Being kicked out of school, sitting at home with nothing to do, showed me the importance of education. I was going through a rough patch. I had issues at home, self-esteem issues, and having no one to talk to about my stress made it worse. After I was expelled I spoke with the guidance counsellor and was hopeful about showing that I… Read more →←
Sashoy Bewry placed first in the United Nations Jamaica Art for Human Rights visual arts competition open to students at Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts (EMCVPA), held to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 2018. Culture is something that sets us apart as Jamaicans, coming… Read more →←
Sasha-Kay Hinds placed second in the United Nations Jamaica Art for Human Rights visual arts competition open to students at Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts (EMCVPA), held to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 2018. I was in grade nine when the Tivoli Gardens incursion… Read more →←
It was the summer before Rhyim Roach’s final year of primary school. What was supposed to be Rhyim’s last long vacation holiday, including a country trip to go fishing with his father before the stressful GSAT exams, suddenly became anything but peaceful. A thoughtful boy, the shooting death of his father is ever-present in his… Read more →←
I recently returned from South Africa, where I represented Jamaican youth along with more than one million youth around the world who shared their voices. Our goal together? To create a Youth Manifesto to #ENDviolence in schools to be presented to education ministers from across the world in January and demand their action. I helped… Read more →←
“They should show us more love and respect and help us more, especially on the road and in school, and stop making fun of us! Because that’s what makes me feel sad, when other children tease me saying how I cannot walk.” That’s my daughter Brittany, who is seven years old. She has arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC),… Read more →←
Have you ever just stopped for a second and really noticed how some things have changed since you were a child? I don’t know, maybe it’s just me, but I really have. I’ve noticed how a lot of things have been changed by technology, most specifically the smartphones in our hands. We really love our smartphones, don’t we? I also… Read more →←
Parents of children with disabilities reassured The moment I walked into Savanna-la-Mar Inclusive Infant Academy, I became fascinated by the way children of varying abilities were interacting with each other. There was no separation and the children were not treated differently – just happily interacting with each other. They each… Read more →←
Whenever I think of healthcare, three things readily come to mind – affordability, access and quality. As a young person in Jamaica, accessing healthcare comes with its challenges. Many young persons, irrespective of their status, struggle with accessing affordable and quality health services, particularly relating to sexual and… Read more →←
I saw a sign recently that read: “If you want something you’ve never had, you have to do something you’ve never done.” 2018 has definitely been my year of getting things done. I launched U-Report in Jamaica, was awarded a Chevening scholarship to pursue my Masters of Law in Human Rights Law, and am now the proud… Read more →←