Tagged: Jamaica

Photograph of Father Ian ‘Cowfoot’ Salmon together with his two sons Jevontae, aged 16 (left) and Devontae, aged 13 in their community of Mountain View, St Andrew.

Why as a daddy I choose talking not beating

Safety and justice

By Ian 'Cowfoot' Salmon

The reason I believe in talking to my children … beating doesn’t work! Sometimes when you beat them, you beat them with anger, you beat them with vengeance, and when you tell yourself that you’re licking them here on the arm, it might catch them in the eye – scrape them, leave bruises, welts, marks and all those things. Talking… Read more →←
Photograph of Nadine Bowen, a teacher at Early Stimulation Plus in Rockfort, eastern Kingston together with one of her students.

Helping parents of children with disabilities grow with them

Lifelong learning

By Nadine Bowen

Here at Early Stimulation Plus, we don’t just get to see the children grow, we get to see the parents grow too. Because some are in denial that “there is nothing wrong with my child.” But your child does have challenges, and so do you; and together you need our help.  Our school works a lot with the parents, including  parenting… Read more →←
Photograph of Tajae Williams playing with her son Tajorie, aged 3.

Never give up on your children, they are the future

Lifelong learning

By Tajae Williams

Never give up on your child because you don’t know where or what the future holds. When I found out that my son Tajorie Taylor had Down syndrome it had a negative impact on me, because of what people said. They would fail to understand, or decide that they would not like to discuss it, because they have grown up in a society where to… Read more →←
Photograph of Lucy Meyer with students at Stony Hill Infant, Primary and Junior High School

Unified sports build a health society

Lifelong learning

By Lucy Meyer

I was born with cerebral palsy because I did not get oxygen for five minutes at birth. When I was just a few days old, the doctors told my parents that there was a very good chance that I would never sit up or swallow.   The doctors were wrong!  Living with cerebral palsy means that I have both physical and intellectual disabilities.… Read more →←
Photograph of Shaneille Hall, aged 18, who was among a group of children who became the first in Jamaican history to address a sitting of Parliament, on November 19, 2019, the day before World Children's Day.

Witnessing history in Jamaica

Safety and justice

By Laura-Ann Romig

“I share my story here today for every girl and every boy in Jamaica who is subjected to sexual violence, and they are everywhere. There are children who are keeping horrible secrets in Upper St. Andrew, in downtown Kingston, and all across rural Jamaica” As I listened to Shaneille speak, my eyes welled up with tears. Her voice,… Read more →←
Chandis Hamilton

What my daughter cannot see, she can sing so beautifully

Lifelong learning

By Marlene Grant

Early in my pregnancy, I caught chickenpox which damaged my daughter’s eyes. Chandis is afflicted with pigmentary retinopathy, which means her visual acuity is only 8/18 in each of her eyes. Growing up, at times she would walk into people or objects and injure herself and had to use people’s voices to identify them. Yet being… Read more →←
Photograph of Lorna Bell, Executive Director of Special Olympics Jamaica

Special athletes are Jamaicans too, just with Olympic medals!

Lifelong learning

By Lorna Bell

We have just come back from another Special Olympics, not just with 33 medals but eye-opening experiences both for the special athletes and the able athletes who competed in the unified sports. Going to Abu Dhabi was a life-changer for everyone involved because people abroad understand more about disability and the treatment is… Read more →←
Photograph of Kadian Ingleton, Special Olympics Jamaica athlete

Disability does not disqualify our children from becoming champions

Lifelong learning

By Kadian Ingleton

Coming back to Jamaica with a Silver medal in 800 metres swimming at  the 2019 Abu Dhabi Special Olympics has touched my life, especially because four years earlier I was disqualified. At the time I was in shock, but I knew had to come back. Being disqualified had me in tears because it would have been a Gold and all of a sudden it was… Read more →←
Photograph of Allan Levy, Special Olympics Jamaica volleyball coach

Special Olympics athletes taught me to be a better man

Lifelong learning

By Allan Levy

It is the athletes from Special Olympics Jamaica who have made me different than the man who joined in 1996 to coach volleyball. Before that I could not deal as well with people and I was more quick to anger, but being around persons with intellectual disabilities teaches you to be calm, more respectful of differences and able to… Read more →←
UNICEF Children's Town Hall in Clarendon

Why November 19 is a historic day for Jamaican children

Safety and justice

By

“Mi waan dead di man who dead mi modda.” A two-year-old boy said that. Can you imagine? Children in Jamaica today have so much on their minds to deal with. And now, for the first time in Jamaican history our children will be getting their chance to stand up and speak in Parliament, for a Special Session on Violence against… Read more →←

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