Uncategorized

Four years ago, 23 year-old Fabian Jackson was uncertain about his future. The young Deaf man struggled with discrimination and barriers, which became more distinct when he entered the workforce.
This treatment of exclusion was not unique to him, as many persons in the deaf community, or persons with a disability, are faced with similar challenges, daily.
However, Jackson was shown a world of possibilities, when a friend invited him to be part of Deaf Can! Coffee, a social enterprise, which specializes in the brewing of coffee and employs people from the Deaf community. That invitation was just the beginning for Jackson.
“Often time, others look down on us, and they tell us we can’t; but, after my exposure to training and learning barista skills from my friend, Carlyle Gabbidon, I started believing that I could; and that all happened through the inspiration of Everlin Clarke, a Deaf coffee farmer in Top Hill, St Elizabeth, who taught us how to grow and roast coffee,” he said.
Jackson said that Clarke, who passed away last year, showed him and the rest of his team members that Deaf people can; and this encouraged him to want to be like him. He said that during the training he became excited about coffee and the technique to brew it.
“I started believing that I could also develop myself too, that I could step out into the world, and face the challenges, and that I can serve customers,” he related.
That attitude boosted his self-confidence; and he was promoted to be one of the managers at Deaf Can! Coffee. “I’m proof that Deaf persons can do anything,” he pointed out.
Blake Widmer, co-founder of Deaf Can! Coffee, said Jackson is one of more than 15 persons employed full-time at Deaf Can! Coffee. The social enterprise, which was established in 2015 has been doing well, with 12 outlets in Kingston & St Andrew, St Catherine, St Elizabeth and St James.
However, Widmer accredited the success of Deaf Can! Coffee to the JN Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), based on the Social Enterprise Boost Initiative (SEBI), a six-year project, which ended last year.
“We look back four years ago, and assess how we have grown, and we grew through partnerships,” he informed. “Today, we celebrate that growth through partnership with the JN Foundation.”
Jackson informed that through SEBI, Deaf Can! Coffee was able to access grants to source equipment for their training centre; provided with networking opportunities, which allowed them to build awareness about their products and services; and marketing strategies, among other areas.
“When SEBI invited us to join the programme, we had no idea that we were going to become a social enterprise. Through SEBI, we learnt advocacy skills; and were provided with a platform to promote our message that, Deaf people can be productive,” he explained. “The opportunity to be in the JN programme really helped us to grow.”
Widmer said this growth was seen in the number of jobs created, where the enterprise moved from two employees to 13 after exiting the SEBI programme. Four more persons were recently added to the team. Revenues also moved from J$ 3 million to J$14 million in sales after participating in SEBI.
Onyka Barrett Scott, general manager of the JN Foundation, said she was happy that the JN Foundation, through SEBI, was able to contribute to the establishment of Deaf Can! Coffee, which is now creating employment for a set of young people, who would have been overlooked.
“At the JN Foundation, our vision is that Jamaicans, wherever they may be, are able to achieve their full potential. Our work with Deaf Can! Coffee demonstrates that we believe in inclusiveness; and that all Jamaicans not only have access to the right resources to fulfil their true potential, but also the skills they need to take hold of that access,” she maintains.

 Dionne Rose l JN Corporate Communications

Following the improvements to the school zones’ infrastructure at Hazard Primary School in Clarendon, under the JN Foundation and UNICEF X-Marks the Spot Crosswalk Road Safety Campaign, the school is reporting an uptick in its registration.
Sonia Thomas, vice principal at Hazard Primary School, said that not only do children have a safer commute to the school, but more parents perceive the school as the first choice for their children.
“We have been getting calls from community members and outsiders. Many persons would come to us and say, ‘you know we never know that there was a school up there.’ The landscaping has caught everyone’s attention, and we are getting commendations, but not only that, the registration has gone up,” Miss Thomas related.
“Registration began on May 1, and we are almost full,” she explained, pointing out that, “Prior to the rehabilitation, prospective parents would send their children to other schools, which are actually further away from their homes.
Hazard Primary School was the first of 18 schools to be upgraded under the X-Marks the Spot Crosswalk Road Campaign. The educational institution benefitted from the erection of: signage for bus lay-bys, pedestrian gates, the widening and paving of the sidewalks.
Onyka Barrett Scott, general manager of JN Foundation, said the work at Hazard Primary School represents an overall comprehensive programme, which will be rolled out in selected schools across the country.
“The overall goal of this initiative is to improve the safety of children at school, increase road user awareness; and improve the mechanisms to provide safe routes to school for child pedestrians,” she noted.
Ms Thomas stated that given the vast improvement to the safety of the school, the school administration will be lobbying for a name change to the institution, as the existing name implies danger.
“Because of JN Foundation, we can rest assured that children are secure, safer, [and] their self-esteem and self-image have risen, as they are learning in a safer holistic condition and their performances have improved,” she said with pride.
“JN Foundation has not only lifted the image of the institution, but also the spirit of the teachers and the community,” she added.
The X Marks the Spot Road Safety Campaign is a collaborative effort between the JN Foundation; the United Nations Children’s Fund and the Abertis Foundation; and its objectives are in line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The overall global goals of the Child Road Traffic Injuries Prevention Programme, is to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals targets 3.6 and 11.2, to protect children from death and injury on the roads; and provide a safe journey to and from school for every child.

Contact: Dionne Rose l JN Corporate Communications

The Jonathan Grant High School and Spanish Town Primary and Infant Schools in St Catherine, will benefit from structural and aesthetic improvements on Labour Day, March 23. The work will be spearheaded by the JN Foundation in collaboration with other companies and organisations in The Jamaica National Group.
Onyka Barrett Scott, general manager of JN Foundation, said that work at these schools will include the painting of pedestrian crossings and curb walls; drain cleaning, de-bushing and beautification of sidewalk areas.
“These schools were selected in line with the national programme, which will focus on child road safety, under the theme “Child Safety… it’s you, it’s me, it’s all ah we,” she said.
Mrs Barrett Scott explained that work at Jonathan Grant High School will continue after Labour Day, under the on-going “X-Marks the Spot,” School Crosswalk Safety Campaign, which is being spearheaded by the JN Foundation in collaboration with the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) Jamaica; FIA and the Abertis Foundation.
The improvement activities, will include upgrading of the schools infrastructure; the erection of signage for bus lay-bys; pedestrians gates; as well as, the widening and paving of sidewalks.
The JN Foundation and UNICEF will also partner with the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport in its Labour Day activities at three educational institutions: Papine High School in St Andrew; Holland Primary School in St Elizabeth; and Fair Prospect Primary in Portland.
Papine High School will benefit from the installation of signs; installation of concrete seats in designated areas; painted pedestrian crosswalks and curb walls; as well as, a chain link fence.
At Holland  and Fair Prospect Primary Schools, employees of the JN Group locations within the parishes of St. Elizabeth and Portland respectively; along with representatives of the JN Bank Member Advisory Councils and Act!on Jamaica volunteers, will paint pedestrian crossings and curb walls; install signs and carry out general beautification of the school’s property.

Denham Town Primary on Spanish Town Road which is one of eighteen schools that will receive improvement activities under the X Marks the Spot project within the next three years, was selected by Urban Development Corporation (UDC) as their Corporate Labour Day project. With support from the JN Foundation, they will be executing remedial work at the school in keeping with the national theme.

Mrs Barrett Scott said that the JN Foundation welcomed the opportunity to partner with the government and its agency on Labour Day; and commended the elevation of road safety onto the national platform.
She noted that, over the past decade, some 70,000 traffic crashes have occurred within 100 metres of school zones across the country. As a result, some 120 children lost their lives from these crashes, within the past five years; and a significant number of youngsters have suffered from life-changing injuries.
-30-
Contact: Dionne Rose l JN Corporate CommunicationsThe Jonathan Grant High School and Spanish Town Primary and Infant Schools in St Catherine, will benefit from structural and aesthetic improvements on Labour Day, March 23. The work will be spearheaded by the JN Foundation in collaboration with other companies and organisations in The Jamaica National Group.

Onyka Barrett Scott, general manager of JN Foundation, said that work at these schools will include the painting of pedestrian crossings and curb walls; drain cleaning, de-bushing and beautification of sidewalk areas.
“These schools were selected in line with the national programme, which will focus on child road safety, under the theme “Child Safety… it’s you, it’s me, it’s all ah we,” she said.
Mrs Barrett Scott explained that work at Jonathan Grant High School will continue after Labour Day, under the on-going “X-Marks the Spot,” School Crosswalk Safety Campaign, which is being spearheaded by the JN Foundation in collaboration with the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) Jamaica; FIA and the Abertis Foundation.
The improvement activities, will include upgrading of the schools infrastructure; the erection of signage for bus lay-bys; pedestrians gates; as well as, the widening and paving of sidewalks.
The JN Foundation and UNICEF will also partner with the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport in its Labour Day activities at three educational institutions: Papine High School in St Andrew; Holland Primary School in St Elizabeth; and Fair Prospect Primary in Portland.
Papine High School will benefit from the installation of signs; installation of concrete seats in designated areas; painted pedestrian crosswalks and curb walls; as well as, a chain link fence.
At Holland  and Fair Prospect Primary Schools, employees of the JN Group locations within the parishes of St. Elizabeth and Portland respectively; along with representatives of the JN Bank Member Advisory Councils and Act!on Jamaica volunteers, will paint pedestrian crossings and curb walls; install signs and carry out general beautification of the school’s property.

Denham Town Primary on Spanish Town Road which is one of eighteen schools that will receive improvement activities under the X Marks the Spot project within the next three years, was selected by Urban Development Corporation (UDC) as their Corporate Labour Day project. With support from the JN Foundation, they will be executing remedial work at the school in keeping with the national theme.

Mrs Barrett Scott said that the JN Foundation welcomed the opportunity to partner with the government and its agency on Labour Day; and commended the elevation of road safety onto the national platform.
She noted that, over the past decade, some 70,000 traffic crashes have occurred within 100 metres of school zones across the country. As a result, some 120 children lost their lives from these crashes, within the past five years; and a significant number of youngsters have suffered from life-changing injuries.

 Dionne Rose l JN Corporate Communications

Nine year-old Daniel Rose has been volunteering since he was five years-old. Therefore,  when he joined hundreds of volunteers at Papine High School, at one of the national projects on Labour Day, it was a delight for the St. Anne’s Primary School student.
“I enjoy joining my father this morning,” he said, as he painted the pedestrian crossing on Gordon Town main road, chains away from the Papine High School in St. Andrew. “It feels good to help out,” he added.
Jahmar Rose, records clerk, JN Bank and father of Daniel, was one of the JN Act!on volunteers who turned out at Papine High School. Rose has been working with the JN Act!on volunteers for the past 12 years.
His activities vary from Labour Day projects to International Coastal Clean-up Day; and to the numerous projects in which the JN Foundation, the corporate  philanthropic social arm of the Jamaica National Group, becomes involved.
“I like to be in a position to help other persons who are less fortunate than me,” he said.
Rose related that volunteerism brings joy to him; as it allows himhim  not only to render valuable assistance but also to “network,” and meet persons from different walks of life.
For Yasheka James, member care representative at JN Bank, who spent some five hours painting and gardening at Papine High School, the day was fulfilling.
“Voluntary work is always good for me,” she said, pointing out that, “Whenever I go out there and assist in any way or form, it feels good; and to come out here as a team, it’s wonderful.”
Richard Maise, board chairman at Papine High School, stated that community members appreciate that the school was selected as one of the national projects; and, this was a gift for the school’s 60th Anniversary.
“We are pleased that this is happening; and the good things that are attached to it, because the school is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year,” he said. “Therefore, it is wonderful that we are upgrading the facility.”
He also noted that the theme for Labour Day, “Child Safety…it’s me, it’s you, it’s all ah we,” was a fitting theme, as it encourages safer conditions for students, to and from school.
The school serves the communities of Landlease, Highlights View, Maryland and   St. Peters, Tavern, Kintyre, Tavern, August Town, Highlight View and Mona Commons, among other communities.
Onyka Barrett Scott, general manager of the JN Foundation, said that the elevation of road safety at the national level was commendable; and pointed to data, which showed that some 120 children lost their lives and a significant number of youngsters have suffered life-changing injuries arising  from 70,000 crashes, within the past five years;  . and a significant number of youngsters have suffered life-changing injuries.
“This is entirely preventable. It is preventable through behavior change and carrying out infrastructural upgrading. Over the next three years,  JN Foundation we are in partnership with UNICEF,  to will upgrade some 18 schools across the country,” she said.
Mrs Barrett Scott was referencing the X-Marks the Spot School Crosswalks Campaign, which aims to encourage advocacy and discussions about road safety overall; and, specifically, the safe passage of children to and from school. The  campaign will also  implement infrasctural changes in the vicinity to these schools to improve road safety.
The Campaign is being implemented in collaboration with UNICEF Jamaica and the Abertis Foundation.

Contact: Dionne Rose l JN Corporate Communications

On Wednesday, April 17, the Water Project Jamaica joined key stakeholders in the Water sector at a Knowledge sharing forum hosted by Red Stripe at the Knutsford Court Hotel in Kingston. The event was hosted to heighten awareness around the importance of water in the productive sector and to emphasize the need for an integrated approach to water sustainability across industries.

Jacqueline Cameron, Project Manager for the JN Foundation implemented Water project Jamaica found the event to be quite useful for charting Water policy changes in Jamaica.

“The event was important in the sense that it captured the opinions of policy makers, leaders and organizations that have influence in the water sector to make policy changes for the country’s water sector”  She said.

“I definately believe that there are opportunities to follow up with Red Stripe in terms of getting the action points from the Knowledge sharing forum  and the many discussions and presentations. I’d also recommend that all organizations that took part in the forum be brought on board to be a part of the proposed  Management team responsible for working towards integrated Water approaches.” she added.

Throughout the day, presentations focused on the importance of every drop of water,  Jamaica and Water Resources Management, Sustaining sustainable access for Industry, good practices and lessons learnt.

Speakers included: Sen. The Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr, Minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation; Evan Cayetano, Senior Water and Sanitation Expert, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and Vernon Barnett, Vice president, Investment and Performance Monitoring for the National Water Commission among others.

The Water Project Jamaica,  is a four-year project designed to address water management issues in the urban housing sector,  primarily related to climate change. The project is a collaboration between the JN Foundation, JN Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Climate Investment Funds and the Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience.

Shanoy Coombs| Communications Officer of The Water Project

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Children’s safety is the focus of activities being organised by the Government to commemorate Labour Day this year, on Thursday, May 23.

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange, says special emphasis is being placed on instituting safeguards for children on the roads and at schools.

“It is timely, and I think we should also address… the safety of our children from predators. We cannot overlook [this] in our planning and discussions, [as to] how we will address it in a public way,” she said.

The minister was addressing members of the National Labour Day Planning Committee, during a meeting at Jamaica House on Thursday.

Grange, who chairs the committee, outlined the rationale for this year’s focus.

“We thought that the elevation of road safety onto this national community-based platform will deepen the impact of the existing public-private road safety campaign led by the National Road Safety Council; Ministry of Transport and Mining; Ministry of Education, Youth and Information; JN foundation; and UNICEF Jamaica, among others,” she said.

The minister emphasised that Workers’ Week and Labour Day “occur at a critical period for our nation’s children and vulnerable road users, as they take place during Child Month and just before Road Safety Month”.

Over the past several weeks, Committee members have been meeting to discuss activities for Labour Day, which culminates Workers’ Week beginning Sunday, May 19.

Among the other slated activities is a national thanksgiving church service, and concert. The events will be formally unveiled during a ceremony to be announced, the ministry said.

See the original article here!

The United States based publication, Atlantic Magazine, asserts that millennials are the “best-educated generation in American history,” with more than a third holding a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Nevertheless, they may become the first generation of Americans to be worse off than their parents, with lower incomes, more debt, and higher poverty rates.
To succeed, millennials will need some major preparation, especially considering that the world around them is changing constantly, the magazine posited.
While there is no local data about millennials in Jamaica to make that assumption, the general view is that persons in this age group have grown up with technology, and this has not only made life easier for them in many respects, but has also created numerous opportunities for generating wealth.
However, some millennials, such as final year student at the University of Technology, Jamaica (Utech), Jermaine Kelly, is making use of these opportunities, by defining his own destiny and carving out a niche for himself, so that he can have a secure future.
Kelly has established a taxi service, which he hopes to expand into a fleet; and, if he has his way, to branch out into trucking within the next five years. His entrepreneurship spirit however started a few years before, at age 17 when he had a “sweetie business,” while he attended high school.

“From a younger age, I was worried that I had to rely on other persons to get money. I didn’t like that, and I wanted to be independent; therefore, I decided to research opportunities from which I could benefit financially,” he related.

“I thought about selling sweets, however, I didn’t want to be walking around selling sweets at the expense of my education; hence, I engaged the vendors at my school, and asked them if they would sell the sweets for me,” he explained.
Kelly said the vendors were kind enough to assist him, and, he was able to earn a profit of $1,500 every week. He benefitted from those funds for about two years, as he was able to meet his personal financial needs and saved a good portion of that income.

The success of that business became an ember which sparked other desires for him to establish a formal business.

The Bachelors of Education student, who is majoring in electrical engineering, said that after entering university, in his second year, he went on the student work and travel summer programme in the United States of America (USA); and, he was able to accumulate enough money to cover his next year’s tuition and saved some of it.

“I saved US$2,000 in my bank account for a future business. At the time, I didn’t know what I wanted to do, because the market was changing a lot. The next year, I went back to the USA programme and was able to save US$3,000. The following year, I returned to the programme, and I doubled my savings. Over the three-year period, I was able to accumulate approximately US$11,000,” he disclosed.

He began to do his own research and investigation to determine what kind of business he could get into with the nest egg that he had accumulated.

“I said to myself, I’m in my final year of school and can’t finish school without a plan. Therefore, it was weighing on my mind. Then it occurred to me that perhaps I could go into the taxi business, because I realized that there was demand for transportation services,” he said.

He imported a car, and since then, he has been able to licence and insure the vehicle with the assistance of his girlfriend, Bobbie-Ann Campbell and is in the process of getting a driver for the vehicle.

Kelly, who is a member of the JN Group, said that his entrepreneurial spirit was nurtured by the book, The Richest Man in Babylon, a 1926 classics by George S. Clason, which dispenses financial advice through a collection of parables set 8,000 years ago in ancient Babylon. The book is still in print, almost a century after the parables were originally published and is regarded as a classic of personal financial advice.

He was also influenced by his uncle, who is a farmer in St. Catherine, where he witnessed the progression of his growth in the business and over time was able to accumulate wealth and improve his dwelling.

His father, Dave Kelly, said he has always encouraged his son whenever Jermaine discusses his business ideas with him. “I assist him in thinking them through and this allowed him to become more confident in moving forward.”
Rose Miller, grants manager at the JN Foundation, commended Kelly for his drive, vision, discipline and initiative; and said these are important traits not just for success in business but for life.

“We are in a period in time where opportunities abound. Young people should be encouraged to think outside of the box and utilize different mediums to nurture their entrepreneurial drive,” she said. “They should be ready to take advantage of these opportunities to create employment for themselves and others,” she affirmed.

Mrs Miller cautioned, however, that if millennials are to achieve financial stability and ultimately, financial independence, they must utilize the tried and tested financial tools.

She advised that “it is important to create and stick to a budget; always ensure that credit is used primarily for wealth creation; save and invest consistently and incorporate insurance in your plans as a means to create, preserve and eventually transfer wealth. Finally, believe it or not, giving back is also a part of the formula for financial success.”

“Step out boldly, be confident, the information required to make wise choices are readily available, seek and pursue knowledge and achieve your life goals,” Miller advised.

 Dionne Rose l JN Corporate Communications

Corporate Area high school students are lobbying for safe school zones, which they say would involve expanding the number of pedestrian crossings and increasing police presence/patrols in these zones.
The students made the recommendations during a recent meeting with JN Foundation and a UNICEF Delegation, to discuss the collaborative efforts of the Road Safety Programme and the Students’ Safety on the Streets (SSOS) Initiative to support and activities  that seek to mitigate the dangers students face while traversing to and from school, within the Downtown Kingston area.
“We need to have areas, such as: clusters of schools around Kingston Central and other clusters of schools declared “safe zones.” There needs to be a policy and legislation,” said Chad Rattray, head boy of Kingston College and chair of the Students’ Safety on the Streets Initiative, as he pointed out that other countries have implemented similar policies to protect their children.
The students also revealed that they were concerned about their safety while walking to and from school.
“The possibilities of either being robbed or harassed are high. Therefore, I would take the taxis, however, there is still some level of fear, because some of the taxis are robot taxis,” Donjah Pommells, secretary of the SSOS and head girl of Convent of Mercy Academy, Alpha Girls’ School, related.
They called for a school bus system to be put in place, to transport students during peak hours and after school.
The students were commended by Onyka Barrett Scott, general manager of the JN Foundation, for their proactiveness.
Mrs Barrett Scott pointed to data from a “Cost of Care Report,” produced by the Violence Prevention Alliance, in collaboration with the JN Foundation, which revealed that it could cost the Government of Jamaica some J$9 million to treat a person who has been hospitalized with injuries from a motor vehicle accident.
“This also makes the case why initiatives such as yours are important, because it is a lot cheaper to implement these initiatives and to get people to change their behavior and practices,” she said.
Dr. Rebecca Tortello, Education Specialist at UNICEF commended the students “on their decision to focus on issues related to their safe journey to and from school as all children have a right to an education free from fear.”
The SSOS Initiative is a student-led cause, which advocates for students who feel unsafe and have been victims of crimes, such as: sexual harassment and robberies while on their way to and from school.
In observation of Peace Month, the SSOS organised a Peace March in the Kingston Central Area communities, on March 22. The event focused on taking a stance against violence towards students.
-30-

Contact:  Dionne Rose l JN Corporate Communications

Students and householders received greater appreciation for how they can conserve on water, with the installation of water saving devices and practicing water-saving measures at home, from the Water Tech-Fest exhibition, which was mounted by the Water Project Jamaica.
The Tech-Fest was held at JN Bank’s Half-Way-Tree branch, in observation of World Water Day on March 22, under the theme “Leaving No One behind.”
“It was an informative exhibition. I learned how to conserve water at home and at school,” said Jhardine Daley, a student from Ardenne High School, who viewed the exhibition with his teachers and peers.
Jane Dennis, a JN Member, found the exhibition very interesting, especially the display mounted by AquaFlow, which demonstrated how customized water bottles and kegs, which were converted with spouts, would come in handy during water shortage and lock offs.
“The displays were very interesting. I learned how to conserve water and to detect leaks at home. The conversion of kegs with spouts was also useful,” she said. “The Scientific Research Council’s (SRC) display was very applicable, as they gave me ideas about how to get my products checked at the SRC. I have a cosmetic business, and have developed my own line of products,” Miss Dennis related.
Please include a brief mention of the offerings on display from the others.
The exhibitors at the Tech Fest included: Instant Save, JN Small Business Loan, Isratech, SRC and Aqua Flow Products and Services.

Onyka Barrett Scott, general manager of JN Foundation, administrator of the Water Project Jamaica, said that the main objective of the exhibition was to sensitize members of the public and encourage them to play a proactive role in being “water smart.”

“This project helps us to see simple and practical things we can do on a daily basis, to reduce the amount of water we use in our homes; and if we can do that, then we will manage the resource better. Hence, the aim of the exhibition was to give patrons the opportunity to test various devices they can use in their homes or businesses and to help them become familiar with some of the suppliers in the space,” she said.
The Water Project Jamaica, which commenced in March 2017, is a four-year collaboration between the JN Foundation, JN Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Climate Investment Funds and the Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience.
The project was designed to address water management issues primarily related to climate change.
-30-

Contact:  Dionne Rose l JN Corporate Communications

In line with the United Nations (UN) theme for World Water Day, “Leaving No One Behind,” the JN Water Project will host a “Water Tech-Fest” on March 22 at the JN Bank Half-Way-Tree in its parking lot.
Onyka Barrett Scott, general manager of the JN Foundation, administrator of the JN Water Project, said that the event will be held to mark World Water Day, which is observed on March 22 by the UN; and, to assist Jamaicans to adapt to climate change, by implementing measures to achieve more efficient and cost saving use of water.
“Billions of people across the world are living without safe water. While Jamaica is blessed with an abundance of water, we want to send the message of enhancing climate resilience, through the use of water adaptation technology in the housing sector; and the need for us to practice water efficiency in our homes,” Mrs. Barrett Scott said.
She stated that the event will showcase water adaptation devices, which will be displayed on site by various suppliers in the industry.
“There will be interactive activities, such as: how to read your water bill; how to detect leaks in your toilets; and most important, how to fit water-saving devices onto your pipes, at home,” the JN Foundation general manager outlined.

She further explained that, the event, to commence at 10:00 a.m., will include presentations from key stakeholders, games and giveaways. It is an open event, and members of the public are invited.

Some of the exhibitors on the day will include: Instant Save, JN Small Business Loan and Aqua Flow Products and Services Limited.

In March 2017 the Inter America Development Bank (IADB) and The Jamaica National Group signed two cooperative agreements to provide JN Bank and the JN Foundation with funding to execute a four-year project entitled: “Financing Water Adaptation in Jamaica’s New Urban Housing,” or the JN Water Project.
The main objectives of the project are to facilitate the uptake of water adaptation measures in housing across Jamaica, including: the use of rain water harvesting systems, water efficient taps and showers, low-flush toilets, efficient irrigation systems, grey water recycling facilities, and other relevant water efficiency measures.
-30-

Contact:  Dionne Rose l JN Corporate Communications