The first 1,000 days have a profound effect on our child’s development. As parents, we all have a chance to get it right – one of the most important jobs in life, but one for which we have such little training. Whatever their age there are some common principles for good parenting. These include showing our child affection and love;… Read more →←
Author: Ross Sheil
Big news for little people came this week with UNICEF’s global report, Early Moments Matter for every child. Jamaica is once again being recognised as a model for early childhood development, thanks to the results of a pioneering early childhood programme and near to 100 per cent enrollment in early childhood institutions (ECIs) at… Read more →←
The two-year-old boy is recovering, says Peace Management Initiative (PMI) senior social worker Berthlyn Plummer. One week after a gunman’s bullet shattered his little arm, his family told Berthlyn that he’s once again playing. It was another day of hard work for the PMI; a punishingly hot summer day working boots on the ground… Read more →←
Underprivileged children exposed to crime at an early age are unfortunately more likely to be caught up in the justice system. For them, the response of police and the justice system will determine whether they become permanently crimimalised at a young age, or go on to become productive members of society. Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ)… Read more →←
Akino Lindsay wants an Olympic Gold medal, badly. At 22 years old and already a two-time ISKA World Champion in Taekwondo, Tokyo 2020 is much more than just a dream. But even that is not the most remarkable thing about him. What is most remarkable about the self-described big kid, is seeing him interact with children from the various… Read more →←
“I grew up in war-torn community where there was gang rivalry. I was affected by the gunshots and murders and it gives me a vivid picture of what some of these children are going through.” – Corporal Ricardo McAlpin, Community Safety and Security Branch. Daily, a Jamaican police officer on the frontline is likely to… Read more →←
As Mark Connolly, UNICEF’s former representative in Jamaica once put it, “Paper reaching parliament does not change the life of a child. Action does.” That’s why UNICEF is partnering with the Digicel Jamaica Foundation and the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD). Together we want to ensure the full… Read more →←
Last year UNICEF funded a mobile poll that showed that 81 per cent of youths wanted to leave the country for better opportunities. Jamaican youths also said that they felt they did not have a voice. Participation in decision making is a right that young people have; they must be heard on the issues that affect them. So, rather than… Read more →←
I honestly believe that by teaching you can save a life today to save yours tomorrow. We really we do not know what tomorrow brings and our effort as teachers today can save a child from becoming a criminal tomorrow. You may never reach all your students, but as I constantly say to my teachers, “reach one every day’. It can be… Read more →←
From when I was young I always wanted to help people to learn. I come from a socio-economic background where crime and violence were around me as a child and at this early stage of life, when you are in this type of environment, there are two ways to get out. You can go the sporting route like Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce or… Read more →←
