Caribbean News

Jamaican Medical student lauds PATH for scholarship

Published

7 years ago

October 31, 2017

#Jamaica, October 31, 2017 – Kingston – First-year medical student at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, Jinelle Henry, has lauded the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) for not only assisting her through the secondary years but also giving her a scholarship to help fund her Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree. Ms. Henry, 21 years old, is the eldest of five children for her mother, Latoya Williams, a vendor from South Hampton, St. Elizabeth.

In an interview with JIS News after she was awarded by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security during their 15^th Anniversary Scholarship Awards ceremony on October 27, Ms. Henry, who has been on PATH for years, said the scholarship she received has gone a far way in allowing her to officially begin on her path to becoming a medical doctor.

“PATH was really good, especially in high school, because I got lunch every day in grades 10 and 11. It was not anything to be ashamed of. Basically, scholarships sent me to school. In the summer before school opened, I used to walk and drop off letters seeking grants,” Ms. Henry, a graduate of Hampton School in Malvern, says.

“I’m really excited (about the scholarship), because if I never got it from PATH, then I wouldn’t be able to continue school. I feel good that my University school fee has been paid. I could not afford the $3.5million per year without the subsidy. I now pay approximately $624,000 per year with the subsidy from the Government,” she adds.

Becoming a medical doctor is not the career Ms. Henry initially wanted, but must pursue this course of studies given that she hopes to become one of Jamaica’s future forensic pathologists – professionals who determine the cause of death by the examination of corpses.

“I knew I wanted to become a forensic pathologist when I started volunteering at St. Ann’s Bay Hospital where my father, Barrington Henry, works as a porter, and at May Pen Hospital where my aunt works. My father said they were bringing people in to be pathologists, and I wanted to fill the gap. At first, I wanted to become a teacher, but since grade 10 when I began specialising, I started doing biology. I really liked the sciences, as they challenged me,” Ms. Henry notes.

Her dream of starting the MBBS was delayed last year, as she was not accepted for the programme.

“It works on a point system. I missed the subsidy by one point and I did not get in, so this is my second year of university, but first year of medicine. I was doing a pure and applied science degree as an alternative to transfer into medicine,” the determined and self-motivated student tells JIS News.

At the end of her first year at UWI, Mona, she achieved a grade point average (GPA) of 3.42, reapplied and was accepted. Ms. Henry says ever since she was a student at Mount Osbourne Primary School in St. Elizabeth, she knew she had to aspire for greatness to lead herself and her family out of poverty.

“I was a bookworm and still am. I always had my books, even on summer holidays. Life wasn’t easy. Because my mother had five of us, and I am the eldest, I had to help my mother with everything. It wasn’t easy, but I managed,” she says.

Ms. Henry also lauds her church family and Hampton School’s Old Girls’ Association for assisting her through the early years.

“I am a church person and I used to attend the Leeds Church of God in St. Elizabeth often. My church was very involved in my life,” she says.

In addition to PATH’s 15^th anniversary scholarship, Ms. Henry notes that she has been awarded grants from Hampton School’s Old Girls’ Association, a Peace and Love academic scholarship, and grants from the Portia Simpson Miller Foundation in 2016 and 2017. She says her next goal after becoming a medical doctor is to elevate her family from poverty, especially her mother.

“My mother has been the rock and supports me all the time,” Miss Henry tells JIS News.

PATH is an initiative of the Government, with support from donor partners, such as the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank and other multilateral and bilateral agencies. The programme is aimed at delivering benefits by way of cash grants to the poorest and most vulnerable persons in the society.

The programme is administrated by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, which has responsibility to provide policy direction, guidance and coordination to the programme. Networking is done through 13 parish offices.

The main objectives of PATH are to increase educational attainment and improve health outcomes of the poor by breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty; alleviate poverty by increasing the value of transfer to the poor; reduce child labour by requiring children to have minimum attendance in school, and serve as a safety net by preventing families from falling further into poverty in the event of adverse shock. As at June 2017, 70.62 per cent of registered PATH beneficiaries were children up to 18 years.

In celebration of its 15^th year of service to the people of Jamaica, PATH has offered tertiary scholarships valued at $15 million to beneficiaries pursuing bachelor’s degrees in accredited institutions, to assist in covering the cost of their tuition and books.

The scholarships were made available to PATH beneficiaries who had been recipients for at least the last three years of secondary school, had attained grade-one passes in at least eight Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) subjects, including Mathematics and English Language, and had either received a letter of acceptance to commence their courses of study in September 2017 or were already pursuing their studies and had a GPA of at least 2.5 during the last academic year.

Seventeen beneficiaries pursuing bachelor’s degrees in law, medicine, actuarial science, engineering, chemistry, plant biology and psychology received scholarships. The funds will be disbursed over a period of up to three years, with the condition of the recipients maintaining a GPA of at least 2.5.

By: Ainsworth Morris (JIS)

Caribbean News

CHTA President Praises Jamaica’s Hurricane Preparedness, Assures Ongoing Support

Published

7 days ago

July 19, 2024

Deandrea Hamilton

KINGSTON, Jamaica– President of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), Nicola Madden-Greig, has praised the strength of local and regional public-private sector partnerships, while congratulating tourism stakeholders across Jamaica for their strong level of preparedness in weathering the dangerous Category 4 Hurricane Beryl, which impacted the island this week.

“Jamaica was spared the worst of the hurricane and we have now returned to regular business operations,” said Madden-Greig, who rode out the storm at her office in Kingston. She reported that Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay and Ian Fleming International Airport in Ocho Rios opened today, while Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston will open on Friday, July 5, after minor repairs are completed.

“We have no reports of any guests being injured during the passage of the storm, and the majority of the hotels and the tourism industry in general have emerged unscathed,” Madden-Greig added.

However, she expressed concerns for the south coast of the island, where many local communities were impacted, along with several independent hotels and villa operations.

“We will be including these operators in our disaster relief efforts, particularly in the Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth area,” she noted, explaining however that she had little doubt that this resilient community will rebound in the shortest possible time.

The trade association leader was encouraged with the reports emanating from the Cayman Islands, which confirmed no major impact on the sector there. “We are thankful to God for sparing us for the most part, and we are now resolved to getting our industry back on track, while serving communities (especially those in the Grenadines) who are in dire need at this time,” said Madden-Greig.

Individuals, businesses and organizations that want to contribute to regional hurricane relief efforts may make a monetary donation at www.chtaef.com.

Caribbean News

CARICOM raising profile and priority of its Migration Policy; curbing challenges ‘a tall order’

Published

7 days ago

July 19, 2024

Deandrea Hamilton

Garfield Ekon

Staff Writer

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is committed to work with Member States and other stakeholders to implement a “forward-thinking regional migration policy,” according to its Assistant Secretary General, Alison Drayton.

Addressing the opening of a recent three-day workshop titled “Towards a Regional Approach to a Migration Policy in the Caribbean,” in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, she said it is evident that the Region has been facing, and will continue to face, various challenges that affect the lives and livelihoods of Caribbean citizens.

“Namely, due to Climate Change, which has amplified displacements and the need for persons to migrate from areas that threaten their livelihoods or limit their opportunities to prosper and provide for their families,” the ASG told the forum, adding that the Climate Change and natural disasters remain “key drivers of displacements in the Region.”

“With the frequency and magnitude of events likely to increase in the future, this has contributed to many regional States facing demographic decline, which has impacted their workforce, our younger population seeking job opportunities outside the Region, and many key sectors being negatively impacted,” she stated.

The CARICOM official underscored that tackling the challenges would be “a tall order,” hence the Regional body’s commitment that would help address various aspects of Regional migration and human mobility as determined by Member State priorities.

Lauding the Government of Trinidad and Tobago for hosting the workshop, and the and valuable technical contributions made by the United Nations (UN) Migration Group and financial contributions from the United States Department of State, the European Union, and the Inter-American Development Bank, she said the their efforts have been significant.

The contribution made by International Organization for Migration (IOM), has advanced the policy, with provision of consultancies to coordinate the Community’s work through the Regional Approach to Migration Policy (RAMP) Steering Committee and development of the framework, she highlighted.

For Trinidad and Tobago’s National Security Minister, the Hon. Fitzgerald Hinds, his country is also committed to contributing to the development of a regional migration policy framework that reflects the priorities of the people of the Caribbean Community.

“As we embark on this journey together, let us harness the expertise, the insights and the experiences that we already have among us as we gather here today to shape the policy framework that is in front of us,” the Minister said, adding that the current migration realities “should prepare us for future challenges.”

The technical workshop brought together National Focal Points from the CARICOM Member States, and representatives of relevant regional and international organisations, building on IOM’s Migration Governance Indicator (MGI) assessments, and other consultations held with national Governments of CARICOM Member States in 2023.

Caribbean News

Government Earmarks $300M for Post-Hurricane Dengue Mitigation

Published

7 days ago

July 19, 2024

Deandrea Hamilton

#Kingston, Jamaica, July 19, 2024 – The Government has earmarked $300 million to ramp up dengue mitigation activities, inclusive of fogging, treatment of mosquito breeding sites, removal of bulky waste and drain cleaning, in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl.

Addressing the House of Representatives on Tuesday (July 16), Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, said the funds have been allocated to the Ministry of Health and Wellness, which will spearhead vector-control activities over the next six weeks.

He further informed that the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) and National Works Agency (NWA), “are technically involved in this dengue mitigation [exercise] by trying to clear the environmental conditions that would create the growth in the vector”.

Mr. Holness highlighted the potential for a significant increase in the dengue vector, the Aedes aegpyti mosquito, which breeds primarily in containers, consequent on the hurricane’s passage.

“We know that many communities are being plagued by the increase in the mosquito population… and other vectors [such as] roaches, rats and flies. Therefore, the cleanup and removal and clearing of waterlogged areas is of critical importance,” he emphasised.

The Prime Minister noted that the hot summer conditions, along with rainfall, will further contribute to heightening the possibility of an increase in these vectors and the transmission of diseases.

As such, he appealed to Jamaicans to properly store water in covered containers and destroy mosquito breeding sites around their homes.

“I urge all homeowners who are storing water and… leaving the containers open, that an easy way to control the growth of the mosquito population in your households is to cover the containers,” Mr. Holness said.

He pointed out that the NSWMA will shortly announce a schedule for the removal of bulky waste from homes.

Prime Minister Holness further indicated that the NWA will be actively cleaning various gullies.

Dengue symptoms include fever, headache, and joint and muscle pains. These are often resolved through rest and adequate hydration along with the use of paracetamol to treat the accompanying fever.

Contact: Chris Patterson

Release: JIS