标签： Jamaica

In a significant humanitarian effort, Speaker of the House of Representatives Juliet Holness, alongside her Save Our Boys and Girls Foundation, delivered crucial relief supplies to communities in St Elizabeth and Westmoreland devastated by Hurricane Melissa. The initiative, carried out on Saturday, November 15, 2025, aimed to provide immediate support to those most affected by the natural disaster. Holness, who also serves as the Member of Parliament for St Andrew East Rural, personally oversaw the distribution of essential items such as drinking water, food packages, clothing, shoes, tarpaulin, and hygiene kits. In a heartfelt social media post on Sunday, Holness expressed her gratitude to the foundation’s partners and volunteers, emphasizing the importance of their collective mission. ‘Seeing the gratitude and resilience of these communities reminds us why our mission matters,’ she stated. The Save Our Boys and Girls Foundation, established in 2019, focuses on empowering marginalized youth and fostering opportunities for their growth. Holness envisions a future where every child in Jamaica has access to the resources and support needed to thrive and contribute to the nation’s development.

The Veronica Campbell Brown Foundation has launched an urgent initiative to aid communities ravaged by Hurricane Melissa, with a special emphasis on enabling Jamaican high school girls to resume their education amidst the nation’s recovery. The Foundation, in collaboration with Food For The Poor and other corporate partners, is actively raising funds to provide immediate relief and deliver essential supplies to affected families.

KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) has confirmed the recovery of a man’s body from the Step River in St James, following a suspected drowning incident on Sunday, November 16. According to reports, the victim was attempting to cross the river when he was overwhelmed by strong currents and swept away. The JDF Coast Guard was promptly called in to assist with search and recovery operations. A specialized dive team from the Second District JDF Coast Guard was dispatched to the scene, where they conducted an underwater search and successfully retrieved the body. The remains were subsequently handed over to local authorities for further investigation. In a statement, the JDF Coast Guard expressed its deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the deceased. They also issued a public reminder to exercise extreme caution around rivers, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall when water levels and currents can become dangerously unpredictable.

In the wake of Hurricane Melissa, licensed medical marijuana farmer Errol Whyte is grappling with significant losses, estimating damages in the millions of dollars. His one-acre ganja farm in Claremont, St Ann, was severely impacted by the storm. Despite the setback, Whyte, who has operated Mellow Bud Ganja Farms for five years, remains hopeful. He sees an opportunity for licensed ganja farmers in the northern and eastern regions of Jamaica to ramp up production and compensate for the losses suffered by their counterparts in the storm-ravaged southwestern areas. Whyte emphasizes the urgent need for the Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA) and the government to provide relief and support to affected farmers. ‘This isn’t just about me or a few farmers; it’s about the entire industry,’ he stated. Whyte believes that with adequate support, northern and eastern farmers can meet the rising demand for medical marijuana. He calls for a more proactive approach from the CLA to ensure the industry’s sustainability, highlighting the role of farmers as entrepreneurs and job creators. ‘We are committed to this industry, and we need the CLA to be committed to us,’ he asserted.