HIV/AIDS in Jamaica: Are The Kids Alright?

June 18th, 2016

My last post was about health issues, and it seems there is much more to say. This time I would like to touch on the issue of sexual and reproductive health, in particular among our youth. I recently attended the annual Health for All forum, involving a number of non-governmental partners including Jamaica AIDS Support for Life, […]

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A Conversation on the Move: Talking Media (and Ackee Walk) with Makeda Bawn

April 17th, 2016

Makeda Bawn and I are dodging raindrops on the campus of the University of Technology (UTech). We move from the Island Grill outlet (where a noisy game of dominoes dominates) to a set of waterproof concrete tables and chairs under a small tree. Warm, wet drops start falling. So, on to the Library, where Ms. […]

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The “Forgotten Faces”: Children Isolated by HIV/AIDS

May 5th, 2015

People working in development agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) tend to assign acronyms to groups of people they are seeking to support. So, here is one for you: OVCs. OVCs are Orphans and Vulnerable Children, in case you did not know. Many children are vulnerable to a range of dangers these days. They need our […]

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The Silent Community

March 9th, 2015

Sometimes the news overwhelms you, doesn’t it? It has not been an easy week for Jamaicans. Let us focus on two specific incidents, in the midst of a sea of crime and violence: the murder of two girls, Santoya Campbell in Westmoreland and Kayalicia Simpson in St. Thomas. The two cases have much in common: […]

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The Challenge of Entrepreneurship

November 25th, 2014

Last week was Global Entrepreneurship Week in Jamaica. The program was packed with events. The week was full. It was also a welcome collaboration among public entities and private sector organizations and non-governmental groups, too numerous to mention. There was much bustling activity. But what did it achieve? We hope there will be tangible results […]

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In Praise of Courageous Women: Pat, Joy and the Moms

October 28th, 2014

“Let us now praise famous men.” You may be familiar with this quotation from the Jewish Wisdom of Sirach and Ecclesiasticus in the Bible. This week, however, I have decided to praise neither men nor famous people, but some women I know, who cannot claim to be famous either (although they really should be). So, this […]

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