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#MeToo hits Haiti, UK Charity exposed in sex scandal, President to launch investigation of all foreign aide groups

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Haiti, February 13, 2018 – Haiti will launch investigations into all foreign aide organizations operating in the country after the details of another #metoo scandal broke a day ago, involving the people of Haiti and the charity from the United Kingdom.

News articles online are exposing that a UK charity, Oxfam, once headed by a slew of what could only be described as serial sex-abusing executives was engaged with prostitutes.

President of Haiti, Jovenel Moise was on the record with the BBC, he condemned the actions of Oxfam, which set up in Haiti in 2011 to offer support in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake which killed 300,000 people there.

Okfam is now embroiled in this newest ‘MeToo’ scandal which is attracting international attention and generating new news reports hourly on the shocking behavior of its leaders, though the cases date back seven years.

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One woman reporting to the BBC said the local people knew Oxfam was a sham, that it was exploiting the natives and having sexual relationships with every, and anyone.  She listed employees and prostitutes as those caught up in the sexual affairs and said the money being collected, was not for helping Haitians, it was for living it up in a lavish lifestyle.

Oxfam, established since 1942 is a confederation of 19 charities and has as its mantra the ‘power of people against poverty’.  A BBC report reveals that ‘Oxfam received £31.7m from the UK government, ($44m USD) which is about a quarter of a percent of what the government spends on foreign aid each year.  The charity had a total income of £409m last year, of which £176m came from government and other public authorities.  Of the rest, £108m came from donations and legacies and £91m from sales in its shops.’

Oxfam is not obviously not denying the allegations.  In fact, the organization has confirmed that the sexual misconduct happened and in 2011 terminated the executives and employees guilty of the offenses.

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The Deputy Chief Executive of Oxfam, Penny Lawrence, on Monday resigned saying she was ashamed and accepted responsibility for what happened on her watch.  Oxfam also met with the British government which has reportedly threatened to pull funding and demanded all documentation on the sex cases.  The scandal has also elicited an EU warning.

But that is it so far.  The crime of misappropriating funds, of using donor money to finance their sex-crazed lifestyles and the set back of using people ill-equipped to bring the rebound which Haiti needs, remains unpunished said one news report.

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President Moise tweeted a stern message on Monday, “There is nothing more outrageous and dishonest than a sexual predator who uses his position as part of the humanitarian response to a natural disaster to exploit needy people in their moment of greatest vulnerability,” he said.  “What happened with Oxfam in Haiti is an extremely serious violation of human dignity,” he said in another tweet.

A main figure in this foreign aide mess is a man who had been put out of other organizations for similar behavior and who was reported upon for years, with no one stepping in or stopping him.

Roland Van Hauwermeiren had been forced out of aide organizations in Liberia, Chad and in Haiti in 2011 after admitting that he entertained prostitutes at his Oxfam funded villa.  Still, Van Hauwermeiren was repeatedly re-hired and went on from his post in Haiti to work in Bangladesh as the director of Action Against Hunger, a French charity.

Some believe the repercussion for those who admitted to these acts were not harsh enough, and also charge that the charities are not doing thorough enough background checks on the individuals which staff the institutions.

Haitians learning of the level of ‘insatiable debauchery’ by Oxfam workers and leaders are furious, said another report.

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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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