Category: Family

UNICEF renews call for ban on corporal punishment in Jamaica

July 24, 2021

A child is just a child. Not an adult, but an adult in the making. How then, does a small human being (who has not yet worked things out for him/herself) deserve to be shouted at, beaten, slapped and kicked into submission, in the name of so-called “discipline”? That small child deserves love, nurturing, protection … More UNICEF renews call for ban on corporal punishment in Jamaica

Jamaica Update, July 19, 2021: An abandoned bicycle, a lifeboat, and a bulk resignation letter

July 21, 2021

It has been two weeks since I wrote my last update. However, I will try to ensure there is no “stale” news here. I have been what millennials would call “super busy” – with a bumper crop of mangoes, and the Caribbean Tree Planting Week (read more here!) We are also living in some kind … More Jamaica Update, July 19, 2021: An abandoned bicycle, a lifeboat, and a bulk resignation letter

Jamaica Update, June 18, 2021: The city’s hottest day, Trench Town blues, and an Uber surprise

June 21, 2021

Phew! What a week. We have been under a stifling blanket of Saharan dust for the past couple of days, and endured our hottest day ever in Kingston (June 12). The best thing to do is hide indoors in the daytime and come out to exercise etc. after dark. It has been an exhausting week. … More Jamaica Update, June 18, 2021: The city’s hottest day, Trench Town blues, and an Uber surprise

CCRP urges Jamaican political representatives to help rural elders get vaccinated

June 1, 2021

We might assume that many Jamaicans over 60 who have not yet been vaccinated are hesitating or unwilling to get their first dose. However, our senior citizens face many practical challenges these days – none more so than those who are living in rural areas. The Caribbean Community of Retired Persons (CCRP) is worried that … More CCRP urges Jamaican political representatives to help rural elders get vaccinated

Jamaica receives 55,200 more AstraZeneca vaccines

May 31, 2021

It is with a personal sense of encouragement and relief that I spotted a tweet from our Minister of Health and Wellness Christopher Tufton this quiet, curfewed Sunday afternoon. Another shipment of vaccines has arrived… My husband is due for his second dose this week, and hopefully myself soon after. Now “vaccine equity” is becoming … More Jamaica receives 55,200 more AstraZeneca vaccines

The “Bird-zine” competition: a creative challenge for Caribbean residents

May 23, 2021

BirdsCaribbean has been coming up with a whole range of online activities and learning opportunities for young (and older) bird enthusiasts – or just for people of any age who want to know more about the remarkable and unique birds that call our region home. By the way, the regional non-governmental organization focuses on island … More The “Bird-zine” competition: a creative challenge for Caribbean residents

Pandemic Poems, First Wave: Olive Senior’s fragments of last summer

May 19, 2021

Our first wave of COVID-19 in Jamaica was the summer of 2020. Almost a year later, we seem to be just creeping out of the second – and fearing a third. The summer of 2020, at least for me, was a slow recognition – a dawning – that life wasn’t simple any more. It wasn’t … More Pandemic Poems, First Wave: Olive Senior’s fragments of last summer

We naa ease up! On violence against women and children.

May 6, 2021

There is something we call a “nine day wonder” in Jamaica. It may be a common phenomenon elsewhere, too. A controversial and pressing matter arises (often a manifestation of a frequently recurring issue that has never been properly addressed – such as this one) and there is a furore on social media, with traditional media … More We naa ease up! On violence against women and children.