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WATCH: Run for Mom 5K to champion maternal health and support young mothers

On the cusp of Mother’s Day, a groundbreaking national public health and advocacy initiative is stepping into the spotlight in Kingston, Jamaica, aiming to turn a traditional day of celebration into tangible, life-changing support for vulnerable young mothers across the island. On Thursday, the Heart and Vascular Centre officially unveiled its first-ever “Run for Mom 5K,” a community-focused event developed in close collaboration with the Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation. What began as an idea to reimagine Mother’s Day has grown into a coordinated movement that ties together public health awareness, educational support, and targeted advocacy for adolescent mothers navigating systemic and social barriers.

Organisers deliberately selected Tivoli Gardens in Kingston as the race’s host location, a choice intended to mirror both the steep challenges that many local families face and the extraordinary resilience of Jamaican communities that carry forward despite hardship. Dr. Lorren Scott, founder of the Heart and Vascular Centre, opened the launch by unpacking the deeper mission that drives the initiative, noting that while cultural tradition widely celebrates mothers each year, a large subset of young and adolescent mothers are systematically overlooked and left without critical support.

“Mothers are the backbone of every family, every community, and this entire nation,” Scott emphasized during Thursday’s launch. “Yet across Jamaica, countless young mothers are navigating interrupted schooling, severely limited access to support systems, and persistent social stigma. Their strength deserves far more than just a one-day shoutout — it deserves sustained, actionable support.” Scott added that the 5K run is intentionally structured to turn public awareness and conversation into tangible action, pushing for the well-being of adolescent mothers and broader maternal health to be elevated as core national priorities in Jamaica.

The initiative has already secured significant corporate backing, with telecommunications firm FLOW contributing JMD $1 million alongside free connectivity services to help extend the event’s outreach to communities across the country. Pete Smith, FLOW’s Regulatory Finance Manager, framed the company’s sponsorship as more than a charitable donation — it is an investment in Jamaica’s people and long-term national progress. “This is not just financial support; it is a full commitment to a purpose that matters,” Smith explained. He noted that the initiative aligns perfectly with FLOW’s ongoing work to improve public health outcomes and empower vulnerable population groups, adding that the event also serves a secondary critical goal: raising public awareness of cardiovascular disease and encouraging active, healthier lifestyles through collective community engagement.

Novelette Howell, Executive Director of the Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation, welcomed the cross-sector partnership, highlighting its unique potential to open new doors for adolescent mothers working to rebuild their education after pregnancy. Howell outlined the foundation’s A-Stream programme, a targeted initiative that supports teenage mothers pursuing secondary and tertiary education, alongside complementary support for young fathers to help them build stable family units. “Education is the single most critical pathway to breaking intergenerational cycles of vulnerability and creating lasting, meaningful change for these young women and their children,” Howell said.

Leading local medical professionals have also publicly endorsed the initiative, including Dr. Garth McDonald of Jamaica’s iconic Victoria Jubilee Hospital. Dr. McDonald stressed that the challenges facing adolescent mothers carry broad, long-term implications for Jamaican society as a whole. “Teenage pregnancy remains a disproportionate burden for any society, even as national rates have declined in recent years,” he explained. “While we have made progress on reducing prevalence, the persistent psychosocial challenges — from widespread social stigma to gaps in targeted support — continue to put young mothers and their children at heightened risk.”

Event organisers confirmed that all proceeds from the upcoming Run for Mom 5K will go directly to fund existing support programmes for adolescent mothers across Jamaica. Beyond direct funding, the initiative also aims to build a sustained national culture of preventive health, wellness, and community solidarity around maternal well-being, turning a single annual celebration into a movement that drives lasting change.

22 4 月, 2026
Ecstasy in oats could have triggered prison ban

Jamaica’s Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has implemented a controversial new ban on several popular food items that visitors are permitted to bring into the nation’s correctional facilities, framing the policy as a critical upgrade to its ongoing fight against contraband trafficking, including illicit drugs like marijuana. The new list of restricted staples, which sources tell the Jamaica Observer are core food sources for incarcerated people who reject prison-prepared meals, was publicly announced by the agency this Tuesday. Under the updated rules, cup soups, rolled oats, tinned potato chips and other similar packaged snacks, and boxed cereals are no longer accepted during inmate visits.

In a public notice accompanying the ban announcement, the DCS urged all visitors to familiarize themselves with and abide by the new guidelines to avoid unnecessary entry delays or inconvenience. The agency noted that visitor cooperation is essential to upholding the safety, security and consistent daily operations of all correctional facilities across the island. Responding in writing to queries from the Observer on Wednesday, the DCS communications team clarified that the strengthened restrictions are a core component of the department’s long-term strategy to maintain safety, discipline and orderly operations within its facilities.

“As part of these enhanced controls, the department has also rolled out stricter gate entry protocols and broader restrictions on certain visitor items that could be exploited to hide prohibited contraband,” the DCS statement added. The agency emphasized that all new measures are preventative, and reflect its longstanding zero-tolerance policy for contraband smuggling and any activity that threatens institutional security. “We remain committed to balancing strict security standards with professionalism, fairness, and humane treatment of those in our custody, while upholding our core mandate of rehabilitation and successful reintegration into society,” the statement read.

But the new policy has already drawn skepticism from both former inmates and industry insiders, who question both the effectiveness of the ban and point to a far larger source of contraband infiltration. One former inmate who spoke to the Observer shared that the ban on grain products like oats stems from reports that visitors have been crushing ecstasy (MDMA) pills, commonly known as Molly, into the loose grain to smuggle the drug into facilities. Despite this, the ex-inmate argued that senior prison administrators would make more progress cutting contraband if they focused their investigations on internal staff rather than punishing visitors and inmates.

That critique is echoed by a well-placed source who interacts with Jamaican prisons on a regular basis. The source pointed out that existing protocols already require loose goods like oats to be poured out into clear plastic bags and searched thoroughly before entry. “Apart from sealed cup soups, items like oats and chips can easily be transferred to transparent packaging and searched just like any other item. Even visitors bringing toothpaste have to squeeze it out into a plastic bag for inspection,” the source explained.

The insider went on to challenge the core logic of the ban, noting that widely recognized industry data shows the vast majority of contraband that enters Jamaican correctional facilities is brought in by correctional officers and wardens themselves, not visiting family members. “Everything you can think of is already available in prison, except your freedom. If an inmate wants a cell phone, they can get one. Inmates even trade common basic goods like tissue for drugs,” the source said.

While the source acknowledged that smuggling contraband inside food packaging like sealed chip tins is plausible, they noted that incarcerated people have proven far more creative in their smuggling methods than surface-level bans address. “It’s possible this has happened, and it’s a logical reason for the ban, but the bigger issue remains unaddressed,” they added.

The source also confirmed that the banned food items are staples for the large share of inmates who refuse to eat meals prepared by prison kitchen staff. Many of these inmates rely on instant, heatable options like cup soup that they can prepare themselves, even in single cells where some have access to small personal kettles. The source pulled back the curtain on the poor quality of institutional prison meals, saying, “The reality is that the food served in Jamaican prisons is almost unfit for human consumption. Inmates get hard bread for breakfast, and a small portion of rice with chicken back for lunch. It’s cooked in massive bulk, so it’s never appealing or high quality. Banning something as basic as cup soup is almost certainly going to spark discontent among the inmate population.”

The Observer has also learned that to avoid relying on prison food, inmates have gone to extraordinary lengths to cook their own meals, even carving out pieces of their shoe soles to use as fuel to heat water for tea or instant food behind bars. The source confirmed these accounts, noting “Inmates are incredibly resourceful when they don’t have access to acceptable food.”

22 4 月, 2026
Queen Kamarla shares her life story in her memoir, ‘The Story of My Life Journey’

For emerging reggae and dancehall recording artist Queen Kamarla, every lyric and every public project is rooted in the raw, unfiltered challenges of her lived experience. A teen mother who never completed high school, Kamarla has turned a series of early life obstacles into fuel for a career defined by purpose and authenticity, and this month she opens up about her unorthodox journey in a new candid memoir, ahead of the launch of her highly anticipated first full-length album.

Titled *The Story of My Life Journey, Sharing a Powerful Story of Resilience*, Kamarla’s debut memoir pulls back the curtain on the struggles that fans rarely see behind her recorded music. The book offers an unvarnished account of how she balanced the demands of young parenthood, navigated lengthy, exhausting daily commutes to pursue studio time, and clung to her artistic craft through years of uncertainty and personal sacrifice. Throughout her narrative, Kamarla emphasizes a simple, profound core message: resilience is not an innate trait, but something that is built, one intentional choice at a time.

In a recent interview with Observer Online, Kamarla spoke to the motivation behind releasing the memoir, saying, “People see the music, but they don’t always see the struggle behind it. This book is my truth—my journey, my sacrifices and my growth.”

Already known within Jamaican music circles for her relentless work ethic and commitment to message-driven storytelling, Kamarla has steadily built a growing following in the reggae and dancehall spaces, drawing directly from her life experience to shape both her sound and her narrative. Beyond her creative work, she has a long track record of community engagement: a decade ago, she organized and led the Stop the Crime & Violence concert series, which brought together residents to advocate for peace and unity in some of Jamaica’s most volatile communities, including August Town, Olympic Gardens, Seaview Gardens, Rockfort and Tivoli Gardens.

Now, alongside the launch of her memoir, Kamarla is putting the final touches on her debut studio album *Respect Me*, scheduled for release later this month. Self-executive-produced, the 10-track project blends classic roots reggae foundations with modern dancehall stylings, and features high-profile collaborations with a slate of iconic Jamaican artists including I-Octane, Ginjah, Mikey General, Natty King, and Jigsy King. This is not Kamarla’s first turn releasing music: she has already dropped popular standalone tracks including *Hot Spot* and *Protected*, and her most recent collaborative single *New Beginnings* featuring Ginjah was released to positive reception last month.

*The Story of My Life Journey* is available for purchase globally right now through all major digital and retail book platforms, including Amazon, Apple Books and Barnes & Noble. For Kamarla, the memoir and upcoming album mark not a finish line, but another milestone in a lifelong journey of growth. “I’m not stopping. I know where I’m going, and I’m working every day to get there,” she shared. Today, she stands as one of the most compelling authentic voices in modern reggae and dancehall, deeply rooted in the values of perseverance, authenticity, and purpose that have defined her path from adversity to artistic recognition.

22 4 月, 2026
Treasure Beach swap relegation spot with Harbour View after upsetting Waterhouse

In a thrilling matchday of the Jamaica Premier League at Drewsland, a series of unexpected results have upended both the relegation battle and playoff contention in the third round of fixtures on Thursday. The most dramatic storyline came from the clash between Treasure Beach and top-flight side Waterhouse FC, where the underdog Treasure Beach pulled off a stunning 2-1 upset that lifted them out of the relegation zone – at least for the time being.

Treasure Beach entered the match mired in a nine-match winless drought, the worst slump in the league this season. But Karim Bryan broke the deadlock for the side in the 26th minute, and Jaheim Harris doubled their advantage just after the hour mark in the 64th minute. While Waterhouse forward Javane Bryan netted a late consolation goal in second-half stoppage time, the club missed a subsequent penalty that would have earned them a shared point, leaving the upset result intact. The three points lifted Treasure Beach to 34 total points, pushing them one point clear of Harbour View, who slipped back into the relegation zone after a lopsided defeat earlier in the day’s doubleheader.

That opening fixture of the Drewsland doubleheader saw Dunbeholden FC run riot over Harbour View, securing a dominant 4-0 win that ended their own two-match winless skid. The win was anchored by a first-half brace from Odane Samuels, who found the back of the net in the 35th and 40th minutes. Shakeen Powell extended the lead in the 71st minute, and Marlon Allen put the finishing touches on the rout seven minutes later to cap off the lopsided result.

Elsewhere at the Anthony Spaulding Complex, Arnett Gardens dealt a major blow to defending champions Cavalier SC’s bid for playoff qualification, earning a critical 2-1 win that tightens the race for the postseason. Kevaughn Wilson was the star of the contest, scoring a first-minute opener and adding his second just after halftime in the 47th minute. Though substitute Adrian Reid pulled one back for Cavalier in stoppage time to give the champions hope of a late equalizer, Arnett Gardens held firm to secure the full three points. The result leaves sixth-place Cavalier with 52 points, holding just a three-point advantage over seventh-place Arnett Gardens, with the gap between the two playoff contenders closing significantly.

At Drax Hall, Mt Pleasant FA put an end to their own three-match winless drought with a dominant 5-2 victory over Chapelton Maroons, after the two sides entered halftime deadlocked at 2-2. Raheem Edwards got Mt Pleasant on the board first in the third minute, only for Robino Gordon to equalize for Chapelton in the 32nd minute. Daniel Green restored Mt Pleasant’s lead six minutes later, but Leaunghn Williams once again drew Chapelton level right before the halftime whistle. The second half belonged entirely to Mt Pleasant, however: Kimoni Bailey reclaimed the lead for the side in the 56th minute, Jabarie Howell extended the margin to 4-2 in the 84th minute, and a late own goal by Chapelton in the ninth minute of stoppage time closed out the scoring. Chapelton, who have now dropped back-to-back matches, slipped to ninth place in the league table following the defeat.

In the final fixture of the round, Portmore United secured a narrow 1-0 win over Spanish Town Police at Royal Lakes, despite being reduced to 10 men just after the hour mark. Nickoy Gayle was sent off in the 52nd minute, forcing Portmore to play a man down for more than 30 minutes. Tarick Ximines provided the decisive moment for Portmore, scoring the match’s only goal in the 63rd minute to hold on for the full three points despite the numerical disadvantage.

22 4 月, 2026
Ex-detective found no blood behind vehicle, jurors hear in cops’ murder trial

A former detective constable’s testimony delivered remotely from the United States has introduced significant contradiction into the high-profile murder trial of six Jamaican police officers accused in the 2013 killing of three men, challenging a core claim from an earlier prosecution witness.

Granted permission to testify via video link after prosecutors successfully filed a special measures application, the ex-detective – currently serving in the U.S. military and enrolled in a mandatory promotional program that bars him from traveling to Jamaica for in-person court appearance – took the stand on Wednesday to share his account of processing the 2013 crime scene.

The fatal shooting unfolded on January 12, 2013, near the intersection of Acadia Drive and Evans Avenue in St Andrew, where Matthew Lee, Mark Allen, and Ucliffe Dyer were killed. The six officers on trial – Sergeant Simroy Mott, Corporal Donovan Fullerton, and Constables Andrew Smith, Sheldon Richards, Orandy Rose, and Richard Lynch – all face murder charges; Fullerton additionally stands accused of submitting a false statement to Jamaica’s Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM), the body that probes law enforcement misconduct.

A key earlier witness for the prosecution claimed that from his third-floor apartment window, he witnessed one of the three victims lying on the ground behind a parked blue Mitsubishi Outlander, with officers standing over him, before hearing what he described as explosions and seeing the man go motionless. That witness also said he observed blood in the spot behind the vehicle where he claimed the shooting occurred.

But the former detective, who was tasked with photographing, collecting, and packaging physical evidence from the scene the day of the shooting, told the Home Circuit Court he never detected any red substance matching the description of blood in that area behind the Mitsubishi. This account undermines the credibility of the earlier witness’s core narrative of the shooting.

Under cross-examination from defense attorney Hugh Wildman, who represents four of the six accused officers, the ex-detective confirmed additional details that cast further doubt on the earlier witness’s vantage point. Wildman put forward the argument that a third-floor observer at that apartment building would only have an angled, obstructed view of the parked vehicle, not a clear direct line of sight. The ex-detective told the court he could not confirm the exact location of the apartment building’s entrance, could not accurately estimate the distance between the building and the parked SUV, and never entered the apartment complex or surveyed the full length of Acadia Drive during his evidence collection.

The former detective also acknowledged that he did not use a formal tape measure to record distances at the scene, instead relying on pace counts to estimate measurements, and never measured the full width of the road. He confirmed that all spent bullet casings documented at the scene were properly collected, but noted he was not trained to collect gunpowder residue (GPR) samples, and is not a specialist in forensics or ballistics. When questioned about GPR, he explained that residue presence and concentration can be affected by multiple factors, including movement during firing, weather conditions, and the type of clothing a shooter is wearing. While he confirmed that firing a gun typically leaves GPR on a shooter, he noted that movement can reduce detectable residue levels.

The witness also told the court he was first contacted by INDECOM about two months prior to the trial, and later spoke to lead prosecutor Kathy-Ann Pyke. He confirmed he informed Pyke last week that his U.S. military promotional program made an in-person court appearance impossible due to conflicting scheduling. He added that he had not spoken to any other INDECOM representatives about his inability to travel.

Two of the six accused are represented by attorneys John Jacobs and Althea Grant-Coppin. Following Wednesday’s testimony, presiding Justice Sonia Bertram-Linton adjourned the proceeding until the following Monday.

22 4 月, 2026
Marathon Insurance Brokers and Rotary join forces for youth engagement and community impact

More than a thousand service leaders from across the Caribbean are preparing to gather in Kingston, Jamaica, in spring 2026 for a major regional gathering of one of the world’s largest volunteer service organizations. The 52nd Annual Conference of Rotary District 7020 will kick off on April 27, 2026, hosted at the iconic Jamaica Pegasus hotel, with local financial services firm Marathon Insurance Brokers stepping in as the official sponsor of the event.

Organizers have centered this year’s conference around the unifying theme “Unite for Good”, a framework designed to align regional volunteer efforts around three urgent, high-priority goals. First, the gathering will prioritize equipping communities across the region to build stronger, more adaptive resilience against the growing threat of climate-fueled natural disasters, which have increasingly impacted small island Caribbean nations in recent years. Second, attendees will work to expand and deepen the tangible, positive impact that Rotary service programs deliver to local communities throughout the district. Third, the conference will focus heavily on expanding youth engagement, bringing younger generations into the organization’s volunteer network.

This cross-regional conference will draw participants from a sprawling network of 137 Rotary-affiliated clubs spread across 10 Caribbean nations. In total, 91 traditional Rotary Clubs and 46 Rotaract Clubs, the organization’s youth-focused branch, will send delegates to the Kingston gathering, creating space for cross-border collaboration and idea-sharing between service leaders from different island nations.

Beyond its core priorities, the 2026 conference will also act as a collaborative platform for delegates to advance progress across Rotary’s seven global core areas of focus. These key issue areas include advancing peacebuilding and conflict resolution around the world, expanding access to disease prevention and treatment in underserved communities, driving inclusive local economic development, and improving access to clean water, sanitation, maternal health, and quality education. By bringing regional leaders together around these shared goals, conference organizers hope to strengthen Rotary’s position as a relevant actor for young people, inspire a new wave of volunteer participation, and deliver measurable, long-term good to communities across the Caribbean.

22 4 月, 2026
Preparation is key

Jamaica’s senior women’s national football team, the Reggae Girlz, stands on the cusp of making regional history, but two former top team leaders are emphasizing that meticulous, long-term preparation will be the key to locking in qualification for both the 2025 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics later this year.

Currently, the Reggae Girlz are just one win away from booking their spot in a third consecutive World Cup. After dominating Group B of the Concacaf Women’s Championship qualifiers with a perfect 4-0 record — highlighted by a 2-0 victory over Guyana at Kingston’s National Stadium last Saturday — the team will face Costa Rica in the tournament’s quarter-finals this November, hosted in Texas. A win against the Central American side will not only secure Jamaica’s place at next year’s World Cup in Brazil but also open the door to the country’s first ever Olympic women’s football appearance.

Charles Edwards, who served as the Reggae Girlz’s head coach from 2007 to 2008, called a third straight World Cup qualification a milestone that would cement the program’s legacy as one of the strongest in the Caribbean region. “I think for the Girlz to make it a three-peat would be a significant accomplishment,” Edwards shared in an interview with the Jamaica Observer. “That has never been done in the English-speaking Caribbean, and I think all of Jamaica would be so excited — especially after the men’s team failed to qualify for the World Cup. When you look at it, a three-peat this side of the world — even some of the Spanish-speaking Central Americans and all of these countries, I don’t know if anyone has ever made it a three-peat so it’s a very great accomplishment for us, and to make the Olympics would be great.”

Andrew Price, who was an assistant coach for Jamaica’s groundbreaking first World Cup appearance in 2019, echoed that excitement, noting the program has grown by leaps and bounds since its first historic qualification run. He pointed to the team’s depth of professional talent as a major advantage going into the November match: many of the squad’s players compete in top European and American club leagues, and even star players Jody Brown and Konya Plummer were absent from the final qualifying round, a testament to the team’s depth. “They are now going to be three World Cups older, more experienced, and I believe that will serve its weight in gold when they go to the Concacaf Women’s Championships,” Price said. “I’m expecting the game against Costa Rica to be a difficult game but it’s a game that the Reggae Girlz can win. They have beaten Costa Rica in the past at the Women’s Championship, and I believe that once they go in there mentally and physically prepared they should be able to overcome them.”

With seven months remaining before the do-or-die match against Costa Rica, both former coaches laid out clear plans to maximize preparation time. Price argued that the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) should take advantage of the June and October international match windows to schedule friendlies against high-caliber opponents from Europe or Asia, to help the team adapt to different playing styles including organized defensive setups and fast counter-attacking transitions.

Edwards agreed that competitive friendlies are important, but added that targeted pre-tournament training camps are also critical. He proposed holding two camps in the United States, ideally near the match venue in Texas, to let the full squad acclimatize to the local environment and build on-field chemistry ahead of the November fixture. “Another big plus for us, it’s going to be over the summer when all the international players should have time to be together to work so I’m looking at camps — maybe two camps somewhere in the US and maybe within the area where they’re going to play the games (Texas) — so that they can acclimatise and get accustomed to all of that environment,” Edwards explained. “So a lot of simulation will have to take place and a lot of fine-tuning. It’s like an engine — you’re going to fine-tune it now, you want it running at maximum, you want to be going top speed. So [it’s] the coaches’ responsibility and the JFF, coupled together, and I think they have been doing a pretty good job so far and should be able to get us in good stead going forward into the game.”

Current head coach Hubert Busby has already confirmed that the technical staff is moving forward with preparation plans, matching the ex-coaches’ focus on the June international window. “We’re turning to what happens within the June window and looking to maximise those two games in terms of preparations,” Busby said last Saturday after the win over Guyana. “I think it is really important for [the players], when they go back into their environment, that they are playing, they’re doing well, and continuing to push the level. We’ll have the chance to take this week and look at our reflection in terms of coaching staff and what we need to do to keep on improving as well so we can improve the group.”

Notably, the Reggae Girlz have beaten Costa Rica in qualification matches on their way to securing spots at both the 2019 and 2023 World Cups, giving the team a historic edge ahead of the November showdown.

22 4 月, 2026
Civil society urges consultation on new NPO law

KINGSTON, Jamaica — As the Caribbean nation prepares to roll out a landmark new Non-Profit Organisations (NPO) Act by October 2026, civil society leaders across Jamaica are pushing for widespread, inclusive engagement to shape a regulatory framework that supports rather than hinders the sector’s critical national work.

Sector representatives caution that skipping structured, cross-sector consultation during the drafting process could leave the new law creating unintended barriers for the thousands of non-profits it is meant to govern. “Nonprofits are embedded in the communities that will feel the impact of this legislation most acutely. Consultation is not an afterthought — it is a non-negotiable requirement,” explained Nancy Pinchas, executive director of the Council of Voluntary Social Services (CVSS). “Meaningful legislation can only be built if it reflects the day-to-day operational realities of groups delivering frontline services across the country.”

The proposed NPO Act, framed as a long-overdue update to Jamaica’s outdated nonprofit governance rules, will directly impact thousands of organizations that deliver core public services spanning disaster response, public education, social protection for vulnerable populations, youth development, and community climate resilience. Joy Crawford, executive director of HIV advocacy and service organization EVE for Life, echoed Pinchas’ call for inclusive policymaking, emphasizing that on-the-ground community perspectives are indispensable to crafting effective regulation. “When those affected by policy get a seat at the table, outcomes are more equitable, accountability is strengthened, and trust between civil society and government is built,” Crawford noted.

Data compiled by the CVSS from Jamaica’s Department of Co-operatives and Friendly Societies underscores the sector’s massive scale and economic footprint: donations to registered Jamaican charities surpassed $40 billion in 2021 alone, with these resources advancing core national priorities including poverty reduction, public health access, education expansion, and environmental sustainability action.

While Jamaica made incremental updates to nonprofit regulation via the 2013 Charities Act and 2022 implementing regulations, stakeholders agree the current system remains overly burdensome for most groups. Tania Chambers, legal consultant to the CVSS, explained that the existing regulatory structure imposes systemic barriers that limit civil society organizations’ ability to operate effectively.

A key pain point is the country’s dual registration requirement, which forces nonprofit groups to register twice — once as a legal entity and again as a charity — creating redundant paperwork, long processing delays, and persistent operational inefficiency. “Extended timelines for registration and annual renewal are not just minor administrative annoyances,” Chambers emphasized. “They directly block organizations from accessing critical funding, securing required tax exemptions, and rolling out time-sensitive community programs when they are needed most.”

Chambers also highlighted the lack of publicly available, clear service standards for regulatory processes, leaving organizations to navigate an unpredictable, inconsistent system that drives up compliance costs and administrative workload. This burden falls disproportionately on small, community-based groups that already operate on tight budgets and limited staffing. Compounding these challenges are the strict international anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing rules that Jamaica is required to implement. Without a proportionate, risk-based approach tailored to the nonprofit sector, these rules can lead to overregulation of legitimate community groups, pulling scarce resources away from direct service delivery to cover compliance costs.

“Jamaica’s goal must be to strike a careful balance: protecting the integrity of the sector while avoiding excessive administrative red tape that stifles legitimate community work,” Chambers said.

While early government indications suggest the new NPO Act will replace the broken dual registration system with a unified regulatory framework, civil society leaders note this single improvement is not enough to fix the sector’s longstanding problems. They are also calling for the new law to enshrine clear, enforceable service standards for regulatory processes, fully digitize registration and compliance workflows to cut red tape, and adopt a risk-based regulatory approach that accounts for the varying size and operational capacity of different organizations.

Leaders are also pushing for formal, permanent mechanisms to facilitate ongoing collaboration and engagement between government regulators and civil society stakeholders. Chambers warned that a one-size-fits-all regulatory model would harm small community groups, which rarely have the administrative capacity or funding to meet complex compliance requirements designed for large, well-resourced national or international nonprofits.

For stakeholders across the sector, the upcoming NPO Act represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to modernize nonprofit governance and strengthen the sector’s central role in advancing Jamaica’s national development. “This regulatory reform cannot be only about enforcing compliance,” Chambers said. “It needs to create an environment where the sector can grow, innovate, and contribute fully to building a better Jamaica for all.”

Civil society leaders are urging the Jamaican government to prioritize early cross-sector consultation, widespread public outreach, and collaborative policy design to ensure the final legislation is both effective at upholding sector integrity and enabling for nonprofits to carry out their critical work. Without these steps, they warn, the new law could unintentionally shrink civic space across the country, cut off nonprofits from critical funding, and weaken access to core community services for vulnerable Jamaicans.

22 4 月, 2026
Countdown to the 27th staging of the Jamaica Observer Table Talk Food Awards

Nestled on 2.8 acres of prime real estate at 67 Constant Spring Road, Kingston 10, St Andrew, Jamaica’s Marketplace has reigned as the island’s most unrivaled culinary destination for two decades. Founded by the late business visionary Derrick Mahfood as Kingston’s first dedicated culinary cluster, this centrally located hub is easily accessible from two of the capital’s busiest corridors — Constant Spring Road and Red Hills Road — drawing both local diners and international travelers to its curated lineup of 11 independent restaurants, one small bar, two specialty retail stores, and a CB Foods-run fresh meat supermarket.

As part of the 2026 Jamaica Observer Table Talk Food Awards, judge Kadean Vendryes has launched a review series exploring Marketplace’s standout establishments, kicking off the collection with one of the complex’s most famous tenants: Usain Bolt’s Tracks & Records, which is marking its 15th year of operation in 2025.

The eatery’s origin story traces back 15 years, when Jamaican sprint legend Dr Usain Bolt, OJ, partnered with the KLE Group to bring their shared vision for a sports-focused Caribbean dining experience to life. In a recent celebratory Instagram post marking the milestone, KLE Group chairman David Shirley reflected on the brand’s decades-long journey, highlighting the resilience that carried the business through unprecedented challenges. “Fifteen years later we’re still standing here. It just shows you with vision, opportunity, and working together what you can create,” Shirley wrote. He went on to note the obstacles the team overcame, particularly the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many advised closing the location permanently. Echoing Bolt’s iconic competitive grit, Shirley recalled his response: “I said no, we have to fight, just like how Usain fight when people say give it up, yuh nah go be the greatest!” Closing out his post, he reaffirmed the brand’s commitment to its Jamaican roots: “So we think, we nah give up! So Jamaica first and we just gwaan build what we have to build right! Happy Anniversary, 15 years Tracks and Records! Jamaica to di world every time! Bless Up.”

Tracks & Records has earned its reputation as one of Kingston’s most in-demand dining spots for a wide range of diners, from sports fans to food lovers seeking authentic Caribbean flavor. The menu centers on bold, traditional dishes including jerk chicken and jerk pork, alongside signature creations like Bolt-inspired gourmet burgers. Beyond the menu, the space offers a dedicated sports bar celebrating the eight-time Olympic gold medalist’s unprecedented career, a comfortable lounge outfitted with high-definition screens for watching live events, an on-site gift shop carrying exclusive branded merchandise, and a birthday club that offers members special discounts. Diners can visit seven days a week, with hours extending from 11:30 a.m. to midnight to accommodate late-night meals and gatherings.

For her first on-site review, Vendryes dropped in for a late dessert around 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 18, taking advantage of the eatery’s extended closing time. She was greeted immediately by a warm, friendly hostess who escorted her to an upper-level seat and notified server Shanika Williams of her arrival. Williams arrived promptly, delivered attentive, thoughtful service, and brought out Vendryes’ order: the eatery’s signature Heavenly Bread Pudding Surprise. The generous serving featured warm, spice-infused bread pudding paired with cool vanilla ice cream — a portion large enough to share between multiple diners. After savoring the rich, aromatic blend of mixed spices, Vendryes boxed the remaining portion to go, paying a total of $1,300 plus tax for the dish.

To mark its 15th anniversary, Tracks & Records is running special promotions for patrons, including a standout offer that gifts weekend diners complimentary bottles of rum punch at 9:58 p.m. — a nod to Bolt’s iconic 100-meter world record time. Vendryes plans to return in the near future to sample a full meal, including an appetizer and main course, and participate in the anniversary promotions, noting she hopes to take home one of the celebration’s giveaway prizes.

For those interested in visiting or ordering from Usain Bolt’s Tracks & Records, more information is available via the brand’s website (www.tracksandrecords.com), Instagram (@ubtandr), and TikTok (@ubtandr). Online orders can be placed through https://webmenu.visueats.com/124, and reservations or inquiries can be made by phone at 876-906-3903 or 876-926-7875.

22 4 月, 2026
Hydel’s Bernard wins Penn triple jump

The 130th edition of the iconic Penn Relays Carnival kicked off Thursday at Philadelphia’s historic Franklin Field, and the opening day of competition delivered a dramatic finish in the high school girls’ triple jump, as Jamaica’s Zavien Bernard pulled off a stunning come-from-behind victory to extend her nation’s dominant winning streak.

Heading into the sixth and final round of competition, Bernard sat just behind leader Seannah Parsons, a standout from Randolph High School in New Jersey, who had held the top spot through the first five jumps. But when Bernard stepped to the takeoff board for her final attempt, she capitalized on favorable wind conditions to launch a winning mark of 12.76 meters, with a wind reading of 3.1m/s that qualifies the jump as wind-aided. The winning leap was not only Bernard’s best effort of the entire day, but also enough to push her past Parsons and secure the gold medal, stretching Jamaica’s consecutive titles in the event to four straight. Bernard’s win follows three back-to-back victories from fellow Jamaican athlete Jade-Ann Dawkins of St Jago High School.

The championship gold is just the latest in a string of major wins for Bernard this season. Earlier this year, she claimed top honors in the triple jump at both the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) Champs and the Carifta Games, establishing her as one of the top young jumpers in the region heading into the Penn Relays.

Parsons, who led for much of the competition, settled for the silver medal with a best jump of 12.68 meters, recorded with a legal 1.7m/s wind. Two more Jamaican athletes also earned top-10 finishes in the event: Mikayla Longmore of Holmwood Technical landed in fifth place with a 12.31-meter jump, while Martina Moxam of Vere Technical took 10th with a wind-aided 11.65-meter leap. (Note: A typo in the original reporting incorrectly recorded Moxam’s wind reading as 32.3m/s, an impossible value that is assumed to be a misentry for 3.2m/s, consistent with the event’s wind-aided classification.)

In the opening day’s high school girls’ high jump competition, two more Jamaican competitors posted solid results in their Penn Relays appearances. Malia Housen of Mt Alvernia High, competing at the iconic event for the first time, cleared 1.70 meters to finish sixth overall. Sackoya Palmer of St Mary High rounded out the Jamaican results, placing 14th with a clearance of 1.60 meters.

One of the oldest and most prestigious track and field events in the United States, the annual Penn Relays draws thousands of top high school, collegiate, and professional athletes from across the globe every year, making a win at Franklin Field a major career milestone for young emerging competitors.

22 4 月, 2026