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The Government has endorsed a $738.7-million (US$5.75-million) water adaptation project being initiated by the Jamaica National (JN) Group, with loan funding support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

The initiative will facilitate on-lending of the funds, through JN Bank, to real estate developers to finance housing projects incorporating water-efficiency technologies that yield conservation, particularly within households, through the utilisation of key inputs.

These include rainwater harvesting systems, water-efficient taps and showers, low-flush toilets, and efficient irrigation systems.

This activity forms part of the IDB’s undertaking to promote heightened climate-change resilience in the housing sector by providing improved reliable water supplies and reducing demand for the commodity.

The loan agreement was signed by IDB Caribbean Country Manager, Therese Turner-Jones and JN Group General Manager, Earl Jarrett, at the JN Financial Centre in New Kingston on Friday, March 10.

The event was attended by Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang.

Dr. Chang, who has responsibility for water, welcomed the project and lauded the partnership between the implementing entities.

He noted that the IDB has been pivotal in funding enterprising engagements, such as the adaptation project, in Jamaica’s water sector.

“It (project) exemplifies the IDB’s attempt to provide innovative financing… that will help to make Jamaica more adaptable to climate change and certainly improve our capacity in terms of drought resilience,” the Minister said.

Dr. Chang also highlighted Jamaica National’s longstanding history of innovation and contribution to the local housing sector.

He said the partnership reflects a new approach for consideration and pursuit in enabling the provision of adequate water across Jamaica.

For her part, Mrs. Turner-Jones noted the “clear and present danger” posed by climate change, particularly in relation to the provision of water, adding that the focus on this area is “critical”.

“The impact of climate change is becoming more and more evident (and soon) we are going to start to feel those effects in Jamaica and in this region with even more regularity. So, anything we can do to mitigate the impact… is really important,” she said.

In his remarks, Mr. Jarrett said the importance of water has long been disregarded, with some persons treating it as “an unending stream”.

“So, part of the objective of this project is to bring a greater level of awareness to what is not an unending supply, but actually a scarce resource that we need to respect and use carefully,” he added.

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The government is being urged to reduce the import duties on technologies and equipment that enhance the efficient use and conservation of water.

Earl Jarrett, CEO of the Jamaica National Group, argued that reducing import duties on such technologies and equipment would promote conservation and efficient water use, while assisting the country to be resilient against the effects of climate change.

Jarrett was speaking at the signing of an agreement on Friday with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), which is providing US$5.75 million in loan funding for on-lending by JN Bank to housing developers that incorporate water efficient technologies in their developments.

“When you look at the low flush toilets and the difference in volumes used in comparison to a high volume toilet, you’re talking about up to four gallons of water as the savings that you’d have,” explained Onika Miller, managing director of MCS – a subsidiary of the JN Group.

“When we examine the public policy dimensions, there is a lot more that we can do to promote water adaptation and water conservation,” she said further to support Jarrett’s call for a reduction in the import duties on water conservation technologies and equipment.

In response, Dr Horace Chang, minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for water and housing, who was present at the signing said the suggestion would complement the government’s push for more private sector leadership in development initiatives.

“I’ll be having discussions with my colleagues to see what policy shifts we can make to encourage these kinds of activities and ensure they succeed,” said Chang.

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IDB, JN Bank Partner on Water Adaptation Project for Housing

KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has made funds available through JN Bank to finance housing projects in Jamaica, which integrate water efficiency technologies to promote water adaptation and conservation.

JN Bank and the IDB, along with the JN Foundation, signed the loan agreement, on Friday, March 10, at a breakfast meeting at JN Financial Services Centre, 2 Belmont Road in New Kingston.

The financing will be provided through a US$5.75 million loan to JN Bank, which will on-lend the funds to housing developers at single digit mortgage rates.

The loan is predicated to promote climate change resilience in the housing sector, by reducing water demand and improving water reliability. The financing is the first of its kind for the IDB.

“The objective of the loan is to facilitate the uptake of water efficiency measures in the housing sector across the country,” says Saffrey Brown, general manager of the JN Foundation, which will be managing the technical implementation of the project.

That includes the use of rain water harvesting systems, water efficient taps and showers, low-flush toilets, efficient irrigation systems, grey-water recycling facilities, among other resourceful water measures.

The technical component of the project will be implemented in five phases.

In phase one, the focus will centre on developing awareness about the financing available to developers; and to conduct a pilot project to underscore the cost savings from the implementation of water adaptation measures.

In phase two, JN Bank will on-lend funds to developers and construction companies; and in phase three JN, through the JN Foundation, will assist to build the technical capacity of developers to integrate water adaptation technologies into their housing projects.

A fourth component of the project will be to increase the number of medium and small enterprises dealing in the supply of climate resilient products to support water adaptation.

And, the final phase of the project will centre on disseminating the lessons learned during the project; as well as, to underscore the need for additional water adaptation measures in housing development.

“This project is timely, given the continued experience and effects of climate change across the country,” Miss Brown commented, pointing to the impact of recent drought conditions. “And, we expect that it will, over time, yield significant cost savings for homeowners; improve conservation; while increasing the reliability of water supplies.”

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JN Group, through its bank and foundation, will be financing water projects from a $800 million pool of funds that are meant to make the commodity more accessible.

Under an agreement signed Friday with the Inter-American Development Bank, JN Bank Limited will start issuing water loans from a $736 million cache to developers whose water projects include sustainable conservation measures.

JN, which is paying IDB five per cent for the credit pool, says it will on-lend the funds for around 8.5 per cent.

The agreement also includes a grant component valued at $88 million to be managed by JN Foundation.

Overall, the Water Adaptation Financing agreement spanning seven years is valued at $824 million.

The programme, which will include a pilot project lasting four years, will target developers for the uptake of the loan facility, and professionals in the construction sector for skills upgrades in techniques identified under the project.

The skills training will be done through state-run agency HEART Trust/NTA.

JN Foundation Saffrey Brown says the four-year pilot is meant to foster a culture of water conservation and innovation in water management.

“The objective of the loan is to facilitate the uptake of water efficiency measures in the housing sector across the country,” Brown said.

“This is also available to small scale developers, so if for example a homeowner has two or three properties and they may want to build for rental, and so on, they will also have access to this facility,” Brown said.

Water adaptation techniques include the use of rainwater harvesting systems, water-efficient taps and showers, low-flush toilets, efficient irrigation systems, grey-water recycling facilities, among other measures.

AVENUE TO DO GOOD FOR JA

JN Group CEO Earl Jarrett says apart from the prospect of increased business, JN sees the agreement as avenue to “do good for Jamaica”, in a way that will foster development and better standards of living.

He also called for policy support by way of differential tax rates or other measures that would support the acquisition of water saving devices such as low-flush toilets, guttering and low-flow taps and shower heads.

The signing of the agreement was held at the offices of the JN Financial Centre in Kingston, with representatives from the IDB, JN and the Jamaican government.

Horace Chang, Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Growth, Water and Development, said he will be exploring measures at the level of Cabinet, which will support water conservation and projects such as the one being rolled out under the JN/IDB partnership.

The technical component of the water adaptation project will be implemented in five phases.

In phase one, JN will focus on developing awareness about the financing available to developers and conduct the pilot project to underscore the cost savings from the implementation of water adaptation measures. Brown says JN Foundation will be focusing on implementation of the pilot over the next six months.

In phase two, JN Bank will on-lend funds to developers and construction companies; and in phase three, JN Foundation will assist with the technical capacity of developers to integrate water adaptation technologies into their housing projects.

The fourth component aims to increase the number of medium and small enterprises supplying climate resilient products that support water adaptation; while the fifth will centre on disseminating the lessons learnt during the project through seminars, expos and other means.

“This project is timely, given the continued experience and effects of climate change across the country,” Brown told Gleaner Business. “And, we expect that it will, over time, yield significant cost savings for homeowners; improve conservation; while increasing the reliability of water supplies,” she said.

neville.graham@gleanerjm.com

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KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — The Government has endorsed a $738.7-million (US$5.75 million) water adaptation project being initiated by the Jamaica National (JN) Group, with loan funding support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

The initiative will facilitate on-lending of the funds, through JN Bank, to real estate developers to finance housing projects incorporating water-efficiency technologies that yield conservation, particularly within households.

These include rainwater harvesting systems, water-efficient taps and showers, low-flush toilets, and efficient irrigation systems.

This activity forms part of the IDB’s undertaking to promote heightened climate-change resilience in the housing sector by providing improved reliable water supplies and reducing demand for the commodity.The loan agreement was signed by IDB Caribbean Country Manager, Therese Turner-Jones and JN Group General Manager, Earl Jarrett, at the JN Financial Centre in New Kingston today.

The event was attended by Minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Dr Horace Chang.

Chang, who has responsibility for water, welcomed the project and lauded the partnership between the implementing agencies.

He noted that the IDB has been pivotal in funding enterprising engagements, such as the adaptation project, in Jamaica’s water sector.

“It (project) exemplifies the IDB’s attempt to provide innovative financing… that will help to make Jamaica more adaptable to climate change and certainly improve our capacity in terms of drought resilience,” the minister said.

Chang also highlighted Jamaica National’s longstanding history of innovation and contribution to the local housing sector.

He said the partnership reflects a new approach for consideration and pursuit in enabling the provision of adequate water across Jamaica.

For her part, Turner-Jones noted the “clear and present danger” posed by climate change, particularly in relation to the provision of water, adding that the focus on this area is “critical”.

“The impact of climate change is becoming more and more evident (and soon) we are going to start to feel those effects in Jamaica and in this region with even more regularity. So, anything we can do to mitigate the impact… is really important,” she said.

In his remarks, Jarrett said the importance of water has long been disregarded, with some people treating it as “an unending stream”.

“So, part of the objective of this project is to bring a greater level of awareness to what is not an unending supply, but actually a scarce resource that we need to respect and use carefully,” he said.

See the original article here!

Deaf Can! Coffee walked away with a million dollar development award on Friday, February 24 at the SEBI Pitch for Purpose Award, held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston.

A panel of judges listened to pitches made by five shortlisted candidates, which included: Deaf Can! Coffee, Kimroy Bailey Robotics, Bresheh, Aquaflow and Educators JA, before making a final decision.
SEBI Pitch for Purpose Competition
         1st Place Deaf Can! Coffee – $1million Development Award
         2nd Place Bresheh – Business Development Award 
The People’s Pitch Award, which was chosen through a poll here on Loop Jamaica, also went to Deaf Can! Coffee.
The SEBI Pitch for Purpose was powered by JN Foundation, Digicel Foundation, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and JN Small Business Loans. The Social Enterprise Boost Initiative (SEBI) is a joint JN Foundation and USAID project.

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The JN Foundation, through its Parish Histories of Jamaica project, recently launched the Anancy Story Competition.
The contest targets high-school students residing in the parish of St Thomas and invites them to vie for attractive prizes, based on colourful and animated video features about their parish’s contribution to Jamaica’s dynamic history.
Entries to the competition, which was officially announced at the Robert Lightbourne High School in St Thomas recently, closes on March 6.

Students are requested to upload their storytelling video features, not exceeding 10 minutes, about the past to the official Parish Histories of Jamaica website at www.historyjamaica.org Sebrina Brown, project officer at JN Foundation, noted that this initiative was conceptualised as part of the Parish Histories’ objective to present local history in an appealing, captivating and easy to comprehend format.
“We are, therefore, seeking the involvement of young people in the documentation and dissemination of our cultural history,” she stated, “And, it is our hope that students will respond by demonstrating their interest and enthusiasm to record the past and contribute to boosting cultural retention.”

COMMUNITY BUY-IN
She noted, “The Anancy Story Competition could be an exciting activity for students, particularly if they seek the buy-in from older relatives, grandparents and older persons in their communities, who will agree to tell Anancy stories in an animated and fun manner, similar to the approach of our folklorists.”
For additional information about the focus and format of entries to the competition, students are requested to visit www.historyjamaica.org and, subsequently, to submit their entries to that same website.

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Hollywood actor Derek Luke recently travelled to Jamaica in a show of support for Science Genius Jamaica.

The actor, known best for his roles in the films, Antwone Fisher and Friday Night Lights, accompanied his friend Professor Christopher Emdin to the island for the initiation of the project.
“This is the mecca of culture and expression, and what I love is that as a community of creativity, now it’s expanding with #DancehallEd,” Luke told THE STAR. The hashtag follows the model of #HipHopEd, popularised by Professor Emdin since the beginning of Science Genius US.
“It’s the expansion of dancehall with wisdom and intelligence,” Luke explained. To participate in the project, schools (grade nine in particular) will be asked to submit preview videos of themselves to the Science Genius Jamaica selection panel by February 28. The submissions will be narrowed to the top 20 schools, before they compete in clashes from which the top-five performing classes will be chosen. The five will then battle it out for the top spot in Jamaica, culminating in May of this year.
 
Luke told THE STAR that he and Professor Christopher Emdin became acquaintances over social media, eventually developing a friendship, which led to their collaboration on each other’s projects.
“He came to be part of it just by reading a script that I gave him. I was focusing on changing images for young African Americans on screen. He was focusing on changing images and identity in the classroom,” he said.
“My knowledge of real Jamaican music is thorough because to me, if you’ve ever seen a picture of a map – well, now hip hop is being traced all the way back to Jamaica. So my knowledge of traditional Jamaican music is not just reggae and dancehall, but it’s hip hop included. Bob Marley is the king. It doesn’t matter where I’m filming, in London, in Africa, there’s a Kingston in every country because of the contribution of soul music, pop music,” he said.
“Now, just as dancehall and reggae is worldwide, so will the minds in science. There is really no way you can meet Chris Emdin and not become a science genius,” Luke said.
Science Genius is sponsored by JN Foundation, and was launched with endorsements from Floyd Green, minister of state in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Andrew Wheatley, minister of science, energy and technology, with a show of support from Opposition spokesperson Julian ‘Jay’ Robinson, and Science Genius mentors Tifa and Wayne Marshall.

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If the organisers of Science Genius Jamaica: Science Meets Dancehall realise their vision, Jamaica will shortly become a production hub for some of the world’s greatest scientists.
Through a partnership between the Jamaica National Foundation and Science Genius — a US-based initiative that uses hip-hop music to reach students, the programme was launched Wednesday at the Knutsford Court Hotel with an aim to “create a buzz about science among high school students”. It will use dancehall music to educate and generate interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects in Jamaica.
According to Dr Renee Rattray, senior manager of learning, development, and culture at the JN Group, this will be implemented in the form of a competition in which students from across the island will vie for the opportunity to be named Science Genius of Jamaica.
“It’s JN Foundation’s latest education initiative. We’re about changing paradigms and shifting things up and this is a part of the education revolution. We’re wanting to turn the whole notion of science and mathematics being hard and being something that students cannot relate to, to something that is easy, and we figured that pairing music with that would be one of the best ways to do this,” Dr Rattray told the Jamaica Observer on Wednesday.

She explained that the students, guided by their teachers and music mentors Tifa, Wayne Marshall and other artistes, will write science-themed dancehall songs for the competition. The five best schools and five top individual students will move on to the final round of clashes, aptly termed BATTLES (Bringing Attention to Transforming Teaching, Learning and Engagement in Science) for the crowning of the winner.
Teachers and students will compete for cash, laptops, and other prizes, while the winning school will receive funds for its science labs.
“It kicks off today (Wednesday),” Rattray revealed. “They have to go away and do a video to say why they want to be a part of the programme and then we’re going to shortlist 20 schools and then we kick the project off from there and the final will be sometime at the end of May or early June.”
The project targets grade nine students.
“You’re going to have to immerse yourselves in the science content and then our mentors Tifa and Wayne will come around with some other music geniuses to support you as you develop your lyrics. They will train you about how to write good lyrics. We want deep meaningful content and we’re really excited because we know you can do it. We’re setting the bar really high because that’s how we do,” Dr Rattray told students.
“Ultimately, we’re just going to be turning this whole education business on its head. This is just one area we’re going to be a part of and it’s going to be cool,” she added.
Sceince Genius was developed by Dr Christopher Emdin, associate professor in the Department of Mathematics, Science, and Technology at Teachers College, Columbia University. Dr Emdin holds a PhD in Urban Education with a concentration in mathematics, science, and technology; Master’s degrees in both natural sciences and education administration, and Bachelor’s degrees in physical anthropology, biology, and chemistry.
On Wednesday he expressed his hope for Science Genius Jamaica.
“We are at a point in time in the history of this world, not just in Jamaica, where folks of colour who’ve been traditionally moved to the margins have become so much more central than ever before; whether we’re talking about the United States or we’re talking about the Caribbean or we’re talking about Europe.”
“What’s been happening is that folks who for a very long time were being told that they lack intelligence, or they lack brilliance, or that their culture lacks value are getting to the point where they’re saying, ‘No, and we’re gonna redefine who we are’. This moment today (Wednesday) really exemplifies that because in many ways we are pushing back against a schooling sytem and a set of traditions that you might not want me to say but in reality is the remnants of a dying colonial imperialism,” the professor said to resounding shouts and applause.
Seeking to dispel the suggestion that Science Genius Jamaica is just “a cool idea”, the professor pointed out that the project is a movement showing the reclamation of people’s brilliance. Making his case, Edmin made reference to the many in New York who he said doubted his efforts, but who are now astonished at its success.
“What we’re doing now is we’re showing people that intellectual abilities exist in low places as well as high places. The passion for the work exists in those places as well; all we had to do was allow the young folks to be able to do it on their own terms in their own culture,” he stated, pointing out that the project was implemented in communities where students were deemed unteachable and without ability.
“When you start marrying dancehall to science — and people say dancehall is a negative culture only interested in bleaching and celebration — what happens is that you are engaging the most cutting edge research based on what we know about neuro-plasticity; because by merging dancehall with science you are retraining the brains of youths who are embedded in dancehall to reimagine themselves as scientists,” stated the professor.
“At the end of it not only will we change science but we will change dancehall. We don’t wanna change dancehall to change the core and beauty of it, we want to expand dancehall to make intelligence cool again,” Emdin continued.
Local entertainers and government ministers were excited at Wednesday’s launch.
“As the minister and also a scientist, I thank the Jamaica National Foundation Group (JN Group) and its Foundation for setting an excellent precedence in public/private sector partnership in assisting in the rescue mission of science and mathematics in Jamaica,” said Minister of Science, Energy and Technology Dr Andrew Wheatley. “Let me thank you for your efforts in birthing the new generation of scientists, mathematicians, statisticians, engineers, botanists.”
His colleague, Floyd Green, state minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, in a rendition of a popular Bounty Killa song, encouraged students to “pressure unu book”.
“I really want to congratulate and commend the JN Foundation. Not only have they stepped outside of the box, they have removed the box completely and that is what is needed if we’re going to be successful in our education project,” he said.
“I think we all recognise now in education that no one cap fits all, no one size fits all. You have to take different approaches if we’re going to truly connect with our students,” he added.
Green, who highlighted the impact of dancehall on people the world over, was happy it is now being used to treat a challenge the country has faced for many years — that of low performance in STEM subjects.
“Our teachers will tell you (that) maths and the sciences are often shied away from in our society because it has significant volume of work. Oftentimes there is a mental block that you can’t get it right and I believe that one way to break down that mental barrier is present it in a fashion that again is innate and will resonate. So, instead of saying, ‘Dem young people yah know every song; dem can deejay every chune’, give them some lyrics that when them deejay it it is putting in their mind the knowledge that we need them to have,” Green urged.
Mentors Tifa and Wayne Marshall also expressed fusion of dancehall and science.
“I’m so happy to give back to the youth. I love edutaining, I love giving back to the youth, I love sharing my experience and I love showing people that not everything in dancehall is negative; you do have good people in dancehall,” Tifa said.
She encouraged teachers to keep an open mind as students create their pieces.
Said Marshall: “It (Emdin’s work) was very interesting, very unique. Chris Emdin is very passionate about educating and science and reaching children who are less expected be scientists, and I think anything to carry these great minds back to being an intellectual I’m there, I’m all for it.”
“I started thinking about that and I started writing lyrics, so I wrote a little verse…because I was thinking it might be difficult for the kids, but when I start thinking about it I realise it nah go be difficult. All it’s going to do is force them to mix something that they love passionately and they associate themselves with every day, to the science and it will bring them closer to science and learning.”

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