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JAMAICA: JBI Provides $4.8 Million in Scholarships

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#Kingston, May 3, 2019 – Jamaica – The Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI) has granted $4.8 million in scholarships to eight students attending the Portland-based College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE).  The two-year scholarships, valued at $600,000 each ($300,000 per year) are being provided under the inaugural JBI/Alcan Rio Tinto Legacy Fund Scholarship Programme. The awards cover the cost of tuition, boarding, meals, among other things.

Beneficiaries are students residing in JBI greenhouse cluster areas in Clarendon, Manchester, St. Ann, St. Catherine and St. Elizabeth.  Six of the eight scholarship recipients have already been identified and began studies in the 2018/2019 academic year. The other two students, who are yet to be chosen, are slated to begin studies in September.

Transport and Mining Minister, Hon. Robert Montague, in his remarks at the signing ceremony held at his St. Andrew office on Thursday (May 2), said that the scholarship programme is an investment in the country’s future.   

“The investment is being made in these eight young farmers and this is speaking to sustainability, not only of the greenhouse cluster projects, but also the sustainability of the communities. This scholarship will put you on a pathway that opens the whole world to you,” he told the students.

Mr. Montague encouraged them to use their education “to unlock the potential of indigenous herbs and spices and create new markets for these crops”.

“Don’t be constrained in the traditional way of how you think of agriculture. Think of the linkages in agriculture; think of how you can process and extract and break new ground. As a young farmer, it means you can break down the barriers, plough new fields and develop new ideas,” he pointed out.

In his remarks, Acting Director of the JBI, Dr. Hugh Lambert, encouraged the awardees to give back to their communities.

“When you graduate, we hope that you are going to go back and help to improve on the scientific delivery of agricultural knowledge to our farmers,” he said.

Scholarship recipient, Shanile Scott, who said she has always had a love for plants, told JIS News that her ambition is to go into agro-processing. 

“To get this scholarship, I am very grateful because it is a very big opportunity for me to (pursue) my passion for agriculture,” she said.

Allister Gardener said he is excited by the opportunities in agriculture and is interested in combining this with his interest in pharmaceutical sciences.

“Seeing that JBI has invested in me, I will make it a point of duty to make them proud… . Agriculture is life… . It is very interesting and I see that I can make a very good living from agriculture,” he noted.   

The scholarship programme was created to facilitate sustainability of the JSIF/JBI Water Harvesting and Greenhouse Cluster Project, which is administered under the Bauxite Community Development Programme (BCDP).  Beneficiaries are students pursuing the Associate Degree in General Agriculture at CASE with special focus on greenhouse production and management.

Under the tenets of the agreement, the students will be required to complete 200 hours of work study at greenhouse sites in their respective parishes during each year of study. They will also have the opportunity to operate their own greenhouses following graduation.

Funding for the scholarship awards is being provided by the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ).

Contact: Rochelle Williams

Release: JIS

Photo Captions:

Header: Transport and Mining Minister, Hon. Robert Montague (left), speaking with award recipients under the inaugural Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI)/Alcan Rio Tinto Legacy Fund Scholarship Programme at the signing ceremony at the Ministry’s office in St. Andrew on Thursday (May 2). The students, who attend the Portland-based College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE), are (from left) Brittany Wisdom; Shevene Gibson; Allister Gardener; Shanile Scott; Rodane Nuwell and Lataneil Hamilton. 

Insert: Transport and Mining Minister, Hon. Robert Montague (right), signs documents for the inaugural Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI)/ Alcan Rio Tinto Legacy Fund Scholarship Programme at his office in St. Andrew on Thursday (May 2). Also signing are first-year General Agriculture student at the College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE),  Shanile Scott (second right); and Acting Director, Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI), Dr. Hugh Lambert. Observing is Administrator of the Bauxite Community Development Programme (BCDP), Dr. Dianne Gordon. 

Y. Hutchinson Photos

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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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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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