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Fallen War Servicemen & Servicewomen Remembered in Jamaica

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#Jamaica, November 11, 2017 – Kingston – The nation will, on Sunday, November 12, honour the memory of the fallen servicemen and servicewomen of World Wars I and II at the annual Remembrance Day ceremony, which will be held at National Heroes Park in Kingston.   Traditionally, Remembrance Day is observed on the second Sunday in November, and its primary purpose is to celebrate those who gave their service and ultimately their lives in the two world wars.

On November 8, 1915, the first Jamaican contingent under the command of Major W.D. Neish was sent off to serve in the First World War.   Some 4,000 to 5,000 Jamaicans were involved in the two wars, some of whom served in the Royal Air Force while others joined the ground forces of the British Army and the Canadian Armed Forces.

General Secretary of the Island Council for the Jamaica Legion, Lieutenant Colonel Desmond Clarke, one of the organisers of the event, tells JIS News that the day’s activities are worth celebrating by all Jamaicans, because these not only recognise servicemen and servicewomen who served during the world wars but those who died while on the battlefield, and offers motivation to servicemen and servicewomen who currently serve the nation.

“We will have the traditional service with the laying of wreaths at National Heroes Park, and other activities in St. Thomas, Portland, St Ann’s Bay, Manchester and Montego Bay and Port Maria. We expect some veterans who have served to be present also,” Mr. Clarke says.

Expected to lay wreaths at the National Heroes Park are the Governor-General,  Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, Chief Justice, Mayor of Kingston, Chief of Defence Staff, Commissioner of Police, representatives from the Diplomatic Corps, the Commissioner of Corrections and Chairmen of the Jamaica Legion and the Royal Air Force.

The public is being urged to show their support for the military men and women who are veterans and also those who gave their lives serving by attending the services in each parish. Some services will close with a parade of uniformed groups.

Mr. Clarke tells JIS News that some 40 ex-servicemen and ex-servicewomen are expected to attend the ceremony.

Meanwhile, former soldier who fought in World War II as a Royal Air Force member, Mr. Stanley Atkinson, tells JIS News that he is pleased to know that Jamaica still remembers the contribution ex-servicemen and ex-servicewomen made, although he will not be able to attend the ceremony on Sunday.

“It’s good to know that we are still being recognised.   People keep reminding me, otherwise I would have forgotten it long ago,” Mr. Atkinson, who is 94 years of age, says.   He went to World War II with two of his brothers, one of whom he never saw again after the war ended.

On the other hand, his neighbour, Retired Jamaica Defence Force Sergeant, Peter Williams, will be attending the Remembrance Day event to offer his support.

“I am pleased to know that Jamaica still recognises the hard work and sacrifices that were made decades ago by those servicemen and servicewomen,” he tells JIS News.

Mr. Williams is one of hundreds of persons who sell poppies through the annual National Poppy Appeal to raise funds to maintain Curphey Home in Newport, Manchester, which is a residential facility for indigent ex-servicemen and ex-servicewomen, and assists with the welfare of other ex-servicemen across the island.

Additionally, Curphey Home, which was founded in 1958, is the only establishment of its kind in Jamaica that provides food, clothing and nursing for ex-servicemen and ex-servicewomen on a daily basis.

“It is very important for Jamaicans to support the National Poppy Appeal. These ex-servicemen and ex-servicewomen are in need, and it is only through our financial donations that they can be assisted,” Mr. Williams tells JIS News.

By: Ainsworth Morris (JIS News)

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New Tilapia Hatchery Slated for Completion Later This Year

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#Kingston, Jamaica, March 27, 2024 – The new tilapia hatchery under construction in Twickenham Park, St. Catherine, is slated for completion towards the end of 2024.

The 12,000 sq. ft. facility, being built at a cost of approximately $574 million, is intended to address the major issue of shortages in good-quality seed stock for fish farmers islandwide.

Manager for the Promoting Community-based Climate Resilience in the Fisheries Sector Project, Selena Ledgister, says the hatchery’s establishment is critical for securing a sustainable fisheries sector.

“Construction is on in earnest and we are looking before the year is out – which would be by around September or October – to complete the building part of it. The Project will be supporting the purchase and installation of the recirculating aquaculture system. This system will provide over five million advanced fries (young fish) per year, using the recirculating aquaculture system,” she told JIS News.

The bio-secure climate-resilient modular hatchery, being developed in partnership with the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), will feature a solar standby generator, plumbing system, rehabilitated guard host and administrative building.

Mrs. Ledgister said the hatchery, to be built and operated under environmentally friendly conditions, will impact the lives of fish farmers islandwide.

“I believe we have over 120 aquaculture farmers, and that number is growing; so, this will benefit the industry significantly. The hatchery is also expected to cushion the demand for fish. Fish farmers will also get the supply of advanced fries to restock their ponds. This is a significant impact that the Climate Resilience Project, as well as JSIF, will be creating for the Jamaican fish farmers,” she said.

 

Contact: Twila Wheelan

Release: JIS

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Trust Fund for Poor Children Born On or After August 6, 2022

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#Kingston, Jamaica, March 27, 2024 – Children born on or after the 60th anniversary of Jamaica’s Independence, who are wards of the State or beneficiaries of the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH), will be eligible for the Jamaica 60 HOPE (Hope, Opportunity, Prosperity and Empowerment) For Children Trust Fund.

Jamaica celebrated its Diamond Jubilee on August 6, 2022.

In his contribution to the 2024/25 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives on March 21, Prime Minister, the Most. Hon. Andrew Holness, said the purpose of the Fund is to help to close the wealth gap and address the issue of intergenerational poverty by creating a trust account specifically catered to vulnerable children.

“The HOPE for Children Trust Fund will provide each eligible child with a long-term savings account funded through annual contributions from the Government. Parents, guardians or other donors will also be able to make deposits into the account for the future benefit of any specific child,” Mr. Holness said.

The accumulated funds, including interest, will be accessible on or after the child’s 18th birthday, for specific purposes such as education, purchase of a home or commercial property or investment in a business.

“The central idea behind the programme is to provide children with a lump sum to start them in life upon attaining adulthood. Our initial target is a lump sum of between $600,000 and $800,000, to be available on the 18th birthday of any eligible child,” Mr. Holness said.

He noted that the Government will also explore alternatives to establish and manage the Fund, adding that it could form part of the National Insurance Fund or be administered by private insurance companies.

“This is, I believe, a ground-breaking initiative to truly grapple with inequality in the society. From a historical perspective, there are many households who have no endowment in Jamaica, meaning that they can’t look towards anything bequeathed to them from their family. There is no asset being passed down to them from generation. The only way that they are able to create any wealth is through their labour, through the dint of their effort – literally pulling themselves up by their bootstraps,” Mr. Holness said.

The Prime Minister emphasised that as the economy grows, the Government has a responsibility to take instrumental and decisive steps to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty and correct structural inequalities.

“The intention here is great, the amount may be considered small, but it is the first step in the right direction to truly create a more equitable society,” Mr. Holness said.

 

Contact: Judana Murphy

Release: JIS

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Port Royal Museum to Open in May

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#Kingston, Jamaica, March 26, 2024 – The long-awaited Port Royal Museum is expected to be opened in May of this year, with the first exhibit set to be unveiled at the event.

Construction of the two-storey facility, which will be the first fit-for-purpose museum erected in Jamaica, was done at a cost of $788 million with funding from the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ).

Major work on the building was completed in December 2023, with finishing touches and furnishings left to be done.

Director of the National Museum Jamaica (NMJ), Dr. Jonathan Greenland, told JIS News in an interview that the new museum will replace the older and much smaller facility at Fort Charles.

“It didn’t touch all the subject areas… so we lobbied for the Port Authority to collaborate with us and develop a museum in Port Royal, and so they’ve actually constructed a huge building with restaurant facilities, lots of parking, multifunctional space and meeting rooms, shops and everything that a modern museum should have,” he said.

The museum will also be fully accessible to members of the disabled community with wheelchair ramps and an elevator.

Dr. Greenland added that the location of the museum is also of notable significance to the history of the sunken city.

“Right on the spot where the museum is going to be, there was a rebellion of the enslaved workers from the dockyard. The leader of the rebellion or uprising was a skilled bricklayer and when you look at the walls around the whole area where the dockyard used to be, he was probably involved in building that,” he said.

He further pointed out that the museum will present a new opportunity for the NMJ to attract even more visitors and facilitate cultural tourism.

“We’re very excited…. and you know Port Royal is a very interesting place and the history is fascinating. We always had loads of visitors from all around the world without doing any marketing whatsoever, and this is going to be a whole different level of merchandising, marketing and tourism. This is fascinating history and it’s going to be quite dramatic,” Dr. Greenland told JIS News.

 

Contact : Jermi-Lee Nelson

Release : JIS

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