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KINGSTON, Jamaica — An inspirational mentorship relationship born from the University of Technology’s Alumni Mentorship Programme has transcended conventional boundaries, resulting in an extraordinary literary collaboration. Sandrina Davis, honored as Mentor of the Year 2025, and her protégé Jinel Gordon, named Mentee of the Year 2025, have jointly authored “The Ripple Effect: 5 Keys to Making a Difference that Lasts,” scheduled for public release on Sunday, March 15.

Their partnership, initially structured through institutional pairing, has flourished into a profound shared expedition exploring leadership dynamics, purposeful living, and sustainable community impact. Their collaborative journey provides tangible evidence of the transformative potential inherent in deliberate mentorship relationships.

The forthcoming publication delineates five actionable principles for creating enduring positive influence: selecting empathy above sympathy, enabling empowerment without causing embarrassment, practicing attentive listening prior to action, cultivating authentic connections through genuine care, and adopting mentorship as a catalyst for legacy expansion.

Davis contributes insights drawn from her extensive leadership tenure and community service throughout Jamaica, covering the initial four principles. Gordon completes the conceptual framework by articulating the fifth key regarding mentorship’s multiplicative legacy effect, thereby symbolically closing the narrative circle.

“This manuscript transcends theoretical discourse,” Davis emphasized. “It constitutes empirical demonstration of outcomes achievable when individuals place faith in one another’s potential.”

Gordon characterized her participation as fundamentally transformative, noting: “Mentorship profoundly influenced not merely my professional objectives but my core self-conception. Collaborative authorship embodies the synergistic possibilities when dedicated guidance converges with unwavering commitment.”

The official book launch will serve as a ceremonial recognition of mentorship’s value, leadership development, and the cumulative power of consistent, purposeful engagement.
“The Ripple Effect” extends an impassioned appeal to Jamaican citizens, academic communities, corporate professionals, family figures, and organizational leaders to acknowledge that genuine influence originates not from formal positions but from deliberate intentionality.

Authorities in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica have escalated their search for 44-year-old contractor Owen Miller, upgrading his status from person of interest to wanted individual. The development follows a serious domestic incident allegedly involving Miller and his spouse, who serves as a police constable.

According to official reports, the altercation occurred on the evening of February 28th at approximately 8:40 PM at a residence in Howard Acres, Goshen. Miller is accused of discharging his spouse’s licensed firearm in her direction during the confrontation at their family home.

Law enforcement officials indicate that Miller maintains connections across multiple parishes, with known frequenting locations including Georges Plain in Westmoreland and White-Water Boulevard in Spanish Town, St. Catherine. The Black River Criminal Investigation Branch has issued a public appeal for Miller to surrender himself voluntarily to authorities.

The Jamaica Constabulary Force has activated standard protocol for wanted individuals, requesting that any citizens with information regarding Miller’s whereabouts immediately contact emergency services at 119 or their nearest police station. The case highlights ongoing concerns regarding domestic violence incidents involving law enforcement personnel and their families.

KINGSTON, Jamaica — A transformative educational initiative has emerged in eastern Westmoreland through a strategic partnership between the Liberty Caribbean Foundation and the Flow Foundation, injecting over $10 million to establish the Maud McLeod High Resource Hub. This intervention directly addresses the catastrophic damage inflicted by Hurricane Melissa on October 28, 2025, which severely compromised educational infrastructure across the parish.

The newly established hub represents a coordinated response with Jamaica’s Ministry of Education, creating structured access to essential academic resources for Maud McLeod High School and eleven neighboring institutions. The facility will serve one infant school, nine primary schools, and one secondary school, providing critical support to eight severely damaged and three partially damaged institutions among the 69 affected schools.

Rhys Campbell, Executive Director of the Liberty Caribbean Foundation, emphasized the initiative’s long-term vision: “When education is disrupted, children’s futures are endangered. This investment restores opportunity through shared access to technology, instructional materials, and secure learning environments, ensuring Westmoreland students continue their educational development despite adversity.”

The hub operates on an innovative shared-resource model, enabling participating schools to borrow technological devices and teaching materials, utilize printing and photocopying services, and access specialized classroom and laboratory spaces. This approach particularly benefits eight schools still disconnected from the electrical grid, including St John’s Infant and seven other primary institutions.

Dr. Michelle Pinnock, Region 4 Regional Director at the Ministry of Education, characterized the hub as a collaborative masterpiece addressing immediate learning needs while aligning with governmental priorities for educational continuity. “This partnership has created a center of excellence that supports quality teaching and learning. I advocate for islandwide replication of such hubs to ensure educational equity and resource access,” Dr. Pinnock stated.

Student feedback already indicates positive impact. Alexia Williams, an 11th-grade student at Maud McLeod, reported: “The resource hub facilitates my education by providing technology for SBA assignments and online past papers. Having reliable access to computers, printing, and lab spaces significantly boosts my exam confidence.”

As restoration efforts continue across Westmoreland, the Maud McLeod High Resource Hub stands as a testament to collaborative resilience and unwavering commitment to safeguarding Jamaican students’ educational futures.

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica’s Bauxite Community Development Programme (BCDP) is preparing to launch its eighth operational phase in 2026, celebrating thirty years of sustained investment in mining-affected communities across the nation’s bauxite-producing regions.

Established in 1996 and administered by the Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI), the pioneering initiative has channeled nearly $1 billion in mining revenues back into local communities through seven completed development cycles. The program represents one of Jamaica’s most significant corporate social responsibility ventures, directly benefiting approximately 100 communities across five parishes: Manchester, St. Ann, St. Catherine, St. Elizabeth, and Clarendon.

The BCDP’s comprehensive approach focuses on creating sustainable economic opportunities while enhancing social and physical infrastructure in rural mining areas. Strategic investments have spanned multiple sectors including agricultural modernization, infrastructure upgrades, vocational training, social enterprise development, and support for community-based organizations.

The recently concluded Phase VII (September 2020-August 2024) utilized a $300 million allocation from the Capital Development Fund, with approximately $220 million distributed across key initiatives. This included $102 million dedicated to agricultural development, $80 million for community infrastructure improvements, $35 million for educational scholarships, and $3 million for small enterprise support and training programs.

With December 2025’s injection of $400 million in new funding, Phase VIII will continue the program’s core mission of strengthening livelihoods, promoting rural development, and building resilient communities in Jamaica’s bauxite-producing regions. The upcoming phase maintains the program’s three-decade commitment to transforming mining revenues into sustainable community development.