I journeyed to the Mustard Seed Communities in Kingston to donate a wheelchair to a child who suffers from Seizure Disorder. I was so grateful in being able to mobilise resources to provide mobility to this child with the help of Toyota Jamaica. However, one of the many things that struck a nerve during the experience was engaging other young people with disability at the home. I was pleased to meet a young man with disability who displayed great confidence in introducing himself and making it known how talented he is. 

            He indicated how much he loved Digicel Rising Stars and how he is the sound engineer within the community. Funny enough, I thought to myself that this is a match made in heaven because the Digicel Foundation’s love for people with disabilities is commendable. I always admired the Foundation’s inclusion of people with disabilities in their workforce, activities and decisions. They act because they believe people with disabilities are able. In a similar way I admired this young man who was so intelligent, so calm and collected, and remarkably talented. I was in awe in the moment. However, when the excitement dissipated and that thrill turned into reality, I was deeply saddened. I believe that it is grossly unfair for such a talented young man to be socially bound by his physical circumstances.

Inclusion Matters

Though he is in a wheelchair, he is incredibly competent and ambitious. However, persons with disabilities in Jamaica are not given many opportunities to display such talent and competence to the rest of the nation or world. Why should a young man who is so cogent and filled with potential be at a disadvantage in pursing his dreams? Why should he be subjected to the confines of the community simply because there are no adequate employment prospects for persons with disabilities in Jamaica? If you take a moment to ponder, you will also recognise that this lack of consideration is overarching; not limited to employment. 

            We do not frequently see business places catering to the needs of people with disabilities. There are no slopes to accommodate a wheelchair in many places of work and business, for example. There are no appropriate seating positions for persons with disabilities on our public transportation. Our homes and infrastructure do not facilitate and improve the lives of people with disability. 

The Disability Act

On February 14, 2022, the Disabilities Act came into effect in Jamaica. The Act which was passed in 2014, took 8 years to be implemented. That, in and of itself, is an unfortunate lived experience for persons with disabilities. However, the Disability Act is the start. The Act is designed in such a way to advocate for equal opportunities for people with disability and abolish discrimination against them.

The Disabilities Act 2014 highlights the following key areas:

•  The Provision of a Disability Certificate
•  The Right to Education & Training
•  The Right to Employment
•  The Right to Adequate Healthcare and Accessible Facilities
•  The Right to Housing and to enter Premises
•  The Work of the New Jamaica Council for PWDs and the Disability Tribunal

•  The Right to Access Public Passenger Vehicles
• The Right to Participate in Public Office and Political Life

–The Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities

Though the Act took so long to come to fruition, it is just the start. I wish to leave these nuggets of thoughts with you to ruminate on. So, as an entrepreneur, what are you doing to ensure an inclusive environment within your workspace? If you are a marketer, how do you ensure that people with disabilities are a considered part of your audience? As a landlord, how do you ensure a safe space conducive to housing a person with disability? If you are an architect, how do you ensure that safe structures are erected with the consideration of PWDs? As a human being, how do you enforce fairness in your space for PWDs?

Ultimately, it is absolutely important that we treat persons with disabilities with dignity; we show them respect and give them a fair opportunity to fulfil their fullest potential. People with disabilities are able so let’s act.

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With just under 500 students, they’ve managed to transition from a junior high school to having their very first cohort of 5th formers graduating in 2020, yet it hasn’t been an easy journey. Many of the students at the school struggle with reading and literacy.

That’s why in October, when Roxanne South, a literacy teacher at the school, reached out to me via Instagram, I immediately shared her story with Kingston Bookshop, hoping they could help with even a small donation towards the school’s mission of furnishing their recently-created literacy centre.

Kingston Bookshop stepped up in a big way! Not only did Shauna Fuller Clarke, Director of IT and Special Projects at KB, offer to donate more than 200 books to the school, we all trekked to St. Elizabeth to deliver them in person. Here’s a look at how it all went down.

I didn’t know Roxanne South before she messaged me, but her desire to help her school was so great, that she risked the possibility of getting ignored or rejected to serve her students. All the other teachers knew the shortcomings of the school, yet it took this one teacher to send a simple message that resulted in the donation of so many books.

This goes to show just how much one person has the power to have a massive impact their community. That person doesn’t have to be rich, famous or known. Just someone with a heart big enough to want to change the world.

Thanks to Kingston Bookshop for your generosity and dedication towards educating the children of Jamaica, and thank you, Roxanne, for making the effort to improve the lives of your students. They are very fortunate to have your support.

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That is why I was excited to hear about the 1st 1000 Days smartphone app, developed by the Early Childhood Commission (ECC) in partnership with UNICEF, and graciously accepted the invitation to host its launch.

The 1st 1000 Days app is geared at helping parents and caregivers track their child’s development from pregnancy to 2 years old, and keep informed about the nature of the development that is taking place. The first 1,000 days are regarded as the most sensitive period in a child’s life, as it is marked by rapid brain development and accompanying vulnerability to deficiency in care. There are plans to expand the app’s scope to the first 3000 days, up to when the child is 8 years old.

There are so many things to love about this app. Not only does it leverage modern-day technology to deliver support in an innovative way – which allows for a wider reach, minimized cost and the opportunity for personalization – but much of the content also comes from local professionals who understand the lifestyle and challenges of a Jamaican parent, unlike books and online resources often geared at a US market.

What makes it even better is that the app was developed in Jamaica by Jamaicans! It makes me so proud to know that we have the talent and capabilities to built this technology and we are utilizing the skills within our country towards our nation’s growth.

I met some kids at the launch who really warmed my heart. They performed a piece for us as part of the event, and took the kitchen after to prepare us all a lovely meal. Talk about hardworking! Take a look at the photos below and you’ll see what I mean.

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The Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), in keeping with the Ministry of Education’s thrust to provide quality education for all children, has been committed to ensuring that children in state care reach their highest potential through access to education. To facilitate this, they spend in excess of 40 million dollars annually to cover tuition and examination fees for wards enrolled in primary and tertiary institutions.

If I said “ward of the state”, what comes to mind? Sadly, most persons have unconscious biases. Most will visualize teenage pregnancy, behavioural issues or expect nothing great to come from children who are in state care. I am here to paint a different picture.

Despite unspeakable trauma ranging from domestic and sexual abuse, to gross negligence and abandonment or the death of parents resulting in orphans amongst other cases, our wards of the state islandwide continuously kick ass at the CSEC and CAPE examinations, and for the past seven (7) years, the CPFSA has been staging its annual Educational Achievement Awards Ceremony to recognize the outstanding academic achievements of these youngsters in state care.

78 children who sat secondary exams in 2019 (CSEC, CAPE and other vocational exams) were recognized at the event, receiving awards and gifts for their achievements courtesy of corporate and individual sponsors.

The success of these students as they face adverse conditions should serve as a reminder to us all that we are not our circumstances, and our circumstances do not define our worth. I was honoured to be in the same room as them and inspired by their positive outlook on not just their individual futures but life on a whole.

To the house moms, foster moms and other guardians who help to restore the self -esteem of wards of State and who give encourage them to not become mere statistics, I salute you. o

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They don’t do it for publicity or a write-up in the paper, they just do it because they know it’s the right thing to do. That’s one of the main reasons I chose to represent them as an ambassador.

Most recently, you may have seen Toyota Jamaica’s Christmas video circulating online (shared below), prominently featuring the Dead Can! Coffee team members who work at the Toyota Jamaica Coffee House, and a few other employees, speaking sign language. Warning: Get the tissues ready, because you’re gonna need them!

After Toyota’s team fell in love with the Deaf Can! Coffee story and mission, and invited them to run the Toyota Jamaica Coffee House at their Old Hope Road location, they noticed one big challenge in their quest for inclusion – communication. The Toyota Jamaica team knew very little sign language, which limited their ability to make the deaf baristas feel truly welcomed into the Toyota family.

So what did they do?! Teach us all sign language! Yes, including me. As an ambassador, and a huge fan of the Coffee House, I was invited to the sign language sessions Toyota held for their staff to teach them the basics of sign language. With this knowledge, we could now greet, engage in small talk and of course, order our favourite caffeinated beverages in sign language. (My fav is the chai latte, try it!)

I hope that this move from Toyota will help to inspire other businesses in Jamaica to not just talk about diversity and inclusion in the workplace and do the bare minimum to get great PR, but to go deeper and take concrete steps, however difficult they may be, to make it real. That’s what our country deserves.

Should you ever be in the area, ensure you stop by the Toyota Coffee House and sign “hello” to the deaf baristas. https://www.facebook.com/ToyotaJamaica/posts/10154128161768516

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OR…

Some of us wait until we are much older to finally get tested even though we see girls in their teens and young adults with Breast Cancer. Early detection is key!

That’s why I strongly support the activities held within Breast Cancer Awareness Month, in October each year, that not only promote the value of getting screened for early detection, but celebrate the powerful survivors and warriors who continue to live life to the fullest and thrive, despite their diagnosis.

#LiveWithFlair Luncheon

This year, I was honoured to play a part in four events commemorating Breast Cancer Awareness, one of which was hosting the #LiveWithFlair luncheon. Live with Flair is an initiative of Flair Jamaica that is committed to helping Breast Cancer Warriors and Survivors to continue their lifestyle because life does not end with your diagnosis.

Keep Abreast Luncheon

The Jamaica Cancer Society also invited me to host its premiere fundraiser, the “Keep Abreast” luncheon. The proceeds help to fund the campaigns to build awareness, extensive research, procurement of mammography equipment and provide screening and treatment for those who cannot afford it. It also goes towards the Jamaica Reach To Recovery arm of the Cancer Society, which is comprised of survivors who offer emotional, physical and financial support to those fighting the disease.

ICWI Pink Dash

Before the annual Pink Run event, we have the Pink Dash, where corporate teams gather in the pinkest outfits they can find to compete and raise awareness for breast cancer. This year, as with previous years, I was proud to join sponsors Toyota Jamaica and the #DrivingHope team on this mission. The Flow Jamaica team happened to be the fastest on that day, but there are no losers in the race when we’re all running for a good cause.

We weren’t the only ones to show out in pink! Thanks to the team at Toyota Jamaica, Skylar and a few select Rav4s were rocking pink too! We did this in hope that when we’re spotted traversing the island, it will remind everyone to get screened, because we all know early detection is key!

PS. If you really want to know the full story on what was happening in these photos, then you need to check out the captions on my LinkedIn post about the event.

ICWI Pink Run

With only a week to recover after my strenuous Pink Dash efforts, I was off with Toyota Jamaica’s #DrivingHope team once again to run/walk for breast cancer at the annual ICWI Pink Run. In the last five years, ICWI/Jamaica Reach to Recovery Pink Run has raised over 10 million and assisted some 500 persons affected by breast cancer, so I make it a personal mission to support it each year.

We continue to pray for and support each and everyone woman who will benefit from the proceeds from these events! I hope to see even more participants and supporters at these events next year, because as long as breast cancer rages on, we’ll be here to fight it.

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The Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CAPRI) published a report that shows that Jamaica’s oppressive anti-gay laws and discriminatory practices costs the workforce around $11 billion annually and makes the minority group three times more vulnerable to mental-health illness.

I was invited to be a panelist speaker at the “Paying for Prejudice” event, hosted by CAPRI, to share my opinion on the report and Jamaica.

One of the main things we discussed, and agreed upon, is that someone’s sexual orientation is their personal right and it is a human rights violation to use that a measure of their capacity or ability to work. By engaging in discrimination in this matter, it doesn’t just affect one individual, but the entire country (as you can see from the statistic above).

Therefore, all of us, despite our belief systems, orientation, gender, etc., need to to fight for the rights of those discriminated against, because at the end of the day, we are all HUMAN, and we all deserve the right to freedom, dignity and the ability to live FREE OF DISCRIMINATION.

Just as we speak on gender equality as not just a women’s issue, saying that men have to be a part of that discussion and fight alongside us, the same it is with discriminatory practices. Even if these actions don’t impact you individually, they affect us all as a nation, therefore it is the responsibility of all of us to call out these actions and come to the aid of those affected, because they may not be able to speak out from fear of repercussion, but you can.

We didn’t need the CAPRI report to tell us that there is a mental, physical, economic cost to discrimination, but it helped to quantify the direct and indirect impact of it on our country. I hope that now that we see the cold hard facts, we’ll work harder at changing them and making Jamaica an even better place to live and work for all our people.

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“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.”

Sometimes our primary skills or core competencies might have been put on hold temporarily or permanently (depending). Before you look outward, dig deep. Sometimes we possess other skills and crafts that we are not aware of, we know them but don’t acknowledge them, we take them for granted or we are simply afraid to put them on display.

After graduating from Cuba and being denied accreditation by the Vet Board, I felt as though I was robbed of Veterinary Medicine and left with a language that I couldn’t use. But then something happened, I became intentional. I started to speak it, started to engage and connect. I started to integrate it when hosting and moderating events for Spanish audiences.

As life has progressed, I now conduct client meetings via zoom in Spanish. https://www.instagram.com/p/B_2Sm7RBAE-/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

A secondary skill (that you possess) may very well become “the head cornerstone that the builder refused” when it was a mere stone. Opportunities don’t always present themselves in the way you think they will. But grab them no matter how small they are because you would be surprised to know the doors that await on the other side.

Learning languages can provide opportunities that can extend your individual and professional horizons. I was invited to speak at the Norman Manley Law School to discuss the importance of learning languages and being a polyglot (a person who is fluent in many languages).

Life has taught me that if we open our minds, embrace change and get ready for opportunities. When learning languages, don’t be conscious of making errors. We all make mistakes! You will sound funny and yes, you will mispronounce but that’s the only way you will learn.

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