At its annual prayer breakfast held Saturday at the Stella Maris Pastoral Centre, the Kiwanis Club of New Kingston centered its annual gathering on a powerful core truth: meaningful national service does not start with formal programs or policy blueprints—it begins with inwardly transformed hearts and minds, united by a shared commitment to lifting up others.
The event, convened under the theme “Transforming Hearts and Minds through Partnerships,” featured keynote remarks from Reverend Stephenson Samuels, who challenged attendees to reframe what true transformation truly means. Samuels told the assembled Kiwanians and invited guests that transformation is far more than a superficial shift in outward behavior; it is a fundamental, complete inward overhaul that has the power to reshape local communities and, over time, the entire Jamaican nation.
“If we are going to serve, then there has to be some level of transformation in our lives,” Samuels told the crowd. “And that transformation must be in hearts and minds. It cannot happen at the individual level only; it has to be collective.”
Drawing on scripture from the Book of Romans 12, Samuels drew a clear distinction between transformation and passive conformity. He warned against the common trap of simply adjusting to harmful, negative social norms instead of working to drive lasting, meaningful change for the better. “You are either being transformed or you are being conformed,” he emphasized.
Turning to one of Jamaica’s most pressing social challenges, Samuels called attention to rising rates of violent behavior among young people, especially within school communities. He noted that many children fall into harmful patterns due to overwhelming peer pressure and a widespread lack of consistent, caring adult guidance. “A lot of those boys just need somebody,” he said, sharing a personal reflection from his own teenage years. Samuels recalled that a caring teacher intervened at a critical turning point in his life, redirecting his path and setting him on the course he follows today.
Samuels went on to offer high praise for the decades-long work of the global Kiwanis movement, highlighting its consistent investment in youth across Jamaica through mentorship programs, school feeding initiatives, youth leadership development, and ongoing community outreach. “And in the midst of all of this, Kiwanis clubs are still serving their mission and giving themselves away for the betterment of others,” he said.
Beyond the keynote address, the breakfast program included a special honor ceremony recognizing three trailblazing Jamaican women for their exceptional work advancing child welfare and national development.
The first honoree, Dr. Elizabeth Ward, is a respected physician and researcher who chairs the Violence Prevention Alliance Jamaica. For decades, she has led efforts to reduce community violence and strengthen national citizen security through evidence-based public health strategies and targeted policy reform.
Second to be recognized was Professor Maureen Samms-Vaughan, a prominent child and adolescent psychiatrist and lifelong child advocacy leader. Her decades of research and clinical work have reshaped Jamaica’s national policies around child development and child protection, leaving a lasting impact on youth outcomes across the country.
The third honoree, Pauline Bowla, a long-serving distinguished Kiwanian, was recognized for her decades of unwavering commitment to volunteerism, grassroots community development, and public service through the Kiwanis movement.
Saturday’s gathering is part of the New Kingston Kiwanis Club’s ongoing organizational priority to expand cross-sector partnerships, strengthen local leadership, and drive inclusive community transformation through intentional, people-centered service.