19 years ago – the Digicel difference

Updated excerpt from Observer column published 20 April 2020

by Jean Lowrie-Chin

Digicel founder and Chairman Denis O’Brien and the late Deputy Prime Minister Seymour Mullings look on as Makonnen Blake Hannah makes the first Digicel phone call on April 19, 2001. With him is Scripps Howard Champion Jodi-Ann Maxwell. 

Nineteen years ago today, Jamaicans lined up in Kingston and St James to buy their first Digicel mobile handsets, items that were previously regarded as luxuries. I was proud to have been part of the team which piloted the launch on the previous day, ending with hundreds of phones lighting up at midnight in the Grand Jamaica Suite at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel.

The intrepid Irish entrepreneur Denis O’Brien recalls seeing an advertisement in the Financial Times about a telecoms license being offered in Jamaica, and decided to apply. What a moment for our country – this opened up employment, and a revolution in telecommunications. The Irish cared less for your address and more for your competence. We saw Debbie Williams rise from office attendant to senior receptionist and listened to her cheerily emceeing the Digicel 10^th anniversary celebrations. As Digicel launched networks in 32 other countries, their Jamaican managers were sent to train the new teams. “I want them to have the Jamaican DNA,” Denis O’Brien told Cliff Hughes at the Haiti launch in 2006.

We caught the energetic buzz of Colm Delves, Seamus Lynch, David Hall, and Jamaica’s own Harry Smith, now Chairman of Digicel Jamaica. From Professor Hopeton Dunn whose telecoms chair at UWI was funded for several years by Digicel, we heard reports of market women, fishermen and taxi operators whose business grew significantly because they could make and receive orders quickly. Live-in household workers spoke of their relief that they now had a way to keep in close touch with their children.

Digicel Foundation Labour Day Project 

In 2004, Digicel launched their Foundation, with their first CEO Major General (Ret’d) Robert Neish overseeing the fast rollout of islandwide projects with military precision. Built on the pillars of education, special needs and entrepreneurship for community development, the Foundation (which I chair) has invested to date US$37.7 million, in 1,279 projects, improving the lives of 649,747 Jamaicans.

X-Factor star Dalton Harris got his start on Digicel Rising Star.

At a time when Jamaican dancehall lyrics were heading for the gutter and music hopefuls were being blocked by payola kings and queens, Digicel introduced the 'Rising Stars' competition, launching timeless new talents including Romain Virgo, Christopher Martin and Dalton Harris. They also sponsor 'All Together Sing', showcasing the talent of our high school students and their dedicated teachers. 

Happy 19^th Birthday Digicel – here’s to many more dynamic years! 

Fighting Covid – less criticism and more activism

Observer column published 20 April 2020

by Jean Lowrie-Chin

As we face an unprecedented crisis, every Jamaican should be playing our part, as small as it may be, to stop the spread of this virus. Of course, constructive criticism is welcome, but we should not be expending our energy on so much negative talk that we even contradict ourselves. Last week, members of the Opposition first called for an islandwide lockdown and then criticized the lockdown of the parish of St. Catherine, which is now unfortunately the epicentre of the virus outbreak, more than doubling the number of cases in the space of three days.

(Post column – we were heartened that PM Holness posted a ‘Stay at Home’ video featuring Opposition MP Dr Wykeham McNeill yesterday – 23 April)

Then came the news that a driver at the Health Ministry had tested positive for the virus, resulting the temporary closure of the ministry’s offices in various locations. What a challenging situation, happening at the same time that workers at the Alorica Call Centre were being asked to get tested. We can understand how the issues with transportation and testing kits arose under those circumstances. The critics should know that even members of G20 countries are having testing hiccups. We are hoping to hear good news from the US Embassy about those testing kits that were blocked in the US enroute to Jamaica. We know Ambassador Donald Tapia assisted in a similar situation for the Cayman Islands and that he will do his best for us.

Political representatives could use their valuable time to give practical assistance and advice to help slow the spread. They can liaise with church groups to organise shopping trips for the elderly, distribute care packages, partner with town criers to raise awareness with a little humour to lift people’s spirits and use media to laud the quiet heroes in their communities who are looking out for others.

We know that funds have been allocated to every MP for Covid relief and it would be uplifting to hear more about the good work they may have been doing. Every effort we make to keep our citizens safe is an effort to protect ourselves and our all-important health workers and first responders.

Generous donors

Kudos to the many donors who have so far contributed $50 million, in response to the #TogetherWeStandAgainstCovid fundraising Telethon last Sunday, spearheaded by Minister Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange and her hard-working team. Some of Jamaica’s finest talent worldwide stepped up to help raise funds to procure personal protective equipment for health personnel.

The PSOJ Covid-19 Response Fund, launched by President Keith Duncan, has so far garnered $40 million towards their target of $250 million to tackle food insecurity and boost health services. Partnering with them are CVSS, United Way and American Friends of Jamaica (AFJ). Donors via US based companies and individuals who channel donations through AFJ get the added benefit of a 501 c (3) tax allowance. 

CCRP was also able to contribute $500,000 for care packages for elderly shut-ins. We had a call from Sgt Jerr Johnson-Heron in Central Kingston who said she had been trying to assist shut-ins in her area. Our Board decided that we would partner with the JCF to do islandwide distribution, via Food for the Poor. The excellent Inspector Natalie Palmer-Mair will be coordinating the distribution.

When rent becomes due

These extraordinary times will bring extraordinary headaches to tenants and landlords alike. Realtor Carlene Sinclair shared that it is left up to landlords and tenants to come to a compassionate agreement as there is no provision in the Rent Act for natural disasters and pandemics. She is hoping that those landlords with mortgages who have been given a grace period by their banks, will share this concession with tenants in difficulty.

Some people can be heartless – Carlene said a doctor in New York was thrown out by his landlord because he said he was high risk! Let us look out for our health workers here in Jamaica – they are sacrificing a lot for us.

Small businesses which must limit their opening hours may also be hard hit through no fault of their own, as they must abide by Government regulations. We do hope they have applied online for the CARE relief package offered by the Ministry of Finance. People, I know it can be a pain to get all the paperwork done to be tax compliant, but Minister Clarke’s reduction of certain taxes does make it easier – and now those businesses who have been tax compliant are able to apply for some level of relief.

FFP Easter Prison release

Every Christmas and Easter, Food for the Poor (FFP) organises prison releases for non-violent offenders and 49 persons, including one woman, were released during Holy Week in Haiti, Guyana and Jamaica, much to the joy of their families.

“Thanks to our compassionate donors we were able to help release the 49 incarcerated people from their cells this Easter season,” said FFP President/CEO Ed Raine. Fines were paid for the individuals, some of whom were overcome with emotion after spending years in prison for petty offences.

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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Unforgettable Colm Delves

Two years after its launch in Jamaica, in 2001, Colm Delves was appointed CEO of the Digicel Group and presided over the global expansion of the company across 31 markets. This gracious Irishman lived in Jamaica for 12 of the 14 years at the company, and with his dear wife Paula and daughter Hannah, was embraced by a large Jamaican circle of friends. We loved that Colm, a musician in his own right, became a fan of our rhythms, naming the Third World band his favourite. Hannah attended a local school and serves as a young ambassador for Mustard Seed Communities.

Colm Delves was that calm centre of the Digicel dynamic. It was a privilege to experience his inspiring leadership; never drawing attention to his achievements because he was too busy congratulating his colleagues for theirs. Despite his incredible schedule, he somehow made time for everyone and was unstinting in his guidance and mentorship. After his retirement as CEO Colm continued to serve on the Digicel Board. 

After several months of battling cancer, Colm passed away today,  leaving his dear wife Paula, daughter Hannah, parents, brothers other family members and friends and colleagues to mourn the loss of this precious life we were blessed to share in. Rest in Peace Colm 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

Farewell Legendary Bob Andy

Excerpt from Jamaica Observer column published 30 March 2020

by Jean Lowrie-Chin

From Reggaeville.com 

The tributes are many and heartfelt for Jamaica’s supreme lyricist Bob Andy. Thank goodness he heard many before he passed. Over 20 top artistes gathered in Kingston in 2011 to honour the great man. They included Marcia Griffiths who had teamed with him as “Bob and Marcia” to cover Nina Simone’s “Young, Gifted and Black”, a rendition which rose to Number Five in the UK and sold half a million copies. Nadine Sutherland, Big Youth, Freddie McGregor, Luciano, Denyque, Chevaughn, Protoje, Desi Jones & Friends, Lloyd Parkes and We the People all sang and played their hearts out for the legend.

As I write this, Roy Black is playing the Bob Andy classic “I’ve Got to Go Back Home” on KLAS-FM – it lit up the dance floors of our youths. How we would sing out the trumpet bars when the DJ stopped the music! Now he is playing one of Bob Andy’s strong social commentary “Fire Burning”:

“I was drawn into myself
Observing all this time
From every angle I could see
My people, you're meeting hell
Brothers have turned to crime
So they die from time to time
We'd like to ask you leaders
What have you got in mind

I see the fire spreading
It's getting hotter and hot
The haves will want to be
In the shoes of the have-nots
If the sign is on your door
Then you will be saved for sure
But if you are in pretence
You're on the wrong side of the fence.”
My husband Hubie recalls that the company he worked for in the seventies, Total Sounds, produced Bob Andy’s radical “Check it out”.

“Open your eyes
It's time you realise
That the rise in the price
Is to make more money
For who's got plenty
And the trick of the trade
Is to keep all the hungry bellies empty”.

On the Bob Andy website, we learn that, “In November 1987, Bob assumed the post of A&R and Promotions Director for Tuff Gong (the group of companies founded by Bob Marley). … Bob's stay at Tuff Gong provided him with many opportunities to express his life-long desire for higher standards in Jamaican music, both in its business operations and in the quality of its musical output.”

A great legacy in so many spheres of Jamaican music – rest in peace Bob Andy.

The challenges of this common enemy

Jamaica Observer column published 30 March 2020

by Jean Lowrie-Chin

Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton 

Up to press time for this column (Saturday March 28) , we had 32 confirmed Covid-19 cases and mercifully, still one death. Our calm, knowledgeable Chief Medical Officer Dr Jacquiline Bisasor McKenzie continues to share detailed information on the various cases and their locations and we cannot thank our health workers enough for the dedication they are showing in these challenging times.

While our numbers continue to be relatively low, we could hear the deep concern in PM Andrew Holness’ voice when he stated at last Friday’s press briefing, “The biggest threat to our numbers spiking would be from persons who returned to Jamaica within the last 18 days, those who have not kept themselves in quarantine and are symptomatic and are spreading the disease.”

“I use this now, not as a threat, but as advice.” said the PM. “Those who have come into the island between the 18th of March and the 23rd, the police and the Ministry of Health have been instructed to go through the manifests and match names and addresses to determine if you are self-quarantining. If you are not, the ministry officials and the law enforcement will take the necessary steps; if not in compliance when checked a second time, steps will be taken for you to be quarantined in state facilities and you will be charged.”

How can people be so selfish and careless? Now our already overworked police officers must add this to their SOE and quarantine duties.

We are relieved to know that our street people are not being overlooked during this crisis, as Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie announced at last Friday’s press briefing that they are receiving daily meals as of yesterday.  However, I am concerned about the over 50,000 household workers; President of the Jamaica Household Workers Union (JHWU) called to say that they are losing their jobs and their families are suffering.  Minister McKenzie had noted that the Poor Relief division of his Ministry can consider cases not covered by the Finance Minister’s emergency package, so I am hoping that the JHWU will get some urgent assistance.

It is encouraging that after a news report about farmers having to dump some of their crops that the Rural Agricultural Development Agency (RADA) has published contact information for their parish officers who should be able to assist with the distribution of produce. Nutritionist Frances Mahfood advised on the news last week that the best way to strengthen our immune system is to add more fruit and vegetables to our diet. We hope the precious produce can be purchased for infirmaries and children’s homes and that manufacturers of food products and supermarkets will give them some well needed business.

The order for persons over 75 to stay at home for two weeks from last Wednesday, March 25 should be taken very seriously.  Although this allows them to do essential shopping, I hope that family members, friends and neighbours will offer to do such chores; our seniors are a high-risk group, as witnessed by the numbers coming out of Europe. We feel it to our hearts for the bereaved of those countries, with Italy and Spain being the hardest hit.

We have to be like the young woman who related on social media that she barred a would-be visitor from entering her house as she knew he had recently “come from farrin” and she did not want him to go near her “prize prize modda inside.” “Hello!” she said she shouted, “A nuh joke mi a mek”. 

Kudos for Jamaica

Last week, the Miami Herald reported that we were part of “a small hemispheric club that includes Jamaica, El Salvador, Peru and a handful of others [which] responded to the crisis with forceful measures that seemed excessive just days ago, but now seem prescient …Jamaica was one of the first countries in the Caribbean to react to the coronavirus, after seeing its first case on March 10. The country barred flights from hot zones, restricted the movement of tourists, enforced quarantines for all new arrivals and cancelled school, among other measures. It also put part of an entire town, Bull Bay, on lockdown.”

Health Minister Christopher Tufton is quoted: “Early in the day we decided it was better to take fairly strong measures — starting with public education, and then graduating into other restrictions in order to at least contain it, even while we prepare our public health system to deal with the inevitable.”  There was also reference to a social media post by WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus: “Thank you so much for your leadership — and preparedness — for #COVID19, @christufton. #Jamaica Being ready for #coronavirus is key to pushing it back fast. Together, for a safer world!”