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 →←
Topic: Health promotion
The energy in the room is light and there is laughter. There are no hints that the young women gathered in this space are anything but ordinary. They are relaxed and open. Until the conversation turns to forgiveness. The girls suddenly flounder. Smiles give way to knitted brows and slumped shoulders. Now, the room aches with the… Read more →←
Breast milk is the best food babies can get during the first six months. However, many babies don’t benefit from this best start in life: on average, women in Jamaica breastfeed exclusively for only about 3 weeks. In the first 1,000 days of life, a baby’s brain develops the fastest – a process which benefits… Read more →←
Young women and girls who are HIV positive are often victims of repeat victimisation. Many were sexually abused as children, and were shunned after trying to name their abusers, who are often family members. For them, stigma against persons living with HIV is one more thing to overcome. Alicia (alias), shares her story below about… Read more →←
Most – if not all – conversations in Jamaica about youth exclude them from the discussion. Launching U-Report Jamaica recently gave me a “wow” moment: I realised this is finally a chance for youth to take charge of the narrative and start their own conversations. More than 1,300 young people have already signed up to become… Read more →←
Not many people know this, but my degree from UTech was in Child and Adolescent Development. So I know about the benefits of breastfeeding and it’s always been something I wanted to do when I was ready to be a mother. So it’s doubly important for me as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador that more mothers are able to breastfeed. We’re… Read more →←
Being a daughter of St. Ann, it was heartening to travel down to see Alexandria Community Hospital get certified as baby-friendly. This is a wonderful first for the parish! Alexandria and Princess Margaret in St. Thomas are now the only two hospitals in Jamaica officially designated as baby-friendly. Being baby-friendly is about ensuring… Read more →←
The sun has retreated and it is a cool, moist day in Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth. Over 30 young women are gathered for a unique retreat, hosted by Eve for Life. All of them are mentors, mentees and life coaches with one thing in common – they are all survivors of sexual abuse. Eve for Life works with these women, their partners and… Read more →←
When the result came back and it was positive, I looked at it but couldn’t cry – as my mother was right there; and I couldn’t tell her. Instead, I later told my big sister, she cried and I cried. When you get a result like that you don’t forget because at that time all you can think about is dying. It was 2015 when I got sick: no… Read more →←
My job is not an easy one! But I try. Many of my clients are in their early teenage years. Some of them are very withdrawn – after being told they are HIV positive they can feel helpless, like they’re stuck in a shell. When they first come to Eve for Life, many don’t want to associate with anyone; and others are angry. After a… Read more →←
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