Social Impact with Emma » children’s rights : A Jamaica Gleaner Blog

Human Trafficking and the Problem of Public Education

August 3rd, 2020

The issue of human trafficking in Jamaica appears shrouded in mystery. Why is this? I have not really grasped the dimensions of the issue on our island, to be honest with you. I have to dig around, consciously, to find out the extent of the problem, and what is being done to combat human trafficking. […]

COVID-19 and Our Most Vulnerable – Part 2

May 22nd, 2020

“A population that is left behind.” In the first part I wrote about our most vulnerable citizens, whose immune systems are compromised during this pandemic. People living with HIV/AIDS have more to deal with than physical illness. It’s about how other people regard them, and treat them. Unfortunately, this is also true of all our […]

Get Safe Online – and Learn Some Life Skills

March 8th, 2020

The Broadcasting Commission is doing a grand job with public education. I do love their television ads, which are vibrant, well targeted and have a big dose of Jamaican energy and humor. Their “What If?” commercial (here’s the hip-hop version) is very well crafted, targeting youth with their warnings about the use or misuse of […]

Civil Society Collaborates to Influence Health Policy for Mothers and Infants

November 10th, 2019

As I entered the quiet, cozy Alhambra Inn recently, I stopped to look at the beautiful koi carp swirling in the water near the entrance. I was prepared to be inspired, not only by these majestic fish. Why? Because I was attending a meeting organized by the Women’s Resource and Outreach Centre (WROC). I know […]

Youth Activism Is Alive and Well – If Given the Chance

May 16th, 2019

Our Jamaican youth often get a “bad rap.” Many Jamaicans believe they are lazy and self-centered. Millennials, in particular (slightly older) are seen as shallow and obsessed with material things. Jamaican adults often put young people down; between the ages of twelve and twenty-five, say, they are not entitled to express an opinion or have a seat […]

In Need of Care and Protection: At the SOS Children’s Villages

October 15th, 2017

Towards the end of the summer, I had the opportunity to visit two SOS Children’s Villages in Jamaica: one in Stony Hill, St. Andrew and the other in Barrett Town, near Montego Bay. On both occasions, the villages were relatively quiet; most of the children were out enjoying themselves at summer camps, before the new […]

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