tobago.

“The first time I protested, I was eight years old. My mother had me outside this old historical structure called the George Brown House, and my placard read: ‘Honk your horn if you want to save this house.’ Every day, after school, I would be out there protesting and we did save that house,” she chuckled.

The George Brown House was the centre of controversy in Trinidad and Tobago when plans were made for its demolition in 1985 to make way for a new office complex. This led to the ‘George Brown Uprising’, and, as a result of public outcry, the house was saved and subsequently restored.

For Brown, the campaign sparked a passion, which influenced her to dedicate her career to advocacy and assisting the disenfranchised. She also indicated that her ambition was further cemented at age 15 when her community in St Ann, Trinidad and Tobago, was flooded, resulting in the death of a few people.

“I remember spending weeks teaching community members about the dangers of living on the embankment of rivers. I was studying geography at the CXC level, and wanted to educate them about flood-prone areas. That was where my independent volunteerism started,” the former general manager of JN Foundation related.

Therefore, after graduating from The University of the West Indies, Mona, Brown sought to immerse herself in development work. She landed a job at Kingston Restoration Company (KRC), where she worked on remedial educational projects for children living in the inner city of Southside; and the Urban Renewal Trust Fund provided a grant to assist people living in those communities.

She also championed Tools for Development, a project led by KRC, in collaboration with the then Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) and the Gleaner Company Limited, which sought to put tools and equipment into the hands of inner-city entrepreneurs.

“It was a great project. But I felt that professionally, things were moving too quickly, and that I needed a foundation of learning and experience. Therefore, I left Jamaica to live in England and worked there for a few years,” she said.

While working in England, Brown discovered the social enterprise model, and worked on several projects in that context. However, she became disenchanted.

“I found that I was not passionate about the people I was serving and I was becoming slightly resentful about the amount of money that was available for development in London. I thought about what we could accomplish if we had those sums of money back in the West Indies. While I acquired technical knowledge, the passion was beginning to fade, and I knew that it was time to leave, so I moved back to Jamaica,” she related.

On her return, Brown was invited by Earl Jarrett, then managing director of JNBS to work on an inner-city project in which she designed the first JN Source Centre in August Town.

She was later appointed general manager of JN Foundation and for the next decade spearheaded and introduced a series of projects which impacted the lives of many Jamaicans, particularly young people, in communities across the country.

These projects included: the JN Resolution Project, in which high school students in rural Jamaica were introduced to photography and the opportunity that it presented them to address issues affecting their communities; the Financial Literacy Project – Be Wi$e, and the Social Enterprise Boost Initiative (SEBI), among others.

For Brown, the jewel of all those projects was the creation of the Social Enterprise Model through The Source and SEBI. “Being the architect of the social enterprise movement in Jamaica is something that I’m extremely proud about,” she said.

“The fact that so many agencies and organisations are now using this social enterprise model is testament to the fact that it is a viable tool for development. Consequently, it is now included in the MSME Policy of Entrepreneurship, and the Planning Institute of Jamaica uses it for its interventions. It is now being adopted on a national scale,” she revealed. “I’m immensely proud of the fact that it all started with The Source in August Town.”

Brown credits the success of her work at JN Foundation to Jarrett, chief executive officer of the Jamaica National Group, who is her mentor.

“I have had an amazing 10 years working with Mr Jarrett, who was the chairman of the JN Foundation and my mentor. Having him and his vision in close proximity to the work I was doing, was a boost. It allowed me to see possibilities. His support when I attempted to implement things slightly out of the box and knowing that I had his support to go out there and test things, allowed me to be courageous,” she related.

Brown also credited the members of the JN Foundation board, over the decade, who supported her. “I didn’t have to constantly prove myself, and they were willing to drive development from within, as well as, the team members at the JN Foundation, who were very supportive.”

The daughter of the late Jamaica Observer columnist, renowned poet and fiction writer Wayne Brown said that her parents’ upbringing was another factor which encouraged her to strive for excellence.

“I come from a family of whom I’m proud. They are a family who added value to society. They are not just extractors, they give back, and are like the ‘bread and butter’ of Caribbean folk. Being part of that family legacy is something of which I’m very proud,” she said.

The mother of two boys — five and seven years old — said that managing her workload and maintaining a family life would not have been possible without the support of her partner.

“I have an amazing partner, who is an extremely supportive father. JN provides a balanced work life, so there is flexibility,” she said, pointing out that having a family forces her to work efficiently.

As Brown leaves the JN Foundation to establish her own business and become a social entrepreneur, she has words of encouragement for women, urging them not to limit themselves, but to be proud of who they are and pursue what they want to do.

“Don’t apologise for wanting to do great things. Don’t ask fewer questions. Don’t be silent, and don’t lower your voice. Be unapologetic about who you are, acknowledge the mistakes that you made, but also be clear about who you are and what you stand for,” she said, adding that women need to “surround themselves with the right people, focus on doing work they are proud of and ensure that they are always being challenged professionally”.

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For a recent graduate fresh out of university and in his or her first job, a credit card can be a a helpful financial tool, but only if used wisely and responsibly.
As Rose Miller, grants manager at the JN Foundation, and head of the JN BeWi$e financial empowerment programme advises, the key is to make consistent, on-time payments and avoid accumulated interest. That, she explains, boosts one’s credit rating.

“A credit card is an unsecured loan, which uses plastic. You can spend sums up to a pre-set credit limit, which might be a few, or several thousand dollars. It depends on how confident your card provider is that you’ll pay it back,” she explains.

She advises that the key to avoiding interest payments is to pay the full balance, on time, each billing cycle.

“Resist the temptation to spend more than you can pay for any given month, and you’ll enjoy the benefits of using a credit card without acquiring interest charges,” she says.

She also advises that credit cards should be used for “needs” and not “wants” and warns that, “Frivolous purchases can lead to unnecessary debt. It is also not a good idea to take cash advances against your credit card”.

“Credit cards should be used to cover normal expenses for which you have budgeted, as well as in emergency situations, such as illness or for car parts, if your vehicle unexpectedly breaks down. However, your aim should be to repay the amount as soon as you can, to decrease or avoid interest charges altogether,” Miller says.

She adds that card holders should never skip a payment.

“Pay your bill in full, on time every month. If that is not possible, rather than skipping, make the minimum payment if that is all you can afford. Missing a payment could result in a late fee, penalty interest rates and ultimately impact negatively on your credit rating,” she says.

To achieve maximum benefit from a credit card facility, she advises that in addition to avoiding interest payments, one should take advantage of the rewards offered such as discounts on purchases, including hotel and travel, food and drinks, beauty and spa, fashion as well as home-and-garden supplies.

Another aspect of responsible credit card use which she addresses is protection from credit card fraud.

“While there is no foolproof way to prevent all instances of credit card fraud and theft, understanding and adopting a few best practices can help to reduce your risk,” she points out.

She notes that one way to reduce risk is to use a card that offers additional security.

“There are credit cards available with an EMV chip which provides an additional layer of security. It’s more secure, because you cannot copy the chip. Each time the card is used for payment, the card chip creates a unique transaction code that cannot be used again,” she says.

Miller also advises that people should be generally wary of requests for personal card information, regardless of the source.

“Independently verify the legitimacy of those persons requesting your credit card number,” she counsels.

Twelve social enterprises are about to receive another tranche of support from the Social Enterprise Boost Initiative (SEBI), through the Accelerator Programme.
Opal Whyte, project manager of SEBI, said the 12 social enterprises are bringing innovation to a range of sectors from marketing, waste management, eco-tourism and education and will be exposed to capacity building, improved governance, leadership, mentorship, business linkages and partnerships.
“This is an exciting phase in which we intend to prepare them to become more efficient and responsive leaders resulting in baseline revenue growth of at least 40 per cent and greater social impact,” said Ms. Whyte.
She explained that the Accelerator Phase will build on the lessons learned in the incubator programme and focus heavily on long term sustainability of their businesses.
“SEBI’s objective in this phase is to assist the social enterprises in thinking more strategically and setting bigger goals and targets. The tools provided in the Accelerator Programme will enable them to ‘think big’, build partnerships and create networks and take the participants well beyond the $88 million generated in revenue by SEBI’s phase two incubator members,” she informed.
The Accelerator Phase commenced on Friday, March 23 with the “SEBI Power Up! Series  at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston. Presentations were delivered on leadership development, personal effectiveness and leveraging social networks.
Don Anderson, chief executive officer of Market Research Services who already conducted seminal research into Jamaica’s social enterprise sector, shared with the participants that “The Next Great Leader Has Already Been Born” and may very well be sitting amongst them.
Mr. Anderson shared from his life experience, his entre into market research; political polling and sports leadership; provided tools and strategies on navigating an emerging sector and creating a viable niche.
The participants in the programme were selected following a call for applications in February, and they included: Livewire Act, Avant Academy of Music, Eco-Farms, Inzzpire JA, Bresheh and UCA Marketing. They join SEBI social enterprises: Deaf Can! Coffee, 360 Recycle, Bunkers Hill Cultural Xperience, Link Your Purpose, EducaTours JA and Bartley’s All In Wood.
The Social Enterprise Boost Initiative seeks to address social and environmental challenges in Jamaica through enterprise development. It is a joint JN Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development project.

Dionne Rose l JN Corporate Communications

JN Foundation is teaming up with two multinational organisations to have Jamaicans install low-flush toilets as a means of saving water to improve the country’s resilience to climate change events.

Water adaptation expert and project manager for the Water Project Dr Kwame Emmanuel explained that more than 70 per cent of the water used by a typical Jamaican household is for bathroom activities. Some 32 per cent is used at the bathroom sink and in the shower, while 40 per cent goes to flushing toilets.

He said further that low-flush toilets have a flow rate of less than or equal to 1.28 gallons per flush, while the standard toilets range from approximately 1.6 to 4.5 gallons per flush.

“If we really want to make a difference we need to look at our toilets and what we are doing in our bathrooms,” he told the Rotary Club of Trafalgar New Heights in a recent presentation in keeping with Rotary’s recognition of March as Water and Sanitation Month.

The Water Project is being implemented by the Jamaica National Group with funding from the Climate Investment Funds through its Pilot Program for Climate Resilience and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), through the Multilateral Investment Fund.

The project will feature education programmes, loans to housing developers and householders from JN Bank for the installation of water adaptation devices in households, climate change adaptation support, and positive behaviour changes in household water management.

Dr Emmanuel, who is also an associate lecturer in water resources management at The University of the West Indies, Mona, said the project will facilitate the take up of a range of devices, which include showerheads and toilets; aerators and washing machines; as well as rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling.

“By doing that we hope to enhance water security and increase the climate- resilient housing stock in Jamaica,” he said.

He continued: “By doing that we won’t only protect ourselves from too little water, but too much water,” noting that the effects of climate change have not only resulted in extreme drought, but an increase in excessive flooding. Jamaica and the wider Caribbean region has been experiencing both forms of climatic extremities with greater frequency over the past decade.

The JN Foundation project manager noted that JN’s championing of the Water Project is natural, given its investment in the housing sector and role in the development of communities.

Dr Emmanuel said education and training under the project will cater to different target groups, including engineers, planners and architects. Vocational training for the installation of rainwater-harvesting systems will be conducted through the HEART Trust/National Training Agency.

“We will also be working in collaboration with suppliers to provide the technology, and there will also be general sessions with the public about water efficiency,” Dr Emmanuel revealed.

The training will incorporate the development of a water adaptation guide for specialists and a homeowners’ guide for householders. However, beyond education and training, Dr Emmanuel said that a pilot study will be conducted to test the reduction in water consumption and savings householders will receive from the new devices.

“We will also be asking young entrepreneurs and innovators to come up with some novel ideas in terms of technologies and how we will address the water inefficiency issues in Jamaica,” he said.

The innovations will be showcased at an expo to be held in the fourth and final year of the project.

Although the Water Project does not include an advocacy component, Dr Emmanuel said that as part of the initiative, it is hoped that water efficiency standards and policies will be developed to ensure future housing stocks are built with water adaptation specifications.

“Currently there are no water efficiency standards. Therefore, while we are telling people to use this number gallons per flush and so on, there are no standards to say this is what water efficiency is about and this is what persons should implement,” he maintained.

Water conseravtion was also on the global agenda this month with the annual observance of World Water Day on March 22.

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Once listed as the poorest parish in Jamaica, a recent release of a documented story of the parish of St Mary has revealed its rich history.
Bordered by St Ann to the west, Portland to the east, and St Catherine and St Andrew to the south, St Mary boasts rich architecture of buildings that were built across its 610.44 square kilometres. Among these edifices are the Annotto Bay Baptist Church, the first Baptist Church to be constructed in St Mary in 1824, which is still standing.
According to the Parish Histories of Jamaica website, the church was among those destroyed by supporters of the Colonial Church Union during the Sam Sharpe uprising for freedom known as the Christmas Rebellion of 1831.
However, the church, which stands on the seaward side of the main road leading from Annotto Bay to Port Antonio, was rebuilt in 1835 with funds collected by William Knibb and Thomas Buxton, who were renowned abolitionists.
The building was designed in a single rectangular format with a pitch roof. The classical architecture of the doors and windows include pilasters and architraves and surrounds were executed in plaster, in which decorative motifs were mounted.
But for Rev Oral Campbell, pastor of the Emmanuel Baptist Church, the jewel among them is the Emmanuel Baptist Church, which was erected in 1828, ten years before emancipation. Located in Port Maria, it was the second Baptist Church to be established in St Mary, and this year, will celebrate its 190th anniversary.
“The historical significance of the Emmanuel Baptist Church is the fact that it was founded in a time to assist the slaves when Baptist missionaries came to Jamaica to carry out missionary work among them,” he said.
He said that over the decades, the church evolved to address the social needs of community members by building an educational centre and basic school to serve a population of some 60 students. The foundation of the education centre was laid by former Pastor and Editor-in-chief of The Gleaner the Rev Dr Dudley Stokes, who served as pastor from 1967 to 1974.
“The community embraces the value of the church because of the social ministries that it carries out and the lives of the persons whom we touch and impact,” the pastor said.
But for 79-year-old Ralston Isaachs of Preston Hill, the Georgian architecture structures of the buildings in St Mary such as the Port Maria Courthouse are the most outstanding features of the parish.

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The JN Foundation, in collaboration with the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) and international motor sports foundation, the FIA Foundation, will be implementing a project that will make the areas around Jamaican schools safer.

The project, X Marks the Spot – School Crosswalk Safety Campaign, will be rolled out over the next three months and will entail improving the zones around selected schools so as to make them safer.

Onyka Barrett Scott, partnership and development manager at the JN Foundation, said: “This is a pilot project and the intention is to work with at least two schools where we can do some very tangible and impactful improvements to the road environment in the immediate vicinity. It is important to us that our children feel we are collectively doing our best to keep them safe when using the roadways,” she informed.

The improvements will include upgrading of the infrastructure around the schools to make them safer for children to commute and will entail the erection of signage for bus lay-bys, pedestrian gates, widening and paving of sidewalks.

In preparation for the implementation of the project, a three-day workshop was held from February 5-8 at the Road Safety Hub on Elleston Road in Kingston with the key partners that make up the project committee.

Amend, a non-governmental organisation which develops, implements and evaluates evidence-based programmes to reduce the incidence of road traffic injury in Africa, and the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP), the umbrella programme for Road Assess-ment Programmes worldwide, conducted the training.

“The objective of the workshop was to guide our steering committee, and other key partners who will be assisting the JN Foundation to implement the project, on the various technicalities involved. The workshop assisted us in identifying the risk factors to be considered, site selection and identifying a menu of options in terms of infrastructural improvements,” she explained.

Simon Kalolo, senior project officer at Amend, said their experiences and methodologies in delivering safe schools in Africa were shared in the workshop.

“Our approach in successfully implementing safe schools projects in Africa was shared at the workshop so that the stakeholders can have the technical capacity to replicate and use our methodology, our tools and approach in improving safe schools in Kingston and the rest of Jamaica,” he said.

Representatives of the National Works Agency, the Road Safety Unit, Mona Geoinformatics, the Ministry of Education, the National Road Safety Council, and Jamaica Constabulary Force participated in the workshop.

With Christmas now behind Jamaicans, better financial management is one of the resolutions that many have made for 2018 to improve their financial status.

However, managing one’s financial affairs must start with the most basic financial tool – a budget – maintains Rose Miller, grants manager at the JN Foundation, who also leads the organisation’s financial empowerment programme.

Creating a budget, in itself, is also a process, she advises; therefore, crafting one must be a thoughtful exercise. She recommends the following:

Understand Your Finances

“Identify all the sources from which you earn your income. Many persons believe that their salary is their only source of income, although they also have passive income.”

Miller says that all wages, dividends, rental income, remittances, interest payments, and other earnings received are regarded as income and should be treated as such.

Keeping track of one’s money is also critical to understanding one’s finances she says.

“Everyone should maintain a record of all the money they receive and spend over a given period,” Miller underscores, “as it helps to determine the total sum received during a given period, not only from salary; but, also from other sources of income they may receive.”

She says this is especially important during the initial stages of creating one’s budget, as it will confirm exactly how much one is earning; and how much is being spent and on what.

In order to properly track spending, storing receipts relating to purchases is important, she says.

“Keeping your receipts help you to track all of your purchases and payments including: utility bills, grocery receipts, credit card and other loan payments. That process allows you to have a clear idea of all the expenses you cover over a particular period; and highlights any outstanding payments you may have,” she explains.

She notes that people may choose to store the physical receipts or scan and store them digitally.

Identify Your Needs Vs Wants

In order to design a successful budget, one needs to differentiate between needs and wants, Miller advises, and one should plan to take care of needs before wants.

“Design your budget in such a manner that your needs become your priority. Take care of basic services and items, such as utilities, basic food items and transportation, before purchasing non-essential items,” she points out.

Identify Unnecessary Expenditures

During the budgeting process, one must ensure that expenditure never exceeds income, Miller advises.

To mitigate this, she encourages persons to add their monthly income and tally their monthly expenditure and then subtract total expenditures from total income. If there is a negative balance, then it means that one’s expenses are more than one’s income; and one will need to eliminate or reduce some expenditures. “However, if there is a surplus, then, clearly, they are one the right track,” Miller maintains.

Identify Ways To Improve Your Income

Miller points out that there are ways to supplement one’s income. Some means could include getting a better paying job; using your skills or a hobby to earn; or obtain a part-time job.

Save

The JN Foundation financial literacy expert notes that savings must form an integral part of one’s budget.

She encourages everyone to develop the habit of saving a minimum of 10 per cent of their income, by treating it as part of their expenditure. It’s a good idea to try and live on a portion of your income. So don’t seek to spend all that you earn.

“Saving isn’t easy for some persons; however, no matter how small your current income is, if you plan a budget and manage it wisely, you can indeed save and from this saving, invest and begin your journey to financial freedom,” she says.With Christmas now behind Jamaicans, better financial management is one of the resolutions that many have made for 2018 to improve their financial status.

However, managing one’s financial affairs must start with the most basic financial tool – a budget – maintains Rose Miller, grants manager at the JN Foundation, who also leads the organisation’s financial empowerment programme.

Creating a budget, in itself, is also a process, she advises; therefore, crafting one must be a thoughtful exercise. She recommends the following:

Understand Your Finances

“Identify all the sources from which you earn your income. Many persons believe that their salary is their only source of income, although they also have passive income.”

Miller says that all wages, dividends, rental income, remittances, interest payments, and other earnings received are regarded as income and should be treated as such.

Keeping track of one’s money is also critical to understanding one’s finances she says.

“Everyone should maintain a record of all the money they receive and spend over a given period,” Miller underscores, “as it helps to determine the total sum received during a given period, not only from salary; but, also from other sources of income they may receive.”

She says this is especially important during the initial stages of creating one’s budget, as it will confirm exactly how much one is earning; and how much is being spent and on what.

In order to properly track spending, storing receipts relating to purchases is important, she says.

“Keeping your receipts help you to track all of your purchases and payments including: utility bills, grocery receipts, credit card and other loan payments. That process allows you to have a clear idea of all the expenses you cover over a particular period; and highlights any outstanding payments you may have,” she explains.

She notes that people may choose to store the physical receipts or scan and store them digitally.

Identify Your Needs Vs Wants

In order to design a successful budget, one needs to differentiate between needs and wants, Miller advises, and one should plan to take care of needs before wants.

“Design your budget in such a manner that your needs become your priority. Take care of basic services and items, such as utilities, basic food items and transportation, before purchasing non-essential items,” she points out.

Identify Unnecessary Expenditures

During the budgeting process, one must ensure that expenditure never exceeds income, Miller advises.

To mitigate this, she encourages persons to add their monthly income and tally their monthly expenditure and then subtract total expenditures from total income. If there is a negative balance, then it means that one’s expenses are more than one’s income; and one will need to eliminate or reduce some expenditures. “However, if there is a surplus, then, clearly, they are one the right track,” Miller maintains.

Identify Ways To Improve Your Income

Miller points out that there are ways to supplement one’s income. Some means could include getting a better paying job; using your skills or a hobby to earn; or obtain a part-time job.

Save

The JN Foundation financial literacy expert notes that savings must form an integral part of one’s budget.

She encourages everyone to develop the habit of saving a minimum of 10 per cent of their income, by treating it as part of their expenditure. It’s a good idea to try and live on a portion of your income. So don’t seek to spend all that you earn.

“Saving isn’t easy for some persons; however, no matter how small your current income is, if you plan a budget and manage it wisely, you can indeed save and from this saving, invest and begin your journey to financial freedom,” she says.

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Of all the gifts that Leighton Whyte received for special occasions as a child from his father and found to be the most meaningful was a savings passbook.

He was then a 12-year-old student, already in third form at Calabar High, having passed the Common Entrance Examination at nine years old. He said that nothing could have compared to the pride he had, knowing that he owned a savings account at the Jamaica National Building Society, now JN Bank.

“Having my own passbook gave me a sense of accomplishment and motivated me to save,” Whyte, the acting senior project manager at the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) related. “I recall always looking forward to going to the JN branch in New Kingston with my parents, especially during the holidays, to lodge the savings that I had accumulated at home.”

Whyte’s father, Luther, a plumbing contractor, explained that he opened a savings account for both of his sons so that they could learn to make responsible financial decisions and to cultivate the habit of saving.

“I believe in education and giving children an early start to set the foundation for their development,” Luther Whyte pointed out. “When I was a youngster, my father would encourage me to save from my lunch money, but I never got a passbook,” he added.

In addition to saving from his lunch money, Leighton supplemented his savings with income received from his parents for regular household chores, such as washing the car, sweeping the yard and cutting the hedge. Later, when he enrolled in a two-year construction technology programme at the EXED Community College, he was able to earn additional income from architectural drawings done for family and friends.

He matriculated to the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech), studying construction technology and architecture, and excelled academically. He also gained employment at Marvin Goodman and Associates, as an architectural intern, while still a student. Following the completion of his studies, he was employed by the same architectural firm. With the habit of saving now firmly entrenched, Leighton established a standing order at work to facilitate automatic withdrawal of his savings, which was sent directly to his account at the building society.

By the time he was 24, Leighton had accumulated enough money to purchase his first car, a gleaming 2003 Toyota Altezza.

“That was another great achievement, knowing that it was all possible as a result of a saving habit that was inculcated in me as a child.”

Today, Leighton still embraces the good money-management principles he practised as a youngster.

“I still have a standing order arrangement for funds from my salary to go into my savings account each month. It is always good to save because it provides financial stability during an emergency, and it comes in handy when you need to make a purchase. I do not own a credit card, because I prefer to save towards whatever I want to acquire,” he said.

Rose Miller, grants manager and leader of the Financial Empowerment programme at the JN Foundation, pointed out that parents should endeavour to encourage their children to save.

“One is never too young to save. Good habits should be introduced to children from an early age and the discipline to save should be one of them,” she emphasised.

Miller pointed out that JN Bank encourages young people to develop the habit of thrift by facilitating a vibrant JN School Savers’ Programme since 2001. The programme is currently in more than 180 primary and high schools in every parish across the island.

Saving is a priority
Rose Miller, grants manager and leader of the Financial Empowerment programme at the JN Foundation, is encouraging everyone to make saving a priority and to establish an amount to be saved monthly. By doing so, saving will be a welcomed task.

“Instead of making ad hoc allocations to your account, determine an amount to save each month and include this amount as part of your monthly expense in your budget. It is recommended that at least 10 per cent of (one’s) income is saved every month,” she advised.

“To ensure that your savings plan stays on target, and that you are not tempted to overlook your monthly savings, you need to work out the simplest way to get money into your account every month. An automatic deduction from your salary, sent directly to your bank account, is highly recommended. A disciplined approach is fundamental in your quest to achieve your financial goals,” he said.

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The Social Enterprise Boost Initiative (SEBI), a project of the JN Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has issued a call for applications from social enterprises and social entrepreneurs, to participate in its new eight-month Accelerator Programme.

Saffrey Brown, general manager of JN Foundation, said that the project, jointly funded by the JN Foundation and USAID, has moved to another phase in which established entrepreneurs will be targeted to further enhance their social businesses.

“SEBI has received an additional 12-month extension from the USAID to continue to support high-impact social enterprises which are poised to upscale their operations, improve governance and leadership, build business, linkages and partnerships, as well as explore new business opportunities,” Brown said.

“During the next eight months, SEBI will build on the solid foundation of these social enterprises and strengthen the capacity of approximately 12 social enterprises and entrepreneurs across the country to position them to make greater social impact,” she said.

Brown explained that social enterprises or entrepreneurs who have been trading for at least 12 months, have products or services that are already on the market, and are poised to expand may apply.

Interested persons are invited to visit the SEBI website at: www.sebijm.com where they can complete and submit the application form. The deadline for applications is Monday, February 5, 2018.

For the past five years, SEBI, through the JN Foundation and USAID, has mobilised investment, enterprise development, employment, and revenue, particularly in underserved communities across the country.

SEBI has trained managers and employees to achieve efficiency and growth in their social enterprises by improving their core business competences including management and marketing skills.

To date, some 24 social enterprises have benefited directly from SEBI, either through training or participating in its incubator.

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