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JAMAICA: Melissa Preddie Turns Plastic Bottles Into Gold

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#Kingston, February 28, 2019 – Jamaica – It is said that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.  This is true for entrepreneur Melissa Preddie, who has created a successful jewellery business by recycling plastic bottles.

Hair accessories were among the first items Aviola Accessories made utilising plastic bottles.

It was in 2012, after finding herself unemployed, that she thought of utilising the empty containers, which she had saved over time, to create items that persons would love and, hopefully, purchase.  

“I got the idea to do some research and see what I could come up with.  I started out making hair accessories, and then the demand for jewellery started, so I diverted to jewellery and now I am also doing art pieces,” Miss Preddie tells JIS News.  Out of ingenuity and creativity, her business, Aviola Accessories, was born.

Through the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC), Miss Preddie received a $60,000 grant, which she used to purchase materials, tools and equipment to start the jewellery line, and assistance to speed up production.

“I later became an affiliate with the Social Development Commission (SDC), and they helped with marketing and promotion. Whenever they would have outings in the Mandeville community where I am from, they would call me and I would go and set up (displays), so that persons could see what innovative ideas can come from just about anything,” Miss Preddie tells JIS News.

Penholder made by Aviola Accessories.

Through the SDC’s Local Economic Development Support Programme (LEDSP), she also benefited from a $50,000 grant and was able to grow her business even more.  She moved Aviola Accessories from Manchester to St. Andrew to better serve the growing customer base in the Corporate Area.

SDC Local Economic Development Coordinator for the parishes of Manchester and St. Elizabeth, Damian Lowe, says Aviola Accessories was among enterprises that received business development coaching.  He says that the small business stood out because “here is a young person taking up the mantle of not only looking about a business but caring for the environment”.

“Therefore, we wanted to be a part of this journey, through our Local Economic Development Support Programme,” he tells JIS News.

Aviola Accessories is now an LEDSP ambassador, and Miss Preddie will be sharing her story and experience in a more organsied and meaningful way to other aspiring business owners or persons, who are just starting a business.

“We are going to create a platform for a bigger buzz around Aviola Accessories, so that a greater audience can be reached, but also so that she can give back,” Mr. Lowe says.

Miss Preddie says being an LEDSP ambassador “is a wonderful feeling. I was ecstatic when I was told. It is a feeling of accomplishment at the same time, because when I started Aviola I didn’t foresee any of this happening, so to be chosen is really humbling”.

Aviola Accessories’ intricate jewellery, including earrings, bracelets, necklaces and rings, which can be customised, and art pieces, can be viewed on the business’ Facebook and Instagram pages under the same name.

Over the years, the company’s clientele has grown from women, who love jewellery and art, to now include men and anyone interested in environmentally friendly items. 

“I use the plastic bottles to make faux stones for the jewelry,” Ms. Preddie explains to JIS News.

She notes that “four years ago it was a challenge to convert buyers and sell the idea to them to buy sustainable and recyclable as opposed to buying precious stones. Fast forward to now, persons are now gravitating towards eco-friendly products. They are going green and it’s not just a thing, it’s a lifestyle. That is what my brand now promotes through its core values of lifestyle, environment and empowerment”.

Aviola Accessories also has corporate customers, including the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters’ Association (JMEA) for which it created a line of penholders utilsing plastic bottles and wood, and Couples Resorts, for which the business will be manufacturing eco-friendly jewellery in 2019. 

With no formal training in jewellery-making, Miss Preddie attributes her creativity to her late parents and grandmother. It was after her father’s passing that she learned of his own creative skills in upcycling glass bottles to create lanterns.  She pays homage to them through her brand, Aviola, which is an amalgam of all their names.


These lightweight Yolandé earrings are a popular item among Aviola Accessories customers.

As Miss Preddie looks to expand her business, she is hoping to carve out a niche in the corporate gifts and home décor markets.  She also wants Aviola Accessories to be seen as an environmental advocate.

“We want to move to the point where we are partnering with local, like-minded organisations such as the Jamaica Environment Trust to push the awareness of recycling to another level.  We see ourselves as advocates for recycling, not just locally but overseas.  We want to make people aware that even though there are other options, sustainability is the way to go because we have to preserve our environment in order for us to enjoy our planet earth that we love so much,” she tells JIS News.

By Charnele Henry

Release: JIS

Photo Caption: Chief Executive Officer and Creative Director of Aviola Accessories, Melissa Preddie, at a recent Social Development Commission (SDC) Farmers Fest in Mandeville, Manchester.

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Caribbean News

CARPHA Progresses to Eligibility for the First Disbursement of Pandemic Funding

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Following a landmark Public Signing Ceremony for the Pandemic Fund (PF) Technical Cooperation Agreement (“Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Prevention, Preparedness, and Response” [RG-T4387] Project) on December 14, 2023, in Trinidad, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) continues to progress towards the start of implementation.

 CARPHA fulfilled the IDB’s nine conditions prior to first disbursement, achieving full eligibility on March 15, 2024, and is now eligible for the first disbursement. This milestone achievement in just 3 months after the signing speaks to the commitment of both CARPHA, the Executing Agency, and IDB, the Implementing Entity, toward the regional PF project with the objective of supporting the reduction of the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean by building pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPR) surveillance & early-warning systems (EWS), laboratory systems and workforce capacity, regionally at CARPHA and in countries.

Since the signing of the Technical Cooperation Agreement and as part of the conditions prior to first disbursement, CARPHA has achieved the following key outputs (i) the development of the PF Project Operations Manual, Multi-annual Execution Plan, Procurement Plan, Financial Plan, Procedure for CARPHA’s Financial Reporting System; (ii) vacancy announcements for two tranches of consultants with the subsequent hiring of five (Technical Coordinator, Financial Specialist, Procurement Specialist, Operations Officer and Project Operations Coordinator) and (iii) the establishment of the Project Execution Unit (PEU) and Project Execution Steering Committee (PESC). The dedicated PEU will be responsible for execution according to its planned timelines, which will be led by the Dr. Lisa Indar, the Project Director (CARPHA’s Director of Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control Division).

 CARPHA, as the lead regional public health agency and an expression of Caribbean Cooperation in Health is mandated by its Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) to support its 26 CARPHA Member States (CMS) in bolstering national systems and coordinating regional response to public health threats. The Agency works closely with regional and international agencies and uses regional mechanisms, surveillance systems, and networks for coordinating its public health response work.

In July 2023, the PF Governing Board announced that CARPHA’s regional entity proposal, entitled ‘Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Strengthened Integrated Early Warning Surveillance, Laboratory Systems and Workforce Development’ was successfully selected for the first round of financing. It was one of only 19 proposals selected from over 300 submissions and the only regional project. The three priority areas in the proposal are: (i) Comprehensive disease surveillance and EWS, (ii) Laboratory systems and (iii) Human resources and public health and community workforce capacity.

This project is expected to begin implementation in March 2024, starting off with a blended onboarding session. A Stakeholder Meeting with countries is tentatively planned for July 2024.

CARPHA remains dedicated to working together with the IDB, CARPHA Member States and the Pandemic Fund to successfully implement the regional proposal geared toward reducing the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean.

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Caribbean News

Men who had Murdered Man, Marley Higgs’ cell phone face Court

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Wilkie Arthur

Freelance Court Correspondent

The prosecution intends to try two young North Caicos men, both age 21 for the offense of possession of property of a murdered man, property that was stolen and landed in their possession.

The phone belonged to Peureton ‘Marley’ Higgs, who is believed to have been an innocent gunned down at his apartment complex in the Glass Shack area in a spray of bullets on February 2 that killed another man and wounded two others, including a ten-year-old little girl.

The cell phone was described as white in colour, an iPhone, in a hard black case. 

On Monday, March 18th, JEFFVANO HANDFIELD of North Caicos pleaded not guilty to the offense, and the matter was adjourned to April 2024. He was granted bail in the matter.

A second North Caicos man was charged similarly.  

SARENO CAPELLAN aka, Kino Williams is the second individual brought before the court pertaining to the said cellphone. He appeared in court a week after JEFFVANO HANDFIELD, the date being Monday March 25th 2024.

The case for the Crown is that both men sometime in February of this year possessed the cellphone knowing or suspecting it to be stolen property.

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Caribbean News

Supreme Court Closed for Easter

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NOTICE is hereby given that the Easter Recess shall commence on Friday 29th April, 2024 and end on Friday 5th April, 2024. During the Easter Recess Judge Selochan will be available to deal only with matters that are urgent or require prompt attention.

Court Business During the Easter Recess

A person who wishes to have a matter heard during the recess must file a certificate of urgency along with an affidavit, which must set out the reasons why the matter is urgent or requires prompt attention. The matter will not be listed during the recess unless the Judge deems it fit for urgent hearing.

Opening Hours During the Easter Holiday

The Supreme Court’s last sitting day for the first term is Thursday 28th March, 2024. The Court will officially resume sittings on Monday 8th April, 2024. The Supreme Court Offices in both Grand Turk and Providenciales will continue to operate while the Court is not sitting during the recess.

The Court Office will be closed on the following public holidays:

  • Friday 29th March, 2024 (Good Friday) CLOSED
  • Monday 1st April, 2024 (Easter Monday) CLOSED

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