With prices climbing, from groceries to fuel, many households are feeling the strain. Inflation, higher interest rates and general economic uncertainty have made everyday budgeting more challenging than ever.
Rose Miller, financial education consultant with the JN Foundation, says the key to managing this period isn’t panicking; it’s planning.
“People can’t control inflation, interest rates or the price of fuel,” Mrs Miller stressed, “but what they can control is how they manage their financial resources to ensure they remain afloat.”
Her advice focuses on simple, practical steps that can help consumers reduce stress and stay financially grounded, even as economic pressure mounts.
Instead of worrying, she is encouraging households to redirect their energy towards what they can control, such as how they spend, borrow and save. Making intentional choices about these behaviours can have a meaningful impact on overall financial health.
Get Everyone on the Same Page
For households, communication is critical, she noted.
“If you’re in a household, you need to have a conversation and get everyone aligned and this is true whether there is a single or multiple incomes, but especially so for single income households.
“Everyone has to be on the same page about how money is being spent and the plan to get through this period.”
Without frank and honest discussions about the family’s finances, frustration and conflict can quickly arise, as a result of misaligned goals, behaviours and expectations, she added.
Revisit the Budget
“If budgeting has fallen by the wayside, now is the time to bring it back. We’re going back to the budget, and this time, we have to be very intentional,” Mrs Miller said.
That means closely examining daily spending habits, being more conscious about purchases, and paying attention to where and how money is being spent. Shopping smarter, exploring alternatives, and cutting back on non-essentials can help stretch household income further.
“Think about what you buy, where you shop, and whether there’s a more affordable option,” she advised.
And with interest rates likely to rise, Mrs Miller recommends exercising caution when it comes to new borrowing, especially for large purchases.
“This is not the time to rush into major loans if you can avoid it,” she advised. “Higher interest rates mean higher monthly payments, and more pressure on the budget.”
For those already struggling under the weight of existing debt, however, there may be relief options worth considering. She suggested debt consolidation as one possible strategy.
“If debt is already strangling your finances, consolidating could provide a lifeline,” she explained. “By extending the repayment period, you would be able to reduce your monthly payments and create some breathing room.”
Mrs Miller emphasised that financial stress doesn’t just come from money, but oftentimes from uncertainty.
“This is going to be a trying time for many people,” she stressed, “but with careful planning, you can reduce stress and put yourself in a better position to cope.”
Small steps taken now, adjusting spending, talking openly about finances, and managing debt responsibly can make a significant difference to our outcome.
“The goal isn’t perfection. It’s survival and stability and with the right approach, households can navigate this period of economic uncertainty with greater confidence,” Mrs Miller added.
In a rural rafting community of Berrydale District in Portland, the day starts at the river. Before school and chores, children are already absorbing the sights and movement of the water: tourists drifting past on rafts, neighbours greeting each other, and adults turning the shoreline into a workplace. For some families, the river is also a way to earn.
Montel Hill-Bryan, Lead – Driving Academy at the JN Foundation
Montel Hill-Bryan, Lead – Driving Academy at the JN Foundation, remembers how he and his brother used to pick yellow marigold flowers and tuck them into a drink bottle and weigh them down with a few pebbles. Then they would swim out to meet the rafts as tourists floated by, presenting the makeshift bouquet with the pride of boys who understood that even a simple gift could carry meaning.
“The tourists were always impressed,” he recalled, often tipping them. Mr Hill-Bryan said the small routine taught him an early lesson about rural survival: you look for opportunities where you are. In a place with few formal jobs and amenities, even a simple idea could bring in money.
At home, Mr Hill-Bryan said his mother set the tone: steady care, close supervision and a strong sense of looking out for others. He links that approach to rural life, where relatives and neighbours often share space and children grow up under watchful eyes.
His grandparents reinforced those ideas through everyday talk. His grandfather called bananas “green gold”, a reminder that land and farming could sustain a family.
In Vineyard Town, Kingston, Angela Walk (name change to protect identity), a JN Group member, said her weekdays ran on the clock. She awoke at 4:00 a.m. for an 8:00 a.m. start, helped her mother with breakfast, and got her siblings ready before heading to school. The city offered more services and entertainment, she said, but it also demanded more planning and, for her, more responsibility at home.
After school, she moved into another shift, homework, and then helping oversee two younger siblings, starting dinner, tidying up, and checking that their assignments were done before her mother returned.
On weekends, she sometimes went to her grandmother’s house and played Scrabble “as a way of building my vocabulary”. Other days she stayed in the neighbourhood for hide-and-seek, “stucky and pulley”, and bicycle races.
Together, their accounts show how daily life can diverge for Jamaican children based on where they grow up. In rural Portland, Mr Hill-Bryan’s memories centre on the outdoors, informal ways of earning, and adults teaching values through land and community. In Kingston, Miss Walk’s routine is defined by early mornings, school schedules, and helping to run a household, balanced by neighbourhood games and family visits.
Miss Walk said she associates country childhood with more daily contact with nature and tighter community networks, even if conveniences are farther away. She pointed to activities she connects with rural life: marble games, cricket, fishing at the pond, animal caretaking and using the river for washing. In town, she said, schools, shops and entertainment are closer, but time was more structured.
Mr Hill-Bryan credits rural life with teaching empathy and generosity, and city life with reinforcing standards and resilience. The contrast, he said, is not just scenery; it is the kind of childhood a place produces.
He believes rural communities can benefit from more structure and accountability, while urban spaces could use more compassion and “humanity”. For children, the difference can be as basic as what wakes them up: a flowing river or an alarm set hours before sunrise.
Photo Caption: Members of the Corus International team, Amy Vu (left) and Emily Grose (second left), engage in conversation with Claudine Allen (centre), general manager of the JN Foundation; Omar Wright (second right), lead for environment and community development programmes at the JN Foundation; and Sanchia Merchant, community liaison officer at the Social Development Commission, during a medical mission at Wakefield Baptist Church in Trelawny on April 18.
When representatives from the faith-inspired global organisation, Corus International, arrived in Jamaica in April, their goal was clear: to support recovery in action and document how their partnership with the JN Foundation has been aiding progress in communities rebuilding after Hurricane Melissa. However, being on the ground and engaging directly with community stakeholders has not only provided them with valuable perspective but deepened their appreciation of both the challenges and the impact of ongoing efforts.
Working alongside the JN Foundation and St John Ambulance Jamaica, the Corus team, which has provided part funding for some of the initiatives, joined the medical mission to Wakefield, Trelawny on Saturday April 18. The outreach brought critical healthcare services directly to residents still feeling the effects of the category five hurricane that severely damaged western Jamaica last October.
Sixty-five people received medical attention during the mission, and residents were also given relief packages made possible through the combined support of Corus International and the JN Foundation.
Emily Grose, associate director for humanitarian programming at Corus International, said supporting Jamaica was not just about providing immediate relief, but also about investing in recovery efforts that help communities to build back better.
“Part of our mandate is that we are agile, we respond immediately and we provide lifesaving services, but we’re also dedicated to communities for their recovery as well,” she said noting that “Being on the ground and seeing the reality of the situation is truly such a different picture. Talking to people from the community, community representatives and the JN Foundation team, you really get a sense of how devastating the hurricane was and I can see how critical the services are and for our project and our team to show up in these moments.”
She emphasised that the partnership with the JN Foundation was a natural fit as their values closely align, making the collaboration not only strategic, but meaningful. Following the launch of its own appeal fund to support hurricane-affected communities after the major storm, Corus International engaged the JN Foundation to identify the most effective ways to deliver meaningful support to those in need.
“In discussing with JN Foundation, we found this was the approach they were taking, having done the needs assessments in the most affected parishes,” she said. “For Corus International, it’s always important for us not to come with a set of ideas in mind, but specifically to respond to the needs on the ground,” she further explained.
Corus International, headquartered in Washington DC in the United States of America, conducts humanitarian and development work in 30 countries across the Americas, Africa, Europe and Asia. Claudine Allen, general manager of the JN Foundation, said the donor team’s first-hand engagement in Jamaica validated what the JN Foundation has been reporting through its field operations. She confirmed that support from Corus International has enabled 12 of the more than 20 medical missions coordinated by the JN Foundation, and supported by several partners, across hurricane-affected parishes to date.
“Through Lutheran World Relief, a Corus International entity, their business is emergency and crisis response and so they were able to give us advice and financial support to expand the number of missions that we executed and they’ve come to Jamaica to be a part of the final phases of the execution,” she shared.
Underscoring the importance of continuing these activities, Ms. Allen said that while conditions have improved and “physical progress is visible” since the first mission, ongoing demand for health services persists.
“Being able to see a doctor is something we take for granted … There are many Jamaicans who don’t have the resources or don’t have the opportunity to go sit with a doctor and receive a check-up.”
This is the reality for 73-year-old Wakefield resident Mertelda Hemmings, who was first in line for the mission to the community, despite her home still damaged from the hurricane. The storm took her roof, which is currently covered with cardboard and damaged appliances and furniture, including a new television she received just before the disaster struck.
Ms. Hemmings, who lives alone with physical health challenges, said the initiative delivered more than healthcare. It also brought financial relief, as she is unable to afford regular visits to her doctor.
“I’m happy for this, that’s why I was number one in line,” she said. “Somebody told me about it while I was coming from church Sunday and as I woke up today, I spread my bed and came here. I appreciate it.”
Photo Caption: Omar Wright (left), lead, environment and community development at the JN Foundation observes construction taking place at the Blessed Assurance home for the vulnerable in St James operated by Mustard Seed Communities (MSC). The facility cares for adults and children with physical and developmental challenges. Showing the work being done to Mr Wright is Father Garvin Augustine, executive director, MSC. The home has received $1 million from the ISupportJamaica Fund to assist with restoration after it was severely damaged by Hurricane Melissa.
Even before survivors of the ferocious Category 5 Hurricane Melissa began to rebuild their lives, the JN Group was busy galvanising partners- Jamaicans overseas and friends of Jamaica- to be ready to support the rebuilding process.
As the hurricane bore down on the country, the Group reactivated the ISupportJamaica Fund for Hurricane Melissa, appealing to especially Jamaicans overseas to donate cash and in some cases, kind, to help families, institutions, vulnerable groups and the communities they once called home to persevere against the odds.
From organising packed concerts to contributions of cans of food, hygiene and emergency items; from remitting funds via JN Money to donating via issuportjamaica.com with a credit card, Jamaicans in the diaspora played their part in raising some $14 million to give families, friends and communities back home the opportunity to thrive again.
“The response was overwhelming”,
Paulette Simpson, executive, corporate affairs at the JN Group- a key mobiliser of JN’s efforts- reflected. Domiciled in the United Kingdom, she created a hub for well-wishers at JN’s representative office in the UK to package containers of items for shipping to their “island in the sun.”
Photo Caption: A member of the Jamaica Fire Brigade washes away mud and debris from a section of the Dudley Grant Demonstration Basic School in Catherine Hall, St James. Several homes, businesses and facilities were inundated by floodwaters in addition to being damaged by category 5 storm winds wrought by Hurricane Melissa. The JN Foundation, through the ISupportJamaica Fund and partnerships, organised and funded a workday to clean up the early childhood institution. The school is one of the facilities receiving focus for assistance from the donated funds managed by the Foundation.
“So many came, sharing their own personal stories of friends and family they had in Jamaica, whilst others had visited Jamaica and wanted to help, and they all simply brought whatever they could,” she remembered.
Establishing partnerships with bold and benevolent private companies and institutions overseas and Jamaica, the JN Group, through its JN Foundation has, since then, been diligently distributing the donated items and carefully investing the cash contributions into delivering medical aid and food to needy and remote areas, as well as supporting core groups.
“We earmarked 40 per cent of the cash donations to repair severely affected early childhood institutions, which have been important pillars in their communities,” outlined general manager of the JN Foundation, Claudine Allen. The schools included the Dudley Grant Demonstration Basic School in Catherine Hall, St James, which was the most severely affected of the institutions identified for assistance.
Photo Caption: A child accepts a gift from Santa in this photo moment captured during an event at the William Knibb Memorial High School on Sunday, December 21. It was organised and hosted by FYI Consultancy Group in collaboration with the JN Foundation for residents of Trelawny who were severely affected by Hurricane Melissa. Funds donated by mainly Jamaicans overseas to the ISupportJamaica Fund managed by the Foundation assisted to bring some Christmas joy to people who did not experience season as a result of the hurricane.
“Through our JN Circle chapters, affiliated organisations and volunteers, we mobilised people, investing several man-hours and services into restoring the schools. And although there is still much more to do, the institutions can continue to edify and nurture our children who are at the most vulnerable stages of their lives,” explained Ms Allen, adding that despite their importance to child development, early childhood institutions in Jamaica are mostly privately run and severely under-resourced.
The remainder of the cash contributions have been used to address the needs of children’s homes and places of safety in devasted areas, homes for the elderly and at-risk groups (30 per cent), and the remaining 30 per cent is being used to support first responders.
“We’ve identified the Trelawny Infirmary, the Blessed Assurance Apostolate in St James, and a women’s shelter to receive assistance with rebuilding,” Ms Allen said. “Thirty per cent of the donations will also assist police youth clubs and JN Circle chapters with supporting community outreach efforts.”
Photo Caption: A resident of the Blessed Assurance home for the vulnerable in St James has his vitals checked by a member of the St John Ambulance Jamaica medical team. Funds donated to JN’s ISupportJamaica Fund, are also being used to support medical missions to remote and underserved communities severely affected by Hurricane Melissa.
Noting that JN Circles nurture and strengthen JN’s connections at the community level, Miss Allen added “Our members nominated groups, elderly and the most vulnerable families for help, providing evidence of loss, and helping them and us to direct the relief where it is most needed.”
Since Melissa’s landfall, the JN Foundation has conducted 14 outreach missions in four parishes, beginning as early as a day after the hurricane’s passage. On each mission it has brought medical services, in collaboration with St John Ambulance Jamaica, to treat injured survivors, conduct basic checkups and supply medication to those left without access. The Foundation has also provided counselling services to the traumatised and distributed care packages while also providing a meaningful and dignified Christmas to many who could have no festivities.
“Through donations and partnerships, our missions have attended to the medical needs of more than 700 people across four parishes and delivered more than 2,300 relief packages,” outlined Ms Allen. “And we continue on those missions because there are still many, particularly residents in remote communities, who remain without services and need the attention to help rebuild.”
“We are focused on helping to build back better,” she affirmed.
Photo Caption: A resident of Albert Town, Trelawny, speaks with JN chaplain, Reverend Dr Kevin Page, during a medical mission and intervention to the rural community a few weeks after Hurricane Melissa’s passage. The ferocious system left many residents of the community and across the parish shaken and in need. Funds donated to the JN Group’s ISupportJamaica Fund by mainly Jamaicans overseas are being used to fund interventions like these that reach remote communities and vulnerable groups.
Jamaica is losing billions of dollars annually due to motorcycle crashes, with unsafe and substandard helmets emerging as a major contributor to both fatalities and the country’s growing economic burden.
This was the warning from Sydoney Preddie, Lead for Youth and Education Programme, JN Foundation, during her address at the launch of the JS 374:2025 Jamaica Standard Specification – Protective Helmets for Road Users National Helmet Safety Standard by the Bureau of Standards Jamaica recently. Her address positioned road safety not only as a public health concern but also as a critical economic issue, with far-reaching implications for national productivity and economic growth and stability.
Referencing data, Ms Preddie argued that that motorcycle-related crashes are draining national resources at an unsustainable rate. She noted that regional estimates show that road traffic incidents account for three and five per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Latin America. In the Jamaican context, she reasoned that this translates to more than $100 billion annually in crash-related costs, funds that she said could otherwise be invested in infrastructure, education, and job creation.
“This is not just about safety; it is an economic issue,”
Ms Preddie emphasised, highlighting the compound losses arising from healthcare expenses, reduced workforce participation, and long-term disability.
The cost of treating injuries alone is significant. It takes an average of $3 million to treat a single severely injured motorcyclist, she said, placing immense pressure on Jamaica’s already strained public health system.
Beyond direct medical costs, she underscored the hidden economic toll, including lost income for victims and their families, as well as reduced national productivity when working-age people, usually men, are killed or incapacitated.
Motorcyclists, she noted, represent one of the most vulnerable groups on the nation’s roads, accounting for over 30 per cent of annual road fatalities. In 2025 alone, there were 126 motorcycle-related deaths, contributing to more than 1,600 fatalities recorded since 2012.
Photo Caption:Sydoney Preddie, Lead for Youth and Education Programme, JN Foundation addressing the launched a new national standard for helmets worn by motorcyclists at the Jamaica Business Development Corporation Incubator and Resource Centre in Kingston recently.
Despite the risks, she said helmet quality remains a major concern. Ms Preddie revealed findings from a 2024 mystery shopper initiative in which 16 helmets being sold in stores were tested. Only one met the required safety standards she said, even though all were labelled as certified.
“The study exposed widespread issues, including weak chin straps, insufficient padding, and misleading labels, [which are] factors that significantly increase the likelihood of fatal head injuries in crashes,” she informed.
“The reality is that not all helmets offer protection,” she said, stressing that poor-quality imports have left Jamaican riders dangerously exposed.
The road safety professional argued that without proper regulation, Jamaica risks becoming a dumping ground for substandard safety gear, a trend observed in other developing countries. She cited Kenya as an example, where more than 90 per cent of helmets tested failed to meet safety standards.
However, she pointed to success stories within the region. In Guyana, the implementation and enforcement of helmet standards led to more than 80 per cent reduction in motorcycle fatalities, demonstrating the potential economic and social returns of strong regulatory action.
New Jamaican Standard Will Close Gaps
Dr Velton Gooden, executive director of the Bureau of Standards Jamaica said the newly introduced Jamaican standard is expected to address these gaps by strengthening oversight at the ports and ensuring that only certified helmets enter the local market. He said this represents a critical step toward reducing preventable deaths while safeguarding the country’s economic future.
With motorcycle use increasing amid the growth of delivery services and informal transport, Ms Preddie stressed the urgency of action.
“We are not only protecting motorcyclists,” she underscored, “we are protecting Jamaica’s economy.”
Photo Caption: Sydoney Preddie (left), Lead for Youth and Education Programme, JN Foundation in discussion with Jacqueline Millington (from second left), chair of the Standards Council at the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ; Delano Seiveright, state minister in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce; Dr Velton Gooden, executive director of the BSJ; Dr Sharonmae Smith Walker, chief executive officer of the Caricom Regional Organizational for Standards and Quality and Agnieszka Krasnolucka, programme director at the FIA Foundation. Occasion was the launch of BSJ Motor Cycle Helmet standard -JS 374:2025 at the Jamaica Business Development Corporation Incubator and Resource Centre in Kingston, recently.
Also addressing the launch of the standards, State Minister in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Delano Seiveright, reiterated that motorcyclists remain among the most vulnerable road users.
“Today marks a critical milestone in Jamaica’s ongoing efforts to strengthen road safety, consumer protection and our national quality infrastructure. The launch of JS 374:2025 Jamaica Standard Specification – Protective Helmets for Road Users represents far more than the introduction of a technical standard. It represents a decisive step by Jamaica to protect lives through science, regulation and coordinated national action,”
he explained.
Mr Seiveright said too many lives are being lost or are being altered permanently because of substandard protective equipment and failure to wear the equipment.
