Monthly Archives: September 2020

The JN Foundation, through Water Project Jamaica, is inviting entrepreneurs, climate change activists, women, young people and members of the wider public to enter the JN Climate Innovation Challenge Competition.

The competition will be held over a two-day period, in the context of a boot camp, October 26 to 27. Interested persons are encouraged to submit their application by Sunday, October 11. Subsequently, eight applicants will be shortlisted for the competition. The application form can be accessed via the Water Project Jamaica website at www.waterprojectja.com.

Onyka Barrett Scott, general manager of the JN Foundation, said that the competition will identify suppliers and entrepreneurs who are providing solutions to climate related challenges, particularly solutions geared to residential and/or commercial industries and solutions addressing climate resilience generally, but with a special category focused on water adaptation.

“This challenge is designed to empower existing and aspiring entrepreneurs to ideate, plan for and develop lines of businesses that help to solve a climate related challenge; and overall, promote increased climate resiliency, particularly in the residential sector,” she explained.

She pointed out that the competition, will also provide specific avenues for women and youth-led climate resiliency businesses to participate.

Cornelia Walters-Jones, project manager, The Water Project Jamaica said the prizes are enticing, with a first prize of J$2 million; second prize, J$800,000; and third place, J$575,000. In addition, winners will be hosted for six months to a year, in an incubator or accelerator programmes at the Caribbean Climate Innovation Center in St Andrew.

The Water Project Jamaica is being administered by the JN Foundation. Its objectives are to facilitate the uptake of water adaptation measures in the housing sector across Jamaica. These include:  the use of rainwater harvesting systems; water efficient taps and showers; low-flush toilets; efficient irrigation systems; and grey water recycling facilities, as well as other appropriate efficiency measures.

Other objectives of the project are to increase climate resilient housing in Jamaica, through greater awareness about the business and financial cases involved in developing and building homes, with water efficient measures.

It is also aimed at promoting efficiency in the use of water by Jamaicans in their homes; improve the reliability of water supplies and thereby, enhance the country’s water security and climate resilience.

The competition is in line with the upcoming Climate Innovation Summit, which is scheduled to be held in Jamaica, March 2021.

The JN Foundation is offering 15 one-year tertiary scholarships to attend universities and colleges in Jamaica.

The deadline for the submission of application is October 5, and perspective applicants are invited to access the application on the JN Foundation’s website at https://www.jnfoundation.com/jn-scholarships/.

To be eligible for the scholarships, applicants must be: Jamaican; must have completed one year at one of the eligible institutions; and applicants should have a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0.

Other requirements are that applicants must have a relationship with a JN Group company for at least one year, either as: a member/customer or be a client of JN Bank, JN Fund Managers, JN General Insurance, JN Life Insurance, JN Small Business Loans, Jamaica Automobile Association or JN Money Services.

The applicant should be a student at any of the following institutions: The University of the West Indies; the Northern Caribbean University; the Edna Manley School of the Visual and Performing Arts; the College of Agriculture, Science & Education; or, the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean and Teachers’ Colleges.

Onyka Barrett Scott, general manager of the JN Foundation, said that one of the priority areas of the JN Foundation is education; and, that the Foundation welcomes the opportunity to contribute to molding young Jamaicans, to give them a chance to achieve their full potential.

“These scholarship offers are an investment in our future, because an educated population is the foundation of every community and the future of every economy,” she said.

These tertiary scholarships are the most recent education offering by the JN Foundation, which awarded 35 students with five-year scholarships in August, in recognition of their outstanding performance in this year’s Primary Exit Profile (PEP).

The PEP cohort consisted of one recipient from each parish and county, while 18 are children of employees of The Jamaica National Group. 

Concurrently, more than 100 other students, who are at various stages in their five-year scholarship award, had their scholarship renewed for the new school year.

Twelve-year-old Jayheem Cole does not allow challenges to daunt him. In fact, he gets a thrill from undertaking tasks that require problem solving. It is, therefore, no surprise that he readily immerses himself in the mental rigours of mathematics and chess.  Understandably, he wants to become a scientist.

“Chess is all about strategy. It makes you think. I like working out things,” he said, while maintaining that, playing chess is a good exercise for the brain.

Come October, Jayheem will be among scores of new students at Ruseas High School, where he earned a space, as a result of achieving a 333.5 placement score in the Primary Exit Profile (PEP). In recognition of his excellent performance, he was awarded a five-year scholarship from the JN Foundation and named the JN Foundation Scholar for the parish of Hanover.

The scholarship award was a dream fulfilled for Jayheem, who is a consistent ‘straight A’ student and emerged as the top boy at Green Island Primary. He was also among the top five boys in PEP for the parish of Hanover.

“I felt good getting a scholarship, because I studied hard and did well,” he explained.

A resident of Green Pond in Hanover, Jayheem was among 35 top PEP performers across the country, who have been declared JN Foundation Scholars. The cohort consists of one recipient from each parish and county, while 18 are children of employees of The Jamaica National Group.  Concurrently, more than 100 other students, who are at various stages in their five-year scholarship award, will have their scholarship renewed for the new school year.

Jayheem attributes his success to his adult sister, Saleem Johnson, and his mother, Marsha Grant, for helping him to prepare for the PEP.  He asserts that other students will also excel, if their parents are actively involved in their education.

“Parents should help them to study by giving them quizzes. They should give their children a good breakfast so they can learn well,” he suggested.

Jayheem’s mother, a secretary at a high school in the parish, concurs.

“I wanted him to do well. I sent him to extra lesson [classes].  He did not miss school unless he was sick. I follow up with him, to ensure that he does his homework.  He spends long hours studying.  He is a child who will do his work even if I’m not around.”

Ms Grant, a single parent, pointed out that Jayheem’s father passed away when he was four years-old and that she was quite elated when he was awarded a scholarship, which will relieve her of some of the expenses associated with his education.

“I’m really happy. I was feeling hungry when I got the news.  After that, I did not want anything to eat,” she said with a chuckle. “I am so proud of him. From basic school, he has been doing well. He is a brilliant child.”

When not focusing on schoolwork, Jayheem enjoys playing cricket and surfing the internet.

Since the inception of the JN Scholarship Programme in 1983, hundreds of students at the secondary level have benefitted.

Close to 300 scholarship applications were received via the JN Foundation’s website this year. However, as part of the eligibility for the scholarship, the child or parent was required to be a member, customer, or client of the Jamaica National Group for at least a year.