HALKER'S HALL BASIC SCHOOL GETS HELP - Jamaica Observer - September 28, 2014

Students from Harker’s Hall Basic School share in a group photo with (from back right), David Mair, executive director of Food for the Poor Jamaica; Jennifer Newland, teacher, and principal Donna Gordon.

Donna Gordon (seated), principal of Harker’s Hall Basic School, is overcome with joy as she assists students in using new computers. In the background is teacher Jennifer Newland.

THE 55 students enrolled at Halker's Hall Basic School in St Catherine will no longer be forced to cram inside an old, hot classroom space with inadequate furniture, thanks to assistance they have received from Food For The Poor Jamaica and the Levitetz Family Foundation.

A new building and new furniture have been donated to the school.

Principal Donna Gordon said she was extremely happy for the new school, because with an entirely new structure, she and her staff will be able to execute their duties more comfortably.

"I feel good, to say the least. I am so elated and overjoyed. Prior to Food For The Poor and the Levitetz Family Foundation's assistance, assessment reports from the Early Childhood Commission (ECC) indicated that almost every area needed improvement," she said.

"Thanks to our donors we now have everything in place and are anticipating good results from the ECC from our next assessment."

She said she was extremely thankful for the furniture and new computers they also received.

"We are very appreciative for the furniture, playground equipment and computers. We never had computers at this school before, so this is a significant improvement that will benefit both teachers and students," Gordon said.

She said the structure they had before was just one big open room without proper partitions.

"It was a hall parted with chalkboards for each class. Whenever classes were in session, it was very chaotic as both students and teachers were competing in that process. As a result, things became really confusing and made the teaching and learning environment almost impossible to handle," she said.

"We had no play equipment and the furniture was not children-friendly. Rodents and insects could also find their way easily in the kitchen which was not attached to the school building. Therefore, when there was bad weather, we had to walk in the rain to and from the kitchen."

With the new school, David Mair, executive director, Food For The Poor Jamaica, said Gordon, her teachers and students will not suffer as they did before, as the school had a solid structure and roof.

He also gave thanks to the Levitetz Family Foundation based in the United States of America, for choosing Jamaica to invest in.

"None of this would have been possible without our faithful donors, and so I extend heartfelt thanks to the Levitetz Family Foundation and their partners and friends who have contributed significantly to the education of Jamaica's children. This is the third basic school that the foundation has sponsored under the Jamaica 50 campaign, which seeks to build and upgrade 50 basic schools in 50 months since June 2012," Mair said.

Students of Harker’s Hall Basic School sitting comfortably in their new and spacious school building.

FOOD FOR THE POOR, WISYNCO TO GIFT ROUSSEAU PRIMARY WITH FURNITURE - LOOP - September 25, 2014

The Rousseau Primary School in Kingston is set to benefit from a well needed gift of furniture from Corporate giant Wisynco and charity organisation Food For The Poor Jamaica.

A handing over ceremony will take place on Wednesday at the school’s Ricketts Avenue grounds.

Last October, Food For The Poor Jamaica launched its School Furniture Campaign, to help solve the problem of shortage of furniture in public schools located across the island.

The aim of the campaign is to ensure that no fewer than 15,000 desks or chairs are made available to students.

Numerous members of corporate Jamaica have joined forces with Food For The Poor to make this campaign a success, including Wisynco Group, which assisted Food For The Poor with providing 450 desks and chairs for Rousseau Primary School.

--Loop News Service

PLANTER'S HALL ALL-AGE GETS NEW INFANT DEPARTMENT FROM FOOD FOR THE POOR - Jamaica Observer - September 21, 2014

BRAND NEW SCHOOL FOR PLANTER’S HALL INFANT: Thanks to the continued support of Food For The Poor’s United States-based donors, the Levitetz Family Foundation, students of Planter’s Hall Infant School in St. Catherine were the proud recipients of a new school building which boasts three classrooms, kitchen, bathroom facilities, office, sickbay and veranda. The students will also now enjoy cheerful, child-friendly furniture, colourful play equipment and computers to engage in technology. Participating in the ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 5 were (from left), Susan Moore, Director of Recipient Services at Food For The Poor Jamaica; Morrett Weir, Principal of Planter’s Hall Infant; Jeff Levitetz, President of the Levitetz Family Foundation along with his son Zach; friends Brian Roberts and Brad Nardick and students from the school.

LITTLE ONES PERFORMING: These students of Planter’s Hall Infant School in St. Catherine were simply adorable as they performed at an inauguration ceremony that was held for the handover of their new school on September 5. Food For The Poor, in partnership with the Levitetz Family Foundation based in the United States, constructed a fully-equipped school building for the 30 students and three teachers.


THE principal of Planter's Hall All-Age School in St Catherine said there has been an increase in the number of students enrolled in the infant department because of a new structure built recently by Food For The Poor Jamaica and the Levitetz Family Foundation.

Morrett Weir said in recent weeks, a sick bay, an office, a new infant block that houses three new classrooms, a kitchen complete with a refrigerator and a stove, a new bathroom and a computer room, were built for the 47-year-old school which accommodates approximately 30 students.

"We truly appreciate this school that we have received. Since the construction of the school, registration has significantly increased. This gesture has impacted the entire community. Parents have said that they are more comfortable with sending their children to school because we have a far better facility," Weir said following the official handing over of the new school building on September 5.

She said she was grateful, most of all, for the new bathroom facility and the new computer room.
"I cannot explain how much it means to me to witness these children using proper sanitation units. One of the new classrooms has been outfitted with computers and as such the children will be having computer lessons," she said.

The infant department also received a new play area for students and a catchment system complete with a tank and a pump.

"Our students had to use pit latrines in the old structure. The classrooms before were extremely cluttered and so students could not move about freely. Teachers could not set up work areas because the space was so small. The classrooms were separated only by chalkboards and so the students could not hear clearly during sessions. They could not hear the sounds of letters and so they could not effectively develop phonemic and phonological awareness because of the classroom setting. This also hindered their reading development," she explained.

Meanwhile, Jeff Levitetz, president of the Levitetz Family Foundation said they chose to come to Jamaica and partner with Food For The Poor on this project because they wanted to contribute to the improvement in the quality of education being offered in the nation.
"Our intention as an organisation is to never stop helping Jamaica. I wish for this institution many more successful years," Levitetz said.

THANK YOU, MR LEVITETZ: Jeff Levitetz, president of the Levitetz Family Foundation based in the United States of America, was happy to share in a photo with a group of students from Planters Hall Infant School, after the official handover of the school on September 5. His Foundation donated the funds used to construct a new school building for the teachers and students as part of Food For The Poor’s Jamaica 50 Campaign, which was launched in June 2012 to build and/or upgrade 50 schools in 50 months



Contact:
Petri-Ann Henry, Food For The Poor, Tel: 984-5005 or 564-2886
Ainsworth Morris, PROComm, Tel: 926-6740 or 3756136

FOOD FOR THE POOR DONATES IV FLUID TO HEALTH MINISTRY - The Gleaner - September 18, 2014

Health Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson (second left) examines boxes of IV fluids that were officially handed over to the ministry recently, courtesy of Food For The Poor Jamaica, at Ellerslie Pen, Spanish Town, St Catherine. Participating in the handover ceremony were (from left) David Mair, executive director, FFP Jamaica; Andrew Mahfood, chairman; and Dr Andrei Cooke, acting chairman for the South East Regional Health Authority.

Food For The Poor (FFP) Jamaica recently fulfilled its promise to the Ministry of Health by donating 16,000 units of intravenous (IV) fluid, valued at approximately US$15,600 (J$1.75 million). The fluid was sourced by FFP's head office in Florida, and the donation took place at its chapel in Ellerslie Pen, Spanish Town.

This donation includes: 1,000 millilitre bottles of fluid, 500 ml bottles of fluid, 50 ml bottles of fluid, and approximately 50,000 10ml vials.

The donation was made possible with contributions from donors worldwide, including United States pensioners who gave instructions to their banks for automatic deductions from their pensions because they care for the poor.

In 2013, FFP gave more than 200 wheelchairs, 40 hospital beds, operating theatre lights, stretchers and equipped lounge areas. For the past two years the amount donated is approximately $3.16 billion.

LESS FORTUNATE IN WESTMORELAND BENEFIT FROM FOOD FOR THE POOR HEALTH FAIR

THANK YOU, FFP: Here, a young volunteer was quite pleasant and eager to assist with the distribution of gift packages during a health and information fair that was organized by Food For The Poor (FFP). The event, which was held on Friday, July 25, 2014 at the Torrington Wesleyan Holiness Church in Westmoreland, offered free access to various health care services such as general medical examinations, dental care and pharmaceuticals. Additionally, approximately 1,000 children and adults benefited from gift packages containing toiletries, food, footwear and educational supplies. (PHOTO: PETRI-ANN HENRY)

Kingston, Jamaica – September 12, 2014: Since its inception in 1982, Food For The Poor Jamaica has contributed significantly to enhance public health and patient care in Jamaica, by employing methods that have enabled the poor to have direct access to quality health care at little or no cost.

One of Food For The Poor’s latest initiatives with regards to health care took place on July 25, 2014 at The Torrington Wesleyan Holiness Church, Torrington District, Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland. At that event, elderly individuals were treated and offered free health care services by members of Food For The Poor and their volunteers.

The elderly individuals in attendance received free medical examinations by a team of medical personnel, which included: doctors, nurses, pharmacists and a podiatrist.
During the day’s proceedings, some of the elderly received gift packages which contained toiletries, food, footwear and educational supplies.


Contact:
Ainsworth Morris, PROComm, Tel: 926-6740 or 3756136 OR
Petri-Ann Henry, Food For The Poor, Tel: 984-5005 or 564-2886

FOOD FOR THE POOR GIVES $5.3 MILLION IN BURSARIES TO 290 STUDENTS - The Gleaner - September 15, 2014

Two hundred and ninety students from all 14 parishes in the island have been awarded bursaries valued at approximately $5.3 million by Food For the Poor (FFP) Jamaica.

These were made in August in the chapel of the local charity organisation located in Ellerslie Pen, Spanish Town.

According to David Mair, FFP executive director, this is just one of several initiatives through which needy Jamaican parents and students have benefited from the offerings of his organisation.

"For the past 15 years, Food For the Poor Jamaica has been assisting students from all levels of the educational system with financial grants. We have been doing this because we view our investment in education as of utmost importance in grooming our children for future success in academia and life skills," Mair said in an interview recently.

"This year, a total of 290 students representing most parishes have benefited from back-to-school grant vouchers covering basic, primary, secondary level students and special students," Mair added.

He said the value of each student's grant varies and should help to offset the cost of textbooks and tuition fees.

Nordia Whyne, mother of five children, including 11-year-old twins and three other children ages 14, 12 and six, said she is extremely grateful for the assistance given to her by FFP.

"I cannot stop smiling. I am overwhelmed with joy and gratitude because of what Food For the Poor has done for my family. Last year, I received financial assistance for two of my children. This year, all five children have received help and I cannot put it into words how thankful I am," Whyne said, after she received five grant packages.

grateful for the assistance

Gifton Wright, a 16-year-old fifth-form student from Kingston College, who was among the recipients, said FFP has been assisting him with grants for the last four years and he is grateful for their assistance.

"I started receiving back-to-school assistance from Food For the Poor when I started grade eight. They have been helping me and my family ever since. I have three younger siblings and it is really hard on my parents to properly provide for us, so the help is really appreciated," young Wright said.

Food For the Poor Jamaica's operation first began in 1982 when goods were brought into the island through the Catholic Relief Service located at Emerald Road in Kingston. Since then, the organisation has managed to expand its offerings to needy and vulnerable Jamaicans through food distribution, health care, housing, social outreach, agriculture, prison ministry and contributions towards education.

HOUSE AT LAST FOR HURRICANE VICTIMS - The Sunday Gleaner - September 14, 2014

Phyllis Brodnock (second left), one of the recent house recipients under the Wooden Housing Project based on a partnership with Food For The Poor, The Ministry of Transport, Works & Housing and the Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme, officially accepts the keys for her house from Davis Mair (second right), executive director of Food For The Poor Jamaica while Carl Chambers (left), another recipient, and Dr Morais Guy, minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Transport, Works & Housing look on.-Contributed

When Hurricane Sandy hit Jamaica in October 2012, the 61-year-old house in which Carl Chambers, an unemployed single father from Cheswick, St Thomas, lived with his common-law wife, Lassandra Dixon, and their seven-year-old daughter, Hiqra Chambers, was not spared.

During the storm, the two-bedroom dilapidated house, which Chambers' deceased mother built on a slope in 1951, was easily destroyed by rushing waters and strong winds.

After the storm ended, Chambers and Dixon had no money to repair the damage done to their house or to build a new one. So, they, along with little Hiqra had to continue making what was left of the building, their home.

"Before, it was really bad for me. It's just a little piece of the house here and there was left. When I laid down inside, I could literally look and see the sky, and I thought I could die at any time, but I never had another choice," said the 56-year-old Chambers.

For more than one year without a solid structure to live in, Chambers was on a search for a Good Samaritan.

One day, he heard that Food For The Poor Jamaica, in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport, Works and Housing and the Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme (JEEP) under The Wooden Housing Project, were in his community conducting an assessment of the damage made to the properties of families who were affected by the storm.

Additionally, they were offering some new houses to families in dire need. Without hesitation, Chambers shared his story with the assessment officer.

He was quickly selected amongst those who would receive a new two-bedroom wooden structure house. This was officially handed over to him on August 29, just two months after his lifelong partner died.

At the handing over, Dr Morais Guy, minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Transport, Works & Housing, said his ministry was pleased to have been able to contribute to the construction of houses for Chambers and the other recipients in the community who were badly affected by Hurricane Sandy.

"I am pleased to be a part of this initiative, because it goes to the very core of the social need of every human being, that is the need for a roof to be over his head," said Guy.

Guy was supported by David Mair, executive director of Food For The Poor Jamaica, who said, Chambers, being a needy, now single father, as his common-law wife died recently, was deserving of the house.

"When Food For The Poor saw his previous living condition, we had to assist him. He was in dire need of a new house, based on the condition of the house he occupied with his family," said Mair.

"I strongly believe that the nation cannot be truly productive without the provision of adequate shelter for its people, especially for the less fortunate and most vulnerable.," added Mair.

--Ainsworth Morris

GRATEFUL HEART

FOOD FOR THE POOR JAMAICA & FLORIDA-BASED PASTOR GIVE 40 HOUSES TO NEEDY RESIDENTS IN ST ELIZABETH

FOOD FOR THE POOR JAMAICA & FLORIDA-BASED PASTOR GIVE 40 HOUSES TO NEEDY RESIDENTS IN ST ELIZABETH

Kingston, Jamaica – September 11, 2014: Food For The Poor (FFP) Jamaica in collaboration with Father Anthony Palazzolo, a Florida-based pastor, handed over 40 houses to needy residents living in St Elizabeth on September 10.

These houses, which were in recent months built in a geographical location that was renamed ‘The Father Tony’s Faith Village’, were constructed for individuals and families living in the parish without proper houses.

The handing over and renaming ceremony of the houses took place on the compound of Fullerswood All Age School in Arlington, St Elizabeth, which is located near to twelve of the houses built from the collaboration.

Present at the handing over of the houses were: Mr Hugh Buchanan, Member of Parliament for South West, St Elizabeth; Mr David Mair, Executive Director, FFP Jamaica and Father Palazzolo.

In his address, Mr Buchanan, expressed gratitude on behalf of the recipients to members of FFP and Father Palazzolo for donating 40 houses to members of his constituency.

“When you decide to serve and make sacrifices, it is not easy. To have been able to provide St Elizabeth with 40 houses, one dozen of which are located here in Arlington, to persons who would not be able to own a home, is a great achievement. And so, I believe it is fitting to pay tribute to Father Tony and Food For the Poor who made this possible,” Mr Buchanan said.

Following that, Mr. Mair said the whole essence of Food For The Poor’s existence, is not only to give of its donations to Jamaicans in need, such as the 40 housing recipients, but also to award longstanding donors, such as Father Palazzolo.

“It gives me great pleasure to join you in Arlington for the inauguration of the Father Tony’s Faith Village. Today, we will honour a man whose devotion and selfless service to the most vulnerable in our society is truly remarkable. We find it very fitting for the area where the houses are located, to be renamed ‘The Father Tony’s Faith Village’ in honour of Father Anthony Palazzolo, based on his dedication which has enabled the less fortunate to live in comfortable and secure homes,” Mr Mair said.

“I have always been fascinated with the quote that says, ‘The life of a man consists not in seeing visions and in dreaming dreams, but in active charity and in willing service.’ It is my strong belief that this statement accurately and aptly characterizes the life of Father Anthony Palazzolo,” Mr Mair further stated.

Father Tony has been doing extensive fundraising for Food For The Poor Jamaica. He has been representing Food for the Poor Inc for over 20 years, by travelling to churches all over the United States of America raising consciousness and funding for needy individuals in the Caribbean and Latin America.

In his response, Father Palazzolo said all he wants in return from the beneficiaries, is for them to love one another and live in harmony in the village.

“When you love one another, good things will happen. That is why we are able to do what we do at Food for the Poor and make this contribution to St Elizabeth. If it is well with your soul, then everything else will fall in order. If you start loving one another, then there will be even more homes here in Arlington,” he said.

Mr. Aston Smith, an amputee farmer, who lived in an old one-room wooden shack which was infested with roaches, rats and other rodents, was one of the recipients of the 40 houses. He said he was extremely grateful to have been selected to receive a new home.

“My house was in a very very bad state and I was in great need of help. Food For The Poor gave me the help I needed. Now, where I am living is very comfortable. I couldn’t be more comfortable,” Mr. Smith said.



Contact:
Ainsworth Morris, PROComm, Tel: 926-6740 or 3756136 OR
Petri-Ann Henry, Food For the Poor, Tel: 984-5005 or 564-2886

FATHER ANTHONY PALAZZOLO & FOOD FOR THE POOR JAMAICA EXCITED ABOUT GIVING BACK TO THE PEOPLE OF ST.ELIZABETH

Father Anthony Palazzolo, an elderly Florida-based pastor has been doing extensive fundraising for Food For The Poor projects in Jamaica. In recent months, he has collaborated with Food For The Poor Jamaica and constructed 40 houses for needy families living in St Elizabeth, 12 of which are located in the district of Arlington. These 12 houses were officially handed over in a ceremony on September 10. Here, Fr. Tony is a picture of complete bliss following the unveiling of the sign, while two housing recipients look on in equal glee.

TWO HUNDRED AND NINETY STUDENTS AWARDED WITH BURSARIES BY FOOD FOR THE POOR

Kingston, Jamaica – September 9, 2014: Two hundred and ninety students from the fourteen parishes in the island have been awarded bursaries valued at approximately $5.3 million by Food for the Poor (FFP) Jamaica.

These students were awarded on August 28 in the Chapel of the local charity-based organisation located in Ellerslie Pen, Spanish Town.

According to Mr. David Mair, FFP Executive Director, this is just one of several initiatives through which needy Jamaican parents and students have benefited from the offerings of his organisation.

"For the past 15 years, Food for the Poor Jamaica has been assisting students from all levels of the educational system with financial grants. We have been doing this because we view our investment in education as of utmost importance in grooming our children for future success in academia and life skills," Mr. Mair said in an interview recently.

"This year, a total of 290 students representing most parishes have benefited from back-to-school grant vouchers covering basic, primary, secondary level students and special students," Mr. Mair added.

He said the value of each student's grant varies and should help to offset the cost of textbooks and tuition fees.

Ms. Nordia Whyne, mother of five children – 11-year-old twins, three other children ages 14, 12 and 6, said she is extremely grateful for the assistance given to her by FFP.

"I cannot stop smiling. I am overwhelmed with joy and gratitude because of what Food for the Poor has done for my family. Last year, I received financial assistance for two of my children. This year, all five children have received help and I cannot put it into words how thankful I am," Ms. Whyne said in an interview after she received five grant packages.

Gifton Wright, a 16-year-old fifth form student from Kingston College who was amongst the recipients said FFP has been assisting him with grants for the last four years and he is grateful for their assistance.

"I started receiving back-to-school assistance from Food for the Poor when I started grade eight. They have been helping me and my family ever since. I have three younger siblings and it is really hard on my parents to properly provide for us, so the help is really appreciated," young Wright said.

Food for the Poor Jamaica's operation first began in 1982 when goods were brought into the island through the Catholic Relief Service located at Emerald Road in Kingston. Since then, the organisation has managed to expand its offerings to needy and vulnerable Jamaicans through food distribution, health care, housing, social outreach, agriculture, prison ministry and contributions towards education.

Contact:

Ainsworth Morris, PROComm, Tel: 926-6740 or 3756136 OR
Petri-Ann Henry, Food for the Poor, Tel: 984-5005 or 564-2886

AMPUTEE FARMER FROM ST ELIZABETH PRAISES FOOD FOR THE POOR

ASTON Smith, a 60-year-old amputee farmer from Arlington, St Elizabeth, is expressing his gratitude and appreciation to Food for the Poor Jamaica for building him a new energy-efficient house.

An elated Smith has been singing praises to Food for the Poor Jamaica since he was notified that he is one of the 40 recipients who will receive keys to a new house under the Father Tony Village Project by Food for the Poor Jamaica.

The official handing over will take place on Wednesday, September 10 in Arlington.

In an interview with the Jamaica Observer last week, Smith said that around 20 years ago, he was involved in an accident while assisting a friend to cut wood for the construction of an enclosure for cows.

As a tractor pulled pieces of wood from the field in which he was working, one piece jolted suddenly and landed on Smith's right leg. He was hospitalised with a broken leg and eventually released. Sometime after, he started experiencing severe pain in his leg, which doctors diagnosed as poor circulation. They then encouraged him to remove his leg in an effort to preserve his life.

"I was hesitant because I didn't want to lose my leg, but seeing no improvement after a month in hospital, the doctors said the leg had to go and I finally agreed," Smith told the Sunday Observer at his home.

After losing his leg, Smith said he felt distraught, but decided that he did not want to be counted amongst the voluntarily unemployed Jamaicans. Therefore, he remained active in farming.

"From mi have health and strength that is good enough. It is better than doing nothing and I know that whatever mi plant, God will increase it and provide more and more," Smith said.

Although hard-working and determined to achieve, Smith could not afford to build himself a house. He had been living in an old one- room wooden shack which he constructed on land given to him by a friend.

That shack was also a dwelling for roaches, rats and other rodents and had no electricity, no running water and no proper sanitation facility.

After talking with Smith, seeing how hard he laboured in the field and his unbearable living conditions, members of Food for the Poor decided to build him a house under their recent Father Tony Village Project.

"Although amputated, Smith is a hard-working farmer. Amidst his state, he is determined and contributes to nation building in many ways. His living conditions were not suitable for any human being to live in, so Food for the Poor had to help him," Executive Director Food for the Poor Jamaica David Mair said.

"In addition to the house and furniture, we try to make every house given, as energy efficient as possible with energy-saving bulbs," he said.

Smith told the Sunday Observer he was eternally grateful for the assistance given to him by Food for the Poor.

"The situation with my leg made it difficult to improve on what I had. I had to cook outside. There were rats and when it rained, it leaked and water settled on the floor and made me sick at times and I used to catch the flu," Smith said.

"A God mek mi get di house. Words are not enough to tell you how I feel. I feel so good. Now, I am no longer in darkness as before. I use the solar lights in the evening and just sit on mi verandah and relax. I thank Food for the Poor very much," Smith added.

The Father Tony Village Project came about based on a partnership with Food for the Poor and donations from Father Tony - a longstanding supporter of Food for the Poor Jamaica. Under the programme, 40 houses were built in recent months and will be officially handed over on September 10 to all beneficiaries.


BY AINSWORTH MORRIS Sunday Observer writer

Sunday, September 07, 2014

FORTY-FIVE INNER CITY YOUTH TRAINED BY FOOD FOR THE POOR

Kingston, Jamaica – August 13, 2014: Forty-five inner city youth have been trained and awarded with musical instruments by Food For The Poor Jamaica under their Summer Band Camp initiative, the sixth year of this programme.

The students, who are from communities located in Kingston, St Catherine and Clarendon, were awarded on August 12 at a graduation ceremony on the grounds of Food For The Poor located in Ellerslie Pen, St Catherine.

They were trained free of cost between July 21 and August 8 by Jeffrey Brown, Field Officer at Food For The Poor, with lessons for the: recorder, flute, clarinet, trumpet, saxophone, trombone, bass drum, snare drum, drum and tri-tom.

David Mair, Executive Director for Food For The Poor, congratulated the students on committing to the objectives of the programme and gaining a skill in one area of the music industry.

“You are amongst a wonderfully chosen group of Jamaicans to have been taught how to play a musical instrument. Now that Food For The Poor has given you training and the instruments you were trained with, the onus is on you to materialize on your talent,” Mr Mair said.

Mr Mair went on to encourage the students to practice and actualise their musical talents.

Errol Lee, Founder & Manager of Bare Essentials Band, who was the guest speaker at the graduation ceremony, reiterated these hopes for the students. He told the participants that they were given a foundation on which they needed to build.

“All of you are very special,” Mr Lee said, “The reason why I say this is because, out of every 100 people in the world, only one can play music, and all 45 of you here can play music. Therefore, you are special.”

He further stated: “With what you have been taught in the last three weeks, do not sit in the background all the time. Materialize on what you have been taught. Try to expose yourselves to new things and don’t stick to one career choice. You can have more than one career with one being in the music industry,” Lee further stated.

Jeffrey Brown said all the students enrolled in the Summer Band Camp programme this year were encouraged to formulate a Food For The Poor Band.

In an effort to create this band, these 45 students will return to the grounds of Food For The Poor on the last Saturday each month to practise and better develop their musical talents and skills. They will also be given the opportunity to learn other musical instruments.

This year’s Food For The Poor Summer Band Camp hosted students between six and 16 years of age. Since the inception of the programme, more than 100 youth have been trained.


Contact: Ainsworth Morris, PROComm, Tel: 926-6740 or 5509330 OR
Petri-Ann Henry, Food for the Poor, Tel: 984-5005 or 564-288

6

FOOD FOR THE POOR JAMAICA SUCCESS STORY - STEPHEN WILLIAMS: THE BEE FARMER

FIVE boxes of bees, one smoker, one extractor, a veil and hive tools were what it took to get Stephen Williams formally started in the bee farming business in 2010. These donations from Food for the Poor have been credited with making Williams the successful businessman he is today.
The 54-year-old owner of Queen Bee Honey Production said he used the charity organisation's gifts to build his business, which is based in Irish Pen, St Catherine.
"I have sold bees in the past but I started to bottle honey and pollen in 2012. Today, I have a total of 75 boxes and that is a great achievement for me," Williams told Career & Education.
Williams, who also serves as a traffic warden, said he is happy he decided to venture into the sector because business is booming and he is comfortable.
"I am satisfied because I see where apiculture is growing in Jamaica. There is a strong demand for honey. This business has already made a big difference in my life and in the life of my family because, as a traffic warden, the salary is small, sometimes $6,000 per fortnight, and this was not sufficient to take care of our basic needs. Now I can finance my children's education and better provide for my family," Williams said.
"Right now, I don't have a specific market. I pretty much sell to anyone who needs it such as neighbours and friends and nearby shops. I would love to one day construct an extracting house, so that I can have one specific location to extract, process and bottle the honey. That way I can expand my market to bigger companies such as supermarkets and even overseas," he added.
Williams said he has employed his son to work with him to build Queen Bee Honey Production.
He said with every journey in life challenges are always present. However, with his small business he doesn't allow the challenges to overwhelm him. He only focuses on the joy and independence that come with being an entrepreneur.
"It mek mi feel good and important. I didn't know that bee production was such a productive industry and so I decided to take it up seriously. The bees dem inspire and motivate me every day, because when I look at them, how they work and how productive they are, that inspires me to keep doing this job. I say to myself, 'Is dis likkle bees produce all dis honey?'"
He said customers tell him that if they see his honey on the supermarket shelf they would purchase it because he produces quality honey.
"These things motivate me," Williams said.
Below are 5 benefits Williams said he has derives from being an entrepreneur:
1. Self-reliance. I rely on myself to provide my needs through what I earn from my bees.
2. I don't have to depend on anyone to provide for my four children, Imano, Kayann, Stephen and Odine.
3. I can now employ other persons and give them a chance to provide for their families.
4. I get to work at my own pace each day.
5. I am now in a position to train other persons who are interested in the bee business. I have already partnered with the Government to help provide training for persons with bee farms.