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What a country!'
Jean Lowrie-Chin
Monday, May 07, 2007
"What a country," we say in awe, excitement, exasperation, even disgust. We are uplifted by the work of people like our Kiwanis Distinguished Women and Observer Business Leaders, but cast down by ugly epithets flying across the political fence. No wonder a frustrated Betty Ann Blaine last week called for an election boycott.
However, ironically, it is precisely because there are good souls like Betty Ann Blaine and Jamaica's achievers, that many will take the time to mark our "X" on election day. We agree that too many of our politicians have questionable associations and that our justice system must be overhauled post-haste, but we cannot give up when we consider the sacrifices made for this country. Indeed, I am a firm believer that the best way to change the system is to stay within it, and work assiduously to right its wrongs.
And so today's column is a litany of hope, celebrating Jamaicans who refuse to be faint of heart. How can we give up when we consider the life's work of Dr Molly Thorburn? The Kiwanis Club of New Kingston citation to her read, "For many of our young children and others, who could easily have become the forgotten few, Dr Molly lit a torch for the proper assessment of and planning for handicapped children; and for children with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities. The result is the conceptualisation and actualisation of the Early Stimulation Project."
Dr Thorburn developed a registration and filing system for cases of mental retardation, the citation continued, setting up assessment and screening clinics to identify children to attend the School of Hope at the University Hospital. This brilliant, caring lady organised special training for teachers of the mentally retarded and set up islandwide branches and unit classes, sharing this expertise with the Caribbean and international community.
We applauded Norma Shirley's international culinary triumphs. As we heard the names of her restaurants, each with its own distinctive reputation, we acknowledged that Norma is indeed a creative and intrepid entrepreneur. We felt great pride in the academic and professional accomplishments of Dr Ruth Potopsingh, the first woman to head Petrojam, and were moved to learn of her work as a devout and active Christian. Our dear Thyra Heaven is aptly named because she is always blissfully calm, even as we rush around backstage to present her brainchild, the "Powerful Women" concert. This former education lecturer, who has literally walked with kings and emperors, has been relentless in her charity work for the Mustard Seed Foundation and other needy Jamaicans.
I had to leave the Kiwanis function early, but I understand that a hush fell over the room when the citation for Maureen Jones was read. Maureen heads the Women's Prison Ministry at the Stella Maris Church. Here are some excerpts: "They are the only group that visits the prison once per week - 52 times per year! They operate as a post office, and an informal "Western Union" outlet for all the anxious families and parents who wish to send letters, messages or money to their mothers, daughters and sisters in the prison. Once a month, a care package consisting of toothpaste, personal toiletries and other supplies is prepared for every single woman.
"Mothers who give birth while incarcerated at Fort Augusta are allowed to keep their babies for six months," the script continued. "This outreach programme of the church provides everything for these babies - baby supplies, bassinets, sheets, bottles and baby food. Apart from taking care of the babies, Maureen Jones even ensures that they are properly christened and blessed in the faith."
If the imprisoned mother's sentence exceeds the six-month period, Maureen takes it upon herself to find caring homes for the babies, "either by gently persuading an overseas family to care for them, or for other parishioners in the church to give the babies a home until their mothers come out of incarceration". This is a demanding undertaking - nine babies were born to women prisoners, over the past four months.
Breakfast Club's Anthony Abrahams summed up the Observer Business Leader nominees and the eventual winner Dr Henry Lowe as "truly a renaissance man". Few Jamaicans have distinguished themselves in as many walks of life as Henry Lowe. He has been teacher, permanent secretary, scientist, academic, author, entrepreneur, innovator and developer.
Henry Lowe describes himself as "a winner among equals" as he speaks admiringly of fellow Observer nominees Stafford and Marilyn Burrowes of that sparkling tourism gem, Dolphin Cove; energetic young John Minott Jr of Jamaica Standard Products; Peter McConnell who has transformed his orchards into a year-round refresher called Trade Winds Citrus Ltd; the elegant Charles Ross of Sterling Asset Management Ltd, and tourism trailblazers Ralph Roberts and Fred Junior Smith of Tropical Tours Ltd.
These are the names that we should repeat to one another, to remind ourselves that although Betty Ann Blaine and many of us are distressed by the level of crime and carelessness in our country - look at those lives lost on our roads - still, we have much to be proud of.
On Thursday we heard the prime minister and Leader of the Opposition paying tribute to the late Ray Hadeed, founder of Serv-Wel. This gentleman set up his factory and provided jobs for inner-city dwellers. Manufacturing in this country has never been easy, yet he stayed faithful to his enterprise and his people for over half a century.
So Betty, we feel your pain, but we cannot throw out the baby with the bath water, especially since this baby happens to be an electoral system that investors take into account when they are rating our stability. To rephrase Yeats, we should tread softly, lest we disrupt the dreams of our courageous achievers.
lowriechin@aim.com
Jean Lowrie-Chin
Monday, May 07, 2007
"What a country," we say in awe, excitement, exasperation, even disgust. We are uplifted by the work of people like our Kiwanis Distinguished Women and Observer Business Leaders, but cast down by ugly epithets flying across the political fence. No wonder a frustrated Betty Ann Blaine last week called for an election boycott.
However, ironically, it is precisely because there are good souls like Betty Ann Blaine and Jamaica's achievers, that many will take the time to mark our "X" on election day. We agree that too many of our politicians have questionable associations and that our justice system must be overhauled post-haste, but we cannot give up when we consider the sacrifices made for this country. Indeed, I am a firm believer that the best way to change the system is to stay within it, and work assiduously to right its wrongs.
And so today's column is a litany of hope, celebrating Jamaicans who refuse to be faint of heart. How can we give up when we consider the life's work of Dr Molly Thorburn? The Kiwanis Club of New Kingston citation to her read, "For many of our young children and others, who could easily have become the forgotten few, Dr Molly lit a torch for the proper assessment of and planning for handicapped children; and for children with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities. The result is the conceptualisation and actualisation of the Early Stimulation Project."
Dr Thorburn developed a registration and filing system for cases of mental retardation, the citation continued, setting up assessment and screening clinics to identify children to attend the School of Hope at the University Hospital. This brilliant, caring lady organised special training for teachers of the mentally retarded and set up islandwide branches and unit classes, sharing this expertise with the Caribbean and international community.
We applauded Norma Shirley's international culinary triumphs. As we heard the names of her restaurants, each with its own distinctive reputation, we acknowledged that Norma is indeed a creative and intrepid entrepreneur. We felt great pride in the academic and professional accomplishments of Dr Ruth Potopsingh, the first woman to head Petrojam, and were moved to learn of her work as a devout and active Christian. Our dear Thyra Heaven is aptly named because she is always blissfully calm, even as we rush around backstage to present her brainchild, the "Powerful Women" concert. This former education lecturer, who has literally walked with kings and emperors, has been relentless in her charity work for the Mustard Seed Foundation and other needy Jamaicans.
I had to leave the Kiwanis function early, but I understand that a hush fell over the room when the citation for Maureen Jones was read. Maureen heads the Women's Prison Ministry at the Stella Maris Church. Here are some excerpts: "They are the only group that visits the prison once per week - 52 times per year! They operate as a post office, and an informal "Western Union" outlet for all the anxious families and parents who wish to send letters, messages or money to their mothers, daughters and sisters in the prison. Once a month, a care package consisting of toothpaste, personal toiletries and other supplies is prepared for every single woman.
"Mothers who give birth while incarcerated at Fort Augusta are allowed to keep their babies for six months," the script continued. "This outreach programme of the church provides everything for these babies - baby supplies, bassinets, sheets, bottles and baby food. Apart from taking care of the babies, Maureen Jones even ensures that they are properly christened and blessed in the faith."
If the imprisoned mother's sentence exceeds the six-month period, Maureen takes it upon herself to find caring homes for the babies, "either by gently persuading an overseas family to care for them, or for other parishioners in the church to give the babies a home until their mothers come out of incarceration". This is a demanding undertaking - nine babies were born to women prisoners, over the past four months.
Breakfast Club's Anthony Abrahams summed up the Observer Business Leader nominees and the eventual winner Dr Henry Lowe as "truly a renaissance man". Few Jamaicans have distinguished themselves in as many walks of life as Henry Lowe. He has been teacher, permanent secretary, scientist, academic, author, entrepreneur, innovator and developer.
Henry Lowe describes himself as "a winner among equals" as he speaks admiringly of fellow Observer nominees Stafford and Marilyn Burrowes of that sparkling tourism gem, Dolphin Cove; energetic young John Minott Jr of Jamaica Standard Products; Peter McConnell who has transformed his orchards into a year-round refresher called Trade Winds Citrus Ltd; the elegant Charles Ross of Sterling Asset Management Ltd, and tourism trailblazers Ralph Roberts and Fred Junior Smith of Tropical Tours Ltd.
These are the names that we should repeat to one another, to remind ourselves that although Betty Ann Blaine and many of us are distressed by the level of crime and carelessness in our country - look at those lives lost on our roads - still, we have much to be proud of.
On Thursday we heard the prime minister and Leader of the Opposition paying tribute to the late Ray Hadeed, founder of Serv-Wel. This gentleman set up his factory and provided jobs for inner-city dwellers. Manufacturing in this country has never been easy, yet he stayed faithful to his enterprise and his people for over half a century.
So Betty, we feel your pain, but we cannot throw out the baby with the bath water, especially since this baby happens to be an electoral system that investors take into account when they are rating our stability. To rephrase Yeats, we should tread softly, lest we disrupt the dreams of our courageous achievers.
lowriechin@aim.com
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