A time to plant, a time to learn

Jamaica Observer column published 13 April 2020

by Jean Lowrie-chin

Scenes from the Mega-Farm  at the former
Innswood Estate  a Michael Lee-Chin initiative 

This time of isolation during the pandemic (I avoid using the virus’ name) gives us an opportunity to think and plan.  It is true that more could have been done to strengthen the resilience of countries in crisis. However, for every finger we point at others, there are four more pointing at ourselves. Take the issue of wellness. Persons with underlying conditions are at the highest risk of having severe illness from this pandemic. Yet how many of us work to keep ourselves and our families at optimum health?

We in Jamaica are blessed with superior crops, yet farmers suffer because we continue to favour imported  processed foods, many of which contain genetically modified ingredients. We have been seeing online the development of the ‘mega-farm’, 3,000 acres of the former Innswood Estate by an investor group led by Michael Lee-Chin. Rows and rows of crops including sweet potatoes continue to be planted.  JAMPRO Chairman Senator Don Wehby is hopeful about such initiatives: “We expect a changed world to emerge post [pandemic]: a trend towards buying local, more health-conscious consumption, increasing demand for natural remedies, rising e-commerce and expanding digital and online solutions.”

Senator Wehby listed several elements of “JAMPRO’s renewed focus”, including “Increasing our support of the agribusiness sector to attract and facilitate new technology driven investment, as well as, facilitate linkages between farmers, manufacturers, and service providers. We must increase production to improve food security, raise productivity and create sustainable value-added food products.”

We can come out of this pandemic sharper for the future if we limit our time watching depressing news, and take advantage of free online courses. Lifehack.org has supplied seven top learning websites: Coursera, Khan Academy, Open Culture Online, Academic Earth, edX. Alison and iTunesU free courses. There is also Ted-Ed, Codeacademy, Stanford Online recommended by Forbes senior contributor Zack Friedman. Locally, we salute EduFocal’s Gordon Swaby and iCreate’s Tyrone Wilson for their vision in creating online education tools, and HEART-NSTA which continues give advice on courses and conducts some of their classes online.

Home-schooling activities

Barbara Blake Hannah’s book “Home – The First School: A HomeSchooling Guide to Early Childhood Education”

Barbara Blake Hannah literally wrote the book on home-schooling: “Home – The First School: A HomeSchooling Guide to Early Childhood Education”, which has been widely lauded. Its best recommendation is the success of her son Makonnen Blake Hannah, who was a technology consultant at the tender age of 14, to former Minister of Energy and Technology Phillip Paulwell. Blake Hannah’s book is available on Kindle, a quick way to add this to your home-schooling toolkit.

Pat Rowe, Founder of LIFE

Here also is a model that should be replicated islandwide: “Literacy Is a Family Experience” (LIFE), founded five years ago by Jamaican-American Registered Nurse Pat Rowe. The organisation conducts programmes in New York and St. Elizabeth, Jamaica, to encourage parental participation in their children’s education.  The LIFE website www.literacyisafamily.org notes, "The most accurate predictor of student achievement is the extent to which the family is involved in their child's education. Research is clear: when parents play a positive role in their children's education, students do better in school."

LIFE serves six primary schools in St. Elizabeth. To engage parents, they created Literacy Teams at each school comprising teachers, a guidance counsellor and a ‘family navigator’ working on behalf of students and parents who struggle with reading. They conduct some six workshops per year, enjoying steadily increasing attendance. There has been greater enthusiasm for borrowing from the ‘Books in the Home Lending Library’.   

In a recent phone call with New York-based Pat, a graduate of Convent of Mercy ‘Alpha’ Academy, she said she had been in touch with LIFE team members, and that the parents who have participated in the programme are doing excellent work in home-schooling their children. This is also happening back in East Harlem and Brooklyn where the LIFE programme was rolled out.

The pandemic has taught us that we can be certain of nothing, so we should be prepared for anything. This LIFE literacy programme equips lower-income parents to keep their children’s education on track.

Post publication:

Kudos Dr Nadine Leachman

The “Literacy Is a Family Experience” (LIFE) Founder Pat Rowe thanked me for mentioning her programme two weeks ago and wrote, “I could not do this without Dr. Nadine Leachman the regional director in Region 5 and the Learning Resource Centre teachers and LIFE’s board.” Pat said she has been unstinting in her support, making LIFE “a true example of private-public sector partnership”.

Crime – the worst virus

We were horrified to learn of the murder of Mrs Colleen Walker, Vice Principal of Excelsior High School. Imagine, she was at home, gardening with her son when these thugs drove by and attacked her. Jamaica has lost one our most exemplary educators, and a devoted mother. Our condolence to her beloved sons, family members and the Excelsior Staff. 

Just two weeks ago, this column called for the same emergency response to crime that we are having to the pandemic.  Indeed crime is the worst virus facing Jamaica. Those of us who have lived long enough, know of the origins of this monster which slipped out of the control of those who created it, and neither political party is innocent. It’s time to ‘fess up’ and step up.  Let us have the briefings, hear the statistics, hear the actions being taken and use our collective voices to show up those who will not do what is just and right for Jamaica.

Distressing times

Even as we contemplated Jesus being laid in the tomb on Good Friday, we saw scores of caskets being buried in trenches in Hart Island, New York, a place that has been used for the burial of unclaimed bodies. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted: "The heart-breaking numbers of deaths we're seeing means we are sadly losing more people without family or friends to bury them privately. Those are the people who will be buried on Hart Island, with every measure of respect and dignity New York City can provide." We have to keep in our prayers the suffering and the bereaved in our local and global families. We are forever grateful to the health community who provide care and comfort for the thousands who have stricken by this virus.

Farewell Lois Kelly Miller

Jamaican legend of stage and screen, 102-year-old Lois Kelly Miller passed away peacefully last week.  Mrs Kelly Miller was beloved for her roles in the National Pantomime; she was unforgettable as Miss Lou’s verbose stylist in “Queenie’s Daughter”. When Jamaican film-maker Natalie Thompson got a call from her Hollywood contact for a Jamaican woman to be cast in the movie “Meet Joe Black”, starring Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins, she immediately recommended her.

Natalie recalls, “She auditioned on her verandah in Gordon Town with Jeremy Francis on Camera and me directing.”  Natalie says director Martin Brest chose her over several others because he wanted someone with an authentic Jamaican accent. Mrs Kelly Miller’s relative Jennifer Orane-Henry said, “she did share the opinion that Sir Anthony Hopkins was the consummate gentleman on set and that she enjoyed teaching Brad Pitt his patois lines.”  There are YouTube clips featuring conversations between the two characters.

Rest in Peace Lois Kelly Miller. Thank you for the joy you brought to the Jamaican stage.

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