NRSC LAUNCHES NATIONAL ROAD SAFETY POSTER COMPETITION 2014

Kingston, Jamaica: March 20, 2014

The National Road Safety Council (NRSC) will launch its annual National Road Safety Poster Competition on Monday, March 24 with three categories of winners being targeted this year.

The competition is open to children and youth from ages six to nineteen and ends on Friday, April 25.

Based on the continued high levels of pedestrian involvement in motor vehicle crashes, the NRSC has decided to continue its focus on pedestrian safety and the theme this year is: “Pedestrian Safety – Our Responsibility”.

Since the start of the year and up to March 12, there were 59 reported fatalities from 56 crashes on the roads. Of this number, 16 were pedestrians, 11 motorcyclists and seven pedal cyclists. The number of road deaths is seven more than those for the similar period last year. Four children were killed on the roads during the period, of which two were pedestrians.

Vice-Chairman of the NRSC, Dr. Lucien Jones, explained the reason for maintaining the focus on pedestrian safety. “Despite our efforts last year, pedestrian, motorcyclist and pedal cyclist deaths remain a major concern. We, therefore, want to remind Jamaicans that we all have a responsibility to ensure the safety of all on the roads by practising safe measures when walking, riding or driving. Our children and youth also have a role to play in the effort to reduce road fatalities.”

The posters, which should be original designs must include one of, or a combination of the following areas of expression: drawing, painting or mixed media.

Each poster must be accompanied by a correctly completed entry form or a sheet of paper indicating name, date of birth, address, telephone number/email address, entry category, name of school, youth club, and theme of Poster Competition.

Students can access entry forms at the NRSC’s website,www.nationalroadsafetycouncil.org.jm, or at the NRSC blog,nrscjamaica.blogspot.com. Entry forms are also available at the NRSC’s offices at 145 Maxfield Avenue, Kingston 10.

Contact: Ceila Morgan, PROCOmm – 926-6740 or 550-9330

FOOD FOR THE POOR HANDS OVER BASIC SCHOOL IN MEMORY OF STUDENT KILLED

Kingston, Jamaica: March 17, 2014

A great gesture indeed! Maxine Morris (right) principal of Rectory Basic School in Clarendon proudly displays a ‘thank you’ card made by students following the dedication of a new basic school building in honour of the memory of U.S. based university student Stephanie Crispinelli. Stephanie was killed during the January 12, 2010 earthquake in Haiti while on a Food For The Poor (FFP) mission trip. Her parents Lenny (left) and Lin Crispinelli (centre) were presented with a token during the handover of the basic school on March 14. The Crispinelli’s along with relatives and friends have funded the construction of five basic schools in Jamaica to date.

Charity organization Food For The Poor (FFP) Jamaica and a group from the U.S. based Crispinelli Memorial Mission on Friday, March 14 provided students and teachers of the Rectory Basic School in Clarendon with their very own building. The new structure will accommodate up to 33 children.

The basic school is one of five constructed locally by FFP Jamaica and the mission team in honour of the memory of Stephanie Crispinelli, a Lynn University student who died in the January 12, 2010 earthquake in Haiti. At the time of her death at 19 years old, Stephanie was on a mission trip with Food For The Poor.

Stephanie’s brother, Nick Crispinelli, was among the volunteers on the project. “Every time we come to Jamaica, we understand why Stephanie fell in love with this country. She was drawn to the people, the kids and their energy and this is also what inspires us each time. We hope that this new school will help to improve on what you already have.”

Principal of the school, Maxine Morris Miller outlined some of the challenges faced by the students and teachers prior to receiving the new building. Among these was insufficient space to comfortably accommodate the students; improper furniture; lack of water and electricity supplies; poor kitchen and bathroom facilities and the absence of an administrative office. “I am extremely proud to stand here today to say thanks to the Crispinelli team and Food For The Poor for answering our prayers, because for seven years I have been praying for a proper school. We no longer have to worry about sharing classrooms, bathrooms, or even chalkboards, Mrs. Morris Miller exclaimed.”

Member of Parliament for Central Clarendon, Mike Henry also welcomed the new structure.  “We appreciate what Food For The Poor has been doing for us as a country and this project is one way to get us out of poverty. In Jamaica, poverty is at an epidemic proportion but the construction of another basic school will help to fix that," he said.

Give me a five! Mike Crispinelli (right) brother of Stephanie Crispinelli, a Lyn University student who died in the January 12, 2010 earthquake in Haiti, is all smiles as he interacts with students of Rectory Basic School in Clarendon. The school was built and dedicated in honour of the memory of Stephanie who died while on a Food For The Poor (FFP) mission trip.  In preserving her memory, Stephanie’s parents, relatives and friends have funded the construction of five basic schools in Jamaica to date. This year, the team of 21 individuals assisted FFP Jamaica to build a school to serve 33 children and three teachers of Rectory Basic on March 14.

WESTMORELAND FAMILY GETS NEW HOUSE FROM FOOD FOR THE POOR FOLLOWING TRAGEDY

Kingston, Jamaica: March 18, 2014

Home at last! Janice Pilliner (third left) holds aloft the keys to a new house which was handed over by Food For The Poor (FFP) Jamaica on Monday, March 17 to her and her nieces and nephews on Dalling Street, Savanna-la-Mar. Others in the photo are from left: Pamella Miller, Savanna-la-Mar Assistant Branch Manager, Fontana Pharmacy; Lorenzo Stanton, Project Coordinator, Construction Services, FFP Jamaica; Jean Lowrie-Chin, Board Director FFP Jamaica; Ryan Pilliner and Deacon Baldwin Powell, Convenor of Food For The Poor's Western Committee. The Pilliner children were left orphaned after their parents were murdered by gunmen in late January. 

 

It was an elated Pilliner family that welcomed their new house on the afternoon of Monday, March 17 from Food For The Poor (FFP) Jamaica in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland.

The family received the new two bedroom house, built by FFP Jamaica on Dalling Street, after the eight children’s parents were brutally killed by gunmen in late January. The house was constructed on land approved by the Westmoreland Parish Council.

Janice Pilliner, the childrens’ aunt who said she attended church regularly and took the children with her, could hardly contain her delight when she was presented with the keys to their new home. “Thanks to FFP for reaching out to the family and helping the children. It has been a tragic journey but we can move on from here with the help of God and persons who care like Food For The Poor,” she said.

Miss Pilliner’s remarks came after Deacon Baldwin Powell, Convenor of Food For The Poor’s Western Committee, blessed the house and said special prayers for the family, charging, "Whenever you enter through the door, say Peace be in this house.” 

 In addition to the house, Food For The Poor is providing the family with items of furniture, food and clothing. The childrens’ages range from four to nineteen.

Jean Lowrie-Chin, FFP Jamaica Board Director expressed gratitude to the children’s aunt and a community which she said was rallying around the family. She also expressed thanks to Fontana Pharmacy represented by Savanna-la-Mar Assistant Branch Manager, Pamella Miller.

Fontana Pharmacy is a participant in FFP Jamaica’s Charity Box venture and has made the highest contribution across the island. Mrs. Miller said the Pharmacy chain was only too happy to assist. “It is very fitting that we are part of this, we have always been part of community projects, and it is good that FFP could come in and offer such support. It was very sad when we learnt of it and we will do whatever we can to ensure the continued support of this family,” she told the gathering at the handover event.

Among those in attendance at the ceremony were representatives of FFP Jamaica’s Social Outreach and Construction teams.

FOOD FOR THE POOR TO BUILD HOUSE FOR CHILDREN OF MURDERED WESTMORELAND COUPLE

Kingston, Jamaica: March 13, 2014

FFP Brings Relief: Myrtle Brown (left) Projects Development Officer at Food For The Poor (FFP) Jamaica hands out food packages to members of a family in Savannah-la-Mar, Westmoreland. Eight children from the family were left orphaned after their parents were killed by gunmen in late January.  In addition to providing them with food packages, the charity organization is building a house for the family on land provided by the Westmoreland Parish Council.

The eight children in Savannah-la-Mar, Westmoreland who were left orphaned in late January  after their parents were brutally killed by gunmen, are to receive a new roof over their heads this weekend from Food For The Poor (FFP) Jamaica. The children’s ages range from four to nineteen years.

The charity organization stepped in shortly after the family’s story was published in The Observer newspaper on February 6. The house will be constructed this Saturday, on Dalling Street, Savannah-la-Mar, on land approved by the Westmoreland Parish Council.

Within days of the incident, a team from FFP Jamaica visited the family in an effort to determine their needs and delivered food packages containing rice, cornmeal, peas and sardines. The FFP team has since continued to offer support.

Westmoreland Family Kitchen

Kitchen area used by family of orphaned children in Westmoreland whose parents were shot       

dead by gunmen in late January. In addition to providing food packages, the charity organization is

building a house for the family on land provided by the Westmoreland Parish Council.

FFP Jamaica’s Chairman, Andrew Mahfood, explained, “This was just another opportunity to help another Jamaican family in need. We couldn’t turn our back on the children when we read of their plight. We just had to step in and help in whatever way we could, in the true spirit of Food For The Poor’s mission.”

Executive Director at FFP Jamaica, Jacqueline Johnson, added, “Our team of investigators has now determined what the needs of the family are and we have so far addressed the major areas. In addition to building a house we are also providing furniture, food and clothing.”

The children are currently being cared for by an aunt. 

FFP Brings Relief: Myrtle Brown (centre) Projects Development Officer at Food For The Poor (FFP) Jamaica delivers food packages to members of a family in Savannah-la-Mar, Westmoreland. Eight children from the family were left orphaned after their parents were killed by gunmen in late January. In addition to providing them with food packages, the charity organization is building a house for the family on land provided by the Westmoreland Parish Council.

BACKGROUND

Food For The Poor (FFP) Jamaica is the largest charity organization in Jamaica. Food For The Poor Inc., located in Florida, U.S.A. is the largest international relief organization in the United States. It is an interdenominational Christian organization that assists the poor in 17 countries in the Caribbean and Latin America.

FFP Jamaica partners with a number of stakeholders including churches, non-governmental and private sector organizations, children’s homes and service organizations throughout the island that deal directly with the poor to fill their most urgent needs and to encourage self-sufficiency. The work of Food For The Poor is funded by donations.

DIGICEL JAMAICA REPORTS STRONG GROWTH IN DATA AND 4G SUBSCRIBERS CEO, Barry O’Brien Says Data Penetration up 40%, Data Plan Subscription up 50%

Kingston, Jamaica – Monday, March 3, 2014

  Digicel Jamaica is reporting strong double-digit growth in data revenues and data plan subscribers over the last quarter ending December 2013. This, according to CEO, Barry O’Brien, is due to effective strategies over the past year to deliver value, choice and innovation to all its customers across Jamaica.

Data Gains from Investment

Speaking about the gains made in data, the telecommunications company is reporting a 40% increase in data penetration, which was broadly facilitated by a focused strategy designed to ensure that more people across Jamaica have access to affordable smartphones and data plans. “More and more customers are realising that when they purchase a data plan they manage their data spend better and their overall data experience”, O’Brien said. The company also said that customers have been responding favourably to its range of affordable data plans which start from as low as J$70 for two days. In fact, the number of data subscriptions has increased by 50%.

Meanwhile, following the introduction of its own line of smartphones in the market over the past year, the company is also reporting very positive uptake from customers who want access to the internet on more affordable mobile devices. “What we are seeing is that customers are moving towards Android based smartphones. To that end, last year we introduced the Digicel range of Android smartphones (DL600 and DL700) and these are currently doing far better than traditional smartphones like Samsung, Nokia and BlackBerry in terms of sales,” added O’Brien. In the last 2 months for example, Digicel said it sold over 28,000 of its smartphones while during the past year, well over 60,000 were sold.

4G Mobile Expansion to 92% Population Coverage

The company is also reporting an increase of an additional 200,000 subscribers to its 4G mobile network, which they say is broadly due to continuous investment. “We recognize that there is a growing appetite for access to the internet and access to data and we are happy to be facilitating this demand. As such, Digicel is in the process of rolling out an additional 170 4G mobile sites across the island which will see us increasing our 4G network coverage from 80% to 92% population coverage.

“In the past year, we invested over $6 billion in our 4G network, and this is in addition to an investment of J$7b over two years ago. We will continue to innovate while ensuring stability of our network to deliver superior experiences for all our customers as we move Jamaica to being a smarter economy”, closed O’Brien.

U.S. BASED MISSION AND FOOD FOR THE POOR PROVIDE MUCH NEEDED LEWIS TOWN BASIC SCHOOL BUILDING

Kingston, Jamaica: February 20, 2014

Students and staff at the Lewis Town Basic School in Fyffes Pen, St Elizabeth are celebrating the gift of a long awaited new building structure, donated by the United States based Davitt/Ruppert Mission team with assistance from charity organization, Food For The Poor (FFP) Jamaica. Construction and painting of the building took place on the weekend of February 15.

The new building which is expected to accommodate up to 60 students should be ready for use by the end of March.

The school’s principal, Doreen Hylton had high praises for the work of the mission team even as she painted a vivid picture of the conditions under which students had to be taught over the last two decades. “The learning environment at our past location was not conducive to learning,” she said. “We encountered numerous challenges as the structure was made entirely of zinc and this made the children hot and restless.  We also had insufficient space and inadequate sanitation facilities and as a result many persons from the community were ashamed of the school. We have struggled in this environment for over 20 years so I cannot begin to express how elated I am for this new school building.”

“This is a dream come to reality!” Ms. Hylton exclaimed.

Her sentiments were echoed by Keith Miller, a past Chairman of the School’s Board, who explained, “Over the years, the administrators have experienced severe challenges as it relates to finding suitable space but then came Food For The Poor to the rescue. They have in essence written a cheque to Lewis Town which can never be cancelled.”

The Davitt/Ruppert Mission team comprising 25 donors, also constructed a house for a needy resident in the community on the same weekend.

Craig Ruppert, a representative of the donors, in his remarks during the handing over ceremony noted, “Back home, we have many material things but we are not as happy as you are here in Jamaica. That’s why coming to Lewis Town to be part of this project is good for us. We can never have too many schools, so congratulations on your new building and we are happy to work with Food For The Poor as usual.”

Since 2001, the team of Chris Davitt and Craig Ruppert, along with their families and friends have partnered with Food For The Poor to build four schools; 165 housing units; a home for the elderly; equipped a community with a sustainable fishing village project and installed two water projects.  Their efforts have improved the health and living conditions of many throughout Jamaica and Haiti.  Last year, the team of philanthropic individuals, expanded Knoxwood Basic School in St. Elizabeth by constructing additional classrooms to improve the school’s learning environment for students. 

                                  Ellerslie Pen, Spanish Town, St. Catherine | Tel.: (876) 984-5005 | www.foodforthepoorja.org

Contact: Ceila Morgan, PROComm, T: 926-6740 or 550-9330

Petri-Ann Henry, Food For The Poor, T:  984-5005 or 564-288

Early Stimulation Plus a Centre of Excellence

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Kingston, Jamaica - The Digicel Foundation, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS), assisted in raising the standard of care available to students in the Special Needs sector today with the unveiling of a new structure at the Early Stimulation Plus school (ESP). As part of its commitment to support the advancement of children with Special Needs, the Foundation erected eight temporary classrooms to house the students until a new structure is built by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. Once the permanent structure is complete, this temporary building will be utilized as administrative offices and staff training rooms. Each of the classrooms has been fully outfitted with specialised equipment and furniture to meet the daily requirements of the students.

Ms. Judine Hunter, Programme Manager for Special Needs at Digicel Foundation, expressed her sincere joy at the partnership, saying, “One of our most fulfilling experiences  has been through this partnership with ESP. High quality early intervention is essential to the development of all children with Special Needs. We are truly grateful for this day.”  

The Early Stimulation Plus school is a component of the Early Stimulation Programme, which is managed by the Ministry of Labour & Social Security. Since its inception in 1975, the programme has benefited well over 20,000 children with various types of disabilities across the island.

The Honourable Derrick Kellier, Minister of Labour and Social Security, spoke to the benefits afforded through working together to achieve developments in the Special Needs sector, saying, “The completion of these classrooms is a true testimony of the increased productivity that can be achieved through public-private partnership. We thank the Foundation for their vision in investing in such a critical area of human development and providing an opportunity where we can achieve the mandate of an inclusive society as outlined in VISION 2030.”

The school currently serves a population of 120 students, most of who are from disadvantaged homes and enrolled in the Programme of Advancement through Health and Education (PATH).

Melissa Bell, the mother of a student with cerebral palsey enrolled at ESP, explained the impact that this initiative will have on her daughter’s overall development, saying,  “I can’t afford to have my daughter enrolled at the expensive facilities for her to receive high-quality care. So, I am beyond elated when I see Digicel Foundation putting in facilities that will allow her to receive the best care possible at a centre that we can afford. Now she will be able to achieve her maximum potential.”

Principal and Director of ESP, Mrs. Antonica Gunter Gayle, was overwhelmed with appreciation for the initiative by the Foundation. She noted that, “All of these children have potential and Digicel Foundation has afforded them the opportunity to realise this. This is a gift that will affect not only these children but their families and the lives of other Special Needs children who will come through these doors.”

The new facility at Early Stimulation Plus is only a small part of the much larger “Centres of Excellence Initiative” that aims to increase the capacity of Special Needs Schools in Jamaica through teacher training and equipment upgrades. As part of the Digicel Foundation’s 10^th Anniversary, this programme will be rolled out in 10 Special Needs facilities across the nation.

For more information visit our website at www.digiceljamaicafoundation.org

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