Monthly Archives: December 2017

Thirty-five social enterprises, nurtured by the Social Enterprise Boost Initiative (SEBI) both as members of the SEBI incubator and the SEBI open network, have received their official Buy Social trademark, to assist prospective consumers in identifying their products, services and social missions.

The objective is to increase consumer demand and enhance the management of their enterprises. The Buy Social trademark and advertising campaign were launched at the Terra Nova All Suite Hotel in Kingston recently.

Saffrey Brown, General Manager, JN Foundation, said that the unique mark will signal to consumers that the business bearing it is a social enterprise.“When you buy from a social enterprise, you are choosing to spend your money with a business that is giving something back,” Brown explained. “They reinvest their profits to address the most pressing social issues in their community, such as unemployment.”

The project manager said that the four-month campaign which commenced earlier this month, will include advertising on television, radio and newspapers; as well as, on buses and digital billboards.

Scheed Cole, Manager of 360 Recycle Manufacturing, one of the social enterprises which will benefit from the initiative, said, “we are working with grassroots people, so that they can earn sustainable income. We need all the help we can get and, so I am in full support of Buy Social campaign.”

Located on Rousseau Road in the western zone of Kingston, 360 Recycle Manufacturing uses plastic bottles, Styrofoam and paper to create construction materials such as blocks, flower pots and sculptures.

“Once the Buy Social promotion starts, we will get in line with it, and as more people come to know the brand, we expect to create more business for us,” Cole said.

Charles Arumiselvam of Alpha Wear Ja, a unique fashion venture created by the Alpha Boys’ School in Kingston, pointed out that he expects the Buy Social campaign to help the venture.

Armiselvam said, “Alpha Institute is known as having a social mission; but, what the institute is not well known for is the business side of its operation; there, the Buy Social campaign will put us on the map of Jamaica.

“This is a great campaign. It is an important moment for Alpha Institute to be identified as a place where people can come and buy interesting products, and we are grateful to JN Foundation and SEBI to help promote us into the marketplace,” Arumiselvam said.

To be used by the social enterprise practitioners initially in Jamaica, the trademark will be subsequently promoted across the wider Caribbean region. The Buy Social trademark and social advertising campaign comprise the second phase of the SEBI project.

See the original article here!

Thirty-five social enterprises, nurtured by the Social Enterprise Boost Initiative (SEBI), have received their official ‘Buy Social’ trademark, which will assist prospective consumers to identify their products, services and social missions. The objective is to increase consumer demand and enhance the management of these enterprises. The Buy Social trade mark and advertising campaign were launched at the Terra Nova All Suite Hotel in Kingston on Thursday, November 30, 2017.
Saffrey Brown, general manager of JN Foundation said that the unique mark will signal to consumers that the business bearing it is a social enterprise.
“When you buy from a social enterprise, you are choosing to spend your money with a business that is giving something back. They reinvest their profits to address the most pressing social issues in their community, such as unemployment,” Brown explained.
She added that the four-month campaign to commence in this month will include advertising on television, radio and newspapers as well as, on buses and digital bill boards.
“We are working with grassroots people, so that they can earn sustainable income. We need all the help we can get, and so I am in full support of the Buy Social campaign,” said Scheed Cole, manager of 360 Recycle Manufacturing, one of the social enterprises that will benefit from the initiative.
 
Expansion plan
 
Located on Rousseau Road in the western zone of Kingston, 360 Recycle Manufacturing, uses plastic bottles, Styrofoam, and paper to create construction materials such as blocks, flower pots and sculptures. “Once the Buy Social promotion starts, we will get in line with it, and as more people come to know the brand, we expect it to create more business for us,” Cole said.
Charles Arumiselvam of Alpha Wear JA, a unique fashion venture created by the Alpha Boys’ School in Kingston, expects the Buy Social campaign to help the venture. “Alpha Institute is known as a having social mission but what the institute is not well known for is the business side of its operation. therefore, the Buy Social campaign will put us on the map of Jamaica,” he said.
“This is a great campaign. It is an important moment for Alpha Institute to be identified as place where people can come and buy interesting products, and we are grateful to JN Foundation and SEBI to help promote us into the market place,” Arumiselvam added.
The Buy Social trademark, to be used by the social enterprise practitioners initially in Jamaica, will be subsequently promoted across the wider Caribbean region.
The Buy Social trademark and social advertising campaign comprise the second phase of the SEBI project.
-K.H.

See the original article here!

A new report setting out the high cost to the nation’s health system to treat injuries from violence and road fatalities was launched yesterday at the Nigel Harris Council Room, University of West Indies Regional Headquarters in St Andrew.
According to the report — Cost of Care – The Burden of Violence-Related Injuries and Road Traffic Crashes to the Health Care System in Jamaica — showed that an estimated $12.6 billion was spent in 2014 to address violence-related injuries (VRI), road traffic crashes (RTC), as well as attempted suicide.
The study, which investigated the burden of VRIs and RTC to the health-care system in Jamaica, revealed that in 2014, hospitals across the country managed more than 25,000 cases of violence-related injuries, 13,000 road traffic crashes and 500 cases of attempted suicide.
It pointed out that the direct medical cost of VRIs was $3.6 billion and the indirect cost was $5 billion and that the total medical cost of VRIs was some $8.6 billion.
At the same time, the estimated direct medical cost for road traffic crashes was $1.4 billion, and the indirect productivity cost was $1.8 billion, bringing the total direct and indirect medical cost of RTC to $3.2 billion.
For attempted suicide, the direct medical cost was $400 million and the productivity cost was $400 million, resulting in a total direct and indirect medical cost of $800 million.
Dr Elizabeth Ward, one of the lead investigators of the study and chairman of the Violence Prevention Alliance, said that the study underscores the financial impact that violence-related injuries and road traffic crashes were having on the health sector.
“As a country, we need to develop new strategies to reduce these injuries. We need to have a multi-sectoral approach, involving both government and non-governmental organisations and all aspects of health, education, security, youth development, housing and business development,” she noted.
The study was conducted by the Violence Prevention Alliance (VPA), The University of the West Indies, the University Hospital of the West Indies and the Mona GeoInformatics Institute. It was funded by the JN Foundation and the National Health Fund.
Parris Lyew-Ayee Jr, director, JN Foundation, said the organisation, a member of The Jamaica National Group, welcomed the opportunity to co-fund this research project because of its significance to citizens in the society, and the fact that it is consistent with one of the long-term objections of the foundation, which is to: enhance the health, safety and medical care of all Jamaicans.
“I am positive that the research will provide us with useful data, which will be adequately used to educate our young people and adults, pedestrians and motorists how, through better road use, everyone can contribute to reducing patient cost in hospitals across our country,” he said.
Everton Anderson, chief executive officer of the National Health Fund, said that the agency was equally happy to co-fund the research, which has provided quality data that will inform the Government and the health sector.
According to the report, the average cost to treat a VRI from gunshot wounds is $400,000; stab wounds and lacerations $190,000; and blunt injury, $120,000.
For RTC, the average cost to treat a motorcyclist was $260,000; for pedestrians $170,000; pedal cyclists, $120,000; and $94, 000 for passengers travelling in a car.
VPA director William Mahfood noted that the country’s expenditure on VRI and RTC amounts to almost 50 per cent of the revenue of the Wisynco Group, which he heads.
“It is a huge amount of money, and we can no longer as a country allow these issues to keep building and building. Problems like this, we have to deal with them head-on. I know that there are a number of initiatives that the Government is undertaking,” Mahfood said.
“At the end of the day the combined effect on GDP of these two areas is about two per cent, so if we want to get growth in Jamaica we need to deal with the impact of, one the cultural change in the way people drive,” he continued.
Heath Minister Dr Christopher Tufton, who was quick to point out that the data revealed the burden on society from trauma-related cases link VRI and RTC, said persons will now appreciate in a substantial way the impact of this particular type of trauma.

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It is costing the Jamaican health sector a staggering $12.6 billion per year on average to cover medical care for persons needing treatment for violence-related injuries and road traffic crashes.
The figure represents 36 per cent of the annual national hospital budget, according to the latest findings of a cost of care study.
The study – consisting of data, collected during the period April-May 2014, which investigated the effect of VRIs and RTCs on the health sector – revealed that in that single year, hospitals across the country managed more than 25,000 cases of violence-related injuries, 13,000 road traffic crashes, and 500 cases of attempted suicide.
The direct medical cost associated with suicide and attempted suicide was $0.4 billion, and the productivity cost was $0.4 billion, resulting in a total direct and indirect medical cost of $0.8 billion.
In addition, it also pointed out that the direct medical cost associated with violence-related injuries stood at $3.6 billion and the indirect cost at $5 billion, while the total medical cost linked with such violence-related injuries was $8.6 billion.
Health minister Christopher Tufton stated that there was no way the health sector would be able to sustain the high level of financing for such care given the insufficient funding of his ministry.
“Public health is underfunded. We have not been able to keep up with the pace of the demands on our public-health system. I don’t think anybody can argue otherwise. I do think it’s important to be truthful and sincere about it,” he said.
“But when you place in context the preventable issues that the public-health sector has to deal with, and according to the study, total estimated cost of violence-related injuries was some 59 per cent of the total ministry of health goods and services, it again brings into sharp focus why issues of prevention, as opposed to curative issues, are key,” Tufton reasoned.
High school students tinker with suicide to solve problems
A cost of care study conducted from April-May 2014 shows that it costs on average $400,000 to treat a gunshot victim, and $190,000, a victim of stab wounds and lacerations. An injury to someone from a blunt object carries with it a cost of $120,000 to access treatment per year.
Seven hospitals were covered in the study: the Kingston Public Hospital, the Bustamante Hospital for Children, the Spanish Town Public Hospital, the University Hospital of the West Indies, the Cornwall Regional Hospital, the St Ann’s Bay Hospital, and the May Pen Hospital.
The study was conducted by the Violence Prevention Alliance, the University of the West Indies, the University Hospital of the West Indies, and the Mona GeoInformatics Institute and was funded by the Jamaica National Foundation and the National Health Fund.
Tufton also noted that while injuries associated with violence and motor vehicle crashes provided a strain on the finances of his ministry, it was telling that there could be another challenge in the form of attempted suicide.
 
Suicidal solution
 
Another disturbing element having an impact on public health care delivery in Jamaica, Tufton said, is the issue of attempted suicide, which was underlined by a national survey undertaken recently by the National Council on Drug Abuse.
This study, Tufton said, revealed that children of high school age tinker with the idea of committing suicide as a mechanism to deal with their problems.
JN Foundation director Parris Lyew-Ayee said that it was important to co-fund the research given its importance to the Jamaican society, as well as the fact that it was in line with one of the long-term objectives of the foundation, which is to enhance health and safety for all Jamaicans.

See the original article here!

Thirty-five Social Enterprises, which have been nurtured by the Social Enterprise Boost Initiative (SEBI) both as members of the SEBI incubator and the SEBI open network, have received their official “Buy Social” trademark, to assist prospective consumers in identifying their products, services and social missions.

The objective is to increase consumer demand; and enhance the management of their enterprises. The “Buy Social” trade mark and advertising campaign were launched at the Terra Nova All Suite Hotel in Kingston on Thursday, November 30, 2017.

Saffrey Brown, General Manager, JN Foundation , said that the unique mark will signal to consumers that the business bearing it is a social enterprise.

“When you buy from a social enterprise, you are choosing to spend your money with a business that is giving something back,” Ms. Brown explained. “They reinvest their profits to address the most pressing social issues in their community, such as unemployment.”

The project manager said that the four-month campaign, to commence in December, will include advertising on television, radio and newspapers; as well as, on buses and digital bill boards.

Scheed Cole, manager of 360 Recycle Manufacturing, one of the social enterprises which will benefit from the initiative, said “we are working with grass roots people, so that they can earn sustainable income. We need all the help we can get and so I am in full support of Buy Social campaign.”

Located on Rousseau Road in the western zone of Kingston, 360 Recycle Manufacturing, uses plastic bottles, Styrofoam and paper to create construction materials such as blocks, flower pots and sculptures.

“Once the “Buy Social” promotion starts, we will get in line with it, and as more people come to know the brand, we expect it to create more business for us,” Mr. Cole said.

Charles Arumiselvam of Alpha Wear JA, a unique fashion venture created by the Alpha Boys School in Kingston, pointed out that he expect the “Buy Social” campaign to help the venture.

“Alpha Institute is known as a having social mission; but, what the Institute is not well known for is the business side of its operation; therefore, the “Buy Social” Campaign will put us on the map of Jamaica,” he declared.

“This is a great campaign,” Mr. Arumiselvam said. “It is an important moment for Alpha Institute to be identified as place where people can come and buy interesting products, and we are grateful to JN Foundation and SEBI to help promote us into the market place.”

To be used by the social enterprise practitioners initially in Jamaica, the trade mark will be  subsequently promoted across the wider Caribbean Region. The Buy Social Trade Mark and Social Advertising Campaign comprise the second phase of the SEBI project.
-30-
Contact:  Dionne Rose l JN Corporate Communications l JN Bank l Tel: 936-3367 l Email: drose@JNGroup.coml