GEORGETOWN, Guyana — In a move that is poised to rewrite the annals of modern medicine, the South American nation of Guyana is gearing up to host the world’s longest-distance robotic cardiac surgery on Tuesday. The landmark procedure will be executed via a cutting-edge robotic system by an India-based specialist, marking a historic milestone for both Guyana’s healthcare sector and the global medical community.
标签： Jamaica
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Chiney K has sights set on film career
KINGSTON, Jamaica — From viral social media clips to the red carpets of the world’s most prestigious film festivals, Jamaican content creator Kerry-Ann Collins, known professionally as Chiney K, is putting the final pieces in place ahead of the June 27 world premiere of her first feature-length film, *Stew Peas*.
For Collins, the upcoming premiere is far more than a one-night celebratory event—it is the starting line of a deliberate, long-term push to transition from a successful social media influencer to a established, lasting presence in the global film industry. In conversations about her upcoming debut, she emphasized that the most intense work does not end when the credits roll on opening night; instead, it will only ramp up as she works to parlay this first project into future acting and production opportunities.
“I’m equal parts excited and bracing for the work that comes next,” Collins shared in an interview. “Of course I’m thrilled to have audiences finally see the film, but I’m also eager to hear what critics and industry insiders think. I’m hoping the work I put in on screen resonates enough to open doors for more roles beyond *Stew Peas*.”
She also opened up about the grueling reality of independent film promotion, noting that the behind-the-scenes marketing work has proven far more demanding than the acting process itself. The core goal of the outreach, she explained, is not just to boost her own career, but to shine a spotlight on the untapped potential of Jamaica’s local film scene, both for domestic audiences and the millions of Jamaican diaspora viewers around the world.
To build connections and credibility ahead of her debut, Collins recently made a high-profile appearance on the red carpet at the Cannes International Film Festival, a trip arranged through a strategic partnership with renowned Jamaican designer Marshall, founder of Lepremier Miami. Marshall has designed custom wardrobes for A-list Hollywood figures including Anthony Anderson and Swizz Beatz, and the collaboration allowed Collins to position herself as a serious contender on the global film stage, marking a clear pivot from digital content creation to professional filmmaking.
For Collins, the Cannes trip was also a meaningful full-circle moment that tied back to her long-standing academic roots in film. Long before she built a following as a social media creator, she studied film in depth during her college years, and originally dreamed of studying film in France and interning at the Cannes Film Festival itself. Though her path ultimately led her to earn a degree from California State University, Northridge, standing on the Croisette this year felt like a realization of a goal she’d held for decades.
“I’ve been building this slowly for years, and with *Stew Peas* premiering next month, my whole focus right now is breaking into the international industry,” she said. “Cannes is where every corner of the global film industry converges—you have everyone from small boutique agents to top casting directors walking that promenade. As a new actress, there was no better place for me to be. I’m grateful for the opportunity, because I’m not just here to build my own career—I want to bring what I learn back to grow the industry at home in Jamaica.”
During her time at the festival, Collins gained key insight into gaps holding back Jamaica’s film sector, most notably the absence of a formal support ecosystem that can connect local creators with international film financiers. She noted that the glitz and red carpet glamour that draws public attention is only the surface of what Cannes offers; behind the scenes, industry development programs like the Cannes impACT Lab provide emerging creators with critical training on the legal, financial, and technical frameworks global investors require to back new projects.
“Those structures are make-or-break for growing our local industry,” she explained.
Collins also pointed to Nollywood’s exponential growth as a blueprint she finds inspiring for Jamaica’s sector. The Nigerian film industry built its global reputation starting from a grassroots, direct-to-consumer model, and has grown into a $6.4 billion industry that attracts major international investment. At this year’s Cannes, she celebrated Nigerian twin directors Arie and Chuko Esiri, whose new film *Clarissa* earned a rapturous standing ovation from festival audiences, a milestone she called a win for emerging global cinema everywhere.
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Jamaica among eight countries joining UK-led global coalition to end violence against women and girls
KINGSTON, JAMAICA – In a major step forward for global gender equity, Jamaica has joined seven other nations from every inhabited continent as a founding member of a new United Kingdom-led international coalition dedicated to eradicating violence against women and girls. The initiative, which bolsters ongoing global work to secure a world where women and girls are free from violence, abuse and systemic fear, was launched last week at London’s Global Partnerships Conference by UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.
Alongside host nation the United Kingdom and Jamaica, the founding coalition members are South Africa, Brazil, Morocco, Spain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Australia. This diverse group of nations has united to turn shared policy commitments into tangible, on-the-ground action to prevent gender-based violence across all contexts. Per an official release published this Tuesday, the coalition will prioritize addressing three critical pervasive threats: domestic abuse, sexual violence, and online harassment, while also strengthening global systems to prevent sexual violence in conflict zones and humanitarian emergencies.
Global data underscores the urgent need for coordinated cross-border action: the United Nations estimates that one in three women worldwide will experience physical or sexual violence at some point in their lifetime, marking gender-based violence as a ongoing global public health and human rights emergency. Through this new partnership, member states will collaborate to share specialized expertise, scale up evidence-based prevention programs, expand responses centered on the needs of survivors, and support the development or strengthening of national action plans. The framework also prioritizes improving accountability mechanisms to ensure perpetrators are held legally responsible for their crimes.
Speaking at the launch of the initiative, Cooper emphasized that transnational collaboration is non-negotiable to advancing global women’s safety. She referenced a February visit to the border of Sudan, where she met young women who shared firsthand accounts of rape, abduction, and grotesque systemic sexual violence perpetrated amid ongoing conflict. “I will make sure their voices are heard and fight to end violence for every single one of them, and for the one in three women globally who will experience sexual or physical abuse in their lifetime,” Cooper said.
Cooper added that the coalition’s diverse membership reflects a shared global ambition to prioritize gender safety. “From the UK, to Brazil, to South Africa and beyond, women deserve to live free from fear of violence. And because there can be no peace, security or prosperity for any of us until they do,” she noted.
Jamaica’s senior leadership has widely embraced the country’s role in the coalition, reaffirming the island nation’s longstanding commitment to tackling gender-based violence. Olivia Grange, Jamaica’s Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, noted that addressing violence against women and girls requires more than just strong legislation and policy frameworks. It demands coordinated, survivor-centered public systems that deliver effective protection, responsive support, and proactive prevention. “Jamaica remains committed to strengthening our gender architecture, expanding support services for survivors, addressing harmful masculinities, and advancing collective global action to end all forms of gender-based violence,” Grange said, praising the UK for its leadership in advancing the global campaign.
Alicia Herbert OBE, British High Commissioner to Jamaica, welcomed Jamaica’s founding membership, noting that the partnership reflects shared values and policy priorities between the two nations. “This partnership reflects our shared commitment to prevention, survivor-centred support, stronger systems of protection, and holding perpetrators to account. By working together and learning from one another, we can help build safer communities and create a future where women and girls are safe, empowered and able to thrive,” Herbert said.
Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, also lauded the new initiative, highlighting the value of ongoing international collaboration with the UK. “We welcome continued collaboration with partners such as the United Kingdom as we build on our progress, strengthen protections, expand support and ensure women and girls can live free from violence and realise their full potential,” Johnson Smith said.
The new global coalition aligns with the UK government’s domestic policy goal to cut rates of violence against women and girls in half over the next decade. It also forms a key part of broader global efforts to center women and girls in international peace, security, and development policy. Moving forward, the coalition will deepen practical cooperation between member states, and the UK will host a major international summit next year where participating nations will outline new commitments and release public progress reports on their work to end gender-based violence.
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Record temps as spring heatwave bakes Europe
A historic early-season heatwave is pushing temperatures to unprecedented heights across Western Europe this week, forcing millions of residents to scramble for cooling solutions and leaving at least 11 people dead in weather-related incidents. The extreme heat is driven by a high-pressure “heat dome” carrying warm air north from Northern Africa, trapping unseasonably hot conditions over much of the continent and shattering decades-old May temperature records.
On Tuesday, the United Kingdom logged its hottest May day ever recorded, with a reading of 35°C near London — an increase of 1.5°C over the previous record set just 24 hours earlier. France has similarly broken its national May temperature record two days in a row, with national weather forecasters predicting the swelter will persist through the week, with peaks as high as 39°C in some inland regions. Ireland recorded a new May high of 28.8°C, while Spain is forecasting widespread highs of 36–38°C through Friday and tropical nights with little overnight cooling in southwestern areas of the country.
For many Northern European residents, who have long resisted widespread adoption of home air conditioning, the unrelenting heat has forced a shift in thinking. Gurjit Gill, a 47-year-old banking worker in London, told reporters he was grateful to head to his air-conditioned office each day, and is now considering purchasing a unit for his home. “The bedrooms at nighttime are quite unbearable,” he explained.
Across the continent, people have turned to public spaces to find relief. Crowds have flocked to coastal beaches, gathered at public fountains to splash cool water on themselves, including Rome’s iconic Barcaccia Fountain and public misting stations set up by city officials in Vienna. At the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, fans sweltered through 33°C on court, while players described competing in the conditions as draining — Norway’s Casper Ruud said the heat left him feeling “like a zombie” mid-match. To protect outdoor workers, Italy’s Lazio region implemented an emergency ban on outdoor construction and labor between 12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. daily.
The extreme heat has already turned deadly. French authorities confirmed seven heat-related deaths by Tuesday, five of which were drownings as people ventured into unguarded bodies of water to cool off — most lifeguard services do not begin seasonal patrols at European beaches until July. In England, four teenagers have drowned in separate incidents since Sunday, amid a surge in people seeking relief in rivers and lakes.
Climate scientists warn this type of extreme early heatwave is directly linked to human-caused climate change, which is making extreme heat events hotter, longer, and more frequent across the globe. Friederike Otto, a climate science professor at Imperial College London, noted that temperatures of this scale were once extremely rare even in the middle of summer. “This record-breaking heat has the fingerprints of climate change all over it,” Otto said. “The science is very clear — climate change makes these heatwaves hotter, longer and far more frequent.” According to U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data, Europe has warmed faster than any other continent since 1990.
Even visitors to the region are struck by the visible impact of rising global temperatures. Philippe Bignens, a 56-year-old Swiss tourist visiting London with his father, said the pair had to scrap their sightseeing plans and retreat to their air-conditioned hotel during the hottest hours of the day. “If you’re not concerned about global warming, you must be deaf, blind altogether, right?” Bignens said. “We have to be concerned and try to do something about it.”
The heat has also sparked social tension, with France’s BFMTV news channel reporting that its weather team has received threats and insults from climate-skeptic online users over its standard heatmaps coloring extreme high temperatures red, which are based on widely accepted climate science. For agricultural producers, the early heat is already causing significant disruption to harvests. Benjamin Boisson, a fruit grower in southern France, said an early warm spell forced him to harvest his apricot crop five days earlier than planned, catching major retail buyers off guard who were still selling imported Spanish apricots. He added that extreme temperature swings this spring threaten to cut overall production and complicate cold storage for ripe fruit.
Forecasters across the region warn the unseasonable heat will continue for at least several more days, with no significant cooling expected before the weekend.
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Mexico captures US-wanted nephew of drug lord ‘El Chapo’
MEXICO CITY, Mexico – Mexican law enforcement officials confirmed Tuesday that security operatives have taken into custody a nephew of infamous incarcerated drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán, who faces extradition requests from U.S. authorities. The arrest was carried out in Sonora, a northern Mexican state that shares a long border with the United States.
Omar García Harfuch, Mexico’s top security official, announced the capture via the social platform X, confirming that the detainee is a close nephew of the former Sinaloa Cartel leader, who is currently serving a life sentence at a U.S. maximum security prison. García Harfuch also noted that the suspect has been actively wanted by U.S. law enforcement agencies on unspecified charges related to organized crime.
In line with Mexican privacy protocols for criminal suspects, official authorities only publicly identified the detainee by the initial “Isai N.” However, multiple independent Mexican media outlets have named the suspect as Isai Martínez Zepeda. Press representatives for the Mexican security secretariat told Agence France-Presse they could not immediately verify or comment on additional local media reporting that the suspect was first apprehended by authorities back in 2008 while in possession of a cache of high-caliber military-grade weapons. Officials also declined to answer questions about when the suspect was released from prior custody, leaving a gap in the public timeline of his criminal history.
The capture of the younger Guzmán associate comes amid a years-long coordinated crackdown on the remnants of the Sinaloa Cartel led by both Mexican and U.S. authorities. El Chapo, the cartel’s founding leader, was extradited to the U.S. in 2017 following two high-profile escapes from maximum security Mexican prisons. He was convicted on a range of federal charges including large-scale drug trafficking, organized crime conspiracy, and money laundering, and is currently held at the ADX Florence supermax prison in Colorado.
In recent years, multiple other close family members of El Chapo have also been taken into custody and extradited to the U.S. Two of El Chapo’s own sons, Ovidio Guzmán López and Joaquín Guzmán López, both key leaders in the cartel’s operations, are currently imprisoned in the U.S. facing similar narcotrafficking charges.
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Lloyd Parks steps up to the mic
After decades best known as one of reggae’s most in-demand session bassists and bandleaders, Lloyd Parks is embarking on an exciting new chapter: relaunching his career as a lead vocalist, six months into this career shift the iconic Jamaican musician is preparing to drop his first solo single under the new venture, a self-produced cover of Junior Murvin’s timeless 1976 hit *Police and Thieves*, slated for a June release.
In an interview with Jamaica Observer, Parks opened up about the inspiration behind the choice to reimagine the track, saying it has long been one of his favorite songs to perform. “It’s a song I always like, and whenever I perform it on shows I get good response. So, I decided to do a rendition of it,” he explained. True to his multi-faceted musical roots, Parks not only handled lead vocals on the new recording but also laid down the bass track himself. He was joined in the studio by two acclaimed Jamaican musicians: keyboardist Franklyn “Bubber” Waul and drummer Peter Samaru, who rounded out the track’s rhythm section.
Parks’ career shift is already gaining traction with audiences around the globe. Since the end of 2024, he has built a loyal new following performing as both bassist and vocalist across his home country of Jamaica and international tour stops in Germany, Argentina, and Brazil. This South American stop holds particular nostalgia for Parks: he first toured the region in the early 1980s alongside legendary reggae singer Dennis Brown. The March 2025 shows in Buenos Aires, Argentina and Sao Paulo, Brazil were part of the *Rockers* touring project, a live act tied to the iconic 1978 reggae film of the same name. Parks shared the lineup with other *Rockers* alums, including singer Kiddus-I and drummer Leroy “Horsemouth” Wallace.
Parks’ connection to reggae history runs deep. In 1974, he founded the beloved reggae band We The People, a group that remains synonymous with his name decades later. He earned his reputation as one of the genre’s most reliable and creative session musicians, laying down bass lines for countless iconic reggae hits, including Ken Boothe’s *Everything I Own* and Dennis Brown’s *Love Has Found Its Way*. This is not Parks’ first turn as a singer: he launched his entire musical journey back in the 1960s as a vocalist with the group The Termites, and later spent a period performing with the popular vocal group The Techniques. He notched his own vocal hits as a solo artist in the 1970s with fan favorites including *Slaving* and *Officially*, and followed that success with 1983’s *Reservation For Two*. Now, decades after his early vocal work, Parks is returning to his first love to delight old and new fans alike with his reimagined take on a reggae classic.
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Ferry Basic School gets major upgrade through UDC labour day initiative
KINGSTON, Jamaica — When students of Ferry Basic School in St Andrew step back onto campus for the new school term, they will be greeted by a fully renovated, safer, and more functional learning space, the result of large-scale improvement works completed by the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) and its partner stakeholders during this year’s national Labour Day.
The comprehensive upgrade project addressed a wide range of longstanding infrastructure needs at the institution. Works carried out included critical roof repairs and structural reinforcement to shore up aging building sections, full demolition and reconstruction of the school’s non-functional kitchen, drainage system clearing and maintenance, and plumbing repairs across the campus. Additional upgrades covered landscaping and expansion of the school’s outdoor play area, installation of new playground equipment, construction of two new bathroom vanities, and fresh repainting of multiple school buildings. As a key safety addition, the UDC team also installed corrugated steel mesh covers over open drainage zones, eliminating a major hazard for young students and staff.
In an interview with JIS News, UDC Customer Service Manager Diane Hanson explained that the renovation initiative forms a core part of the state agency’s annual corporate Labour Day community engagement program. The UDC invested approximately JMD $1.7 million into the remedial and upgrade works at Ferry Basic School.
Hanson highlighted that one of the most impactful changes addressed a critical daily need for students. “When our team first conducted an assessment of the school, we found the existing small kitchen was completely non-functional. We know how important it is for children to access a hot, nutritious lunch every day, rather than relying only on cold snacks,” she noted.
“What we delivered is a fully rebuilt kitchen with new cabinetry and all the necessary infrastructure to support daily meal preparation. Now, long after our team has left, the school will have a fully operational kitchen, and students will be able to enjoy warm meals every school day,” she added.
Hanson also shared the reasoning behind selecting Ferry Basic School for this year’s Labour Day project: the institution’s close proximity to the Raintree Development Complex, one of the UDC’s flagship urban development projects, making the upgrade a natural part of the agency’s commitment to supporting surrounding local communities.
Photos from the Labour Day work day show Hanson working alongside UDC technical staff — including Junior Civil Engineer Kuffy-Hi Smith and Landscape Supervisor Christopher Cole — to complete repainting work at the school on May 25. Ferry Basic School is just one of several educational institutions and community public spaces that benefited from UDC-led rehabilitation projects across Jamaica this Labour Day.
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Bellevue pushes to reframe ‘madness’ in Jamaica
To mark World Schizophrenia Awareness Day, Jamaica’s only psychiatric facility, Bellevue Hospital, has launched a urgent call to reverse deep-seated harmful stereotypes and pervasive stigma surrounding schizophrenia that still distort public understanding across the island nation. For decades, common colloquial labels like “mad” and “madness” have framed public discourse around the condition, reducing a complex, manageable brain disorder to dehumanizing tags that drive discrimination, social exclusion, and prevent affected people from seeking life-changing care.
According to an official statement from the hospital, widespread misinformation in Jamaican communities continues to tie schizophrenia to inherent violence, unpredictability, and permanent hopelessness, rather than framing it as a treatable condition where full recovery and social integration are achievable. This widespread stigma does not only skew how the general public perceives people living with schizophrenia—it directly erodes affected people’s willingness to access available care and participate fully in community and family life.
Dr. Roger Roberts, Senior Medical Officer at Bellevue Hospital, explained that the most damaging and widespread misconception is the persistent belief that people diagnosed with schizophrenia are naturally dangerous or prone to violence. He noted that harmful public narratives often form around isolated cases of violence involving people with untreated mental illness, which becomes the primary lens through which the public views the entire condition. This skewed perception ignores overwhelming research evidence: people living with schizophrenia are far more likely to be victims of violent crime than they are to perpetrate it.
Crucially, Dr. Roberts emphasized that schizophrenia is a highly treatable condition, even with the widespread stigma that continues to hold back care access. Clinical data shows that with timely, appropriate intervention and ongoing social support, up to 80% of people living with schizophrenia can build stable, meaningful, and productive lives that align with their personal goals. Even with this positive clinical outlook, stigma remains one of the single largest barriers to care across Jamaica. Even when free or low-cost mental health services are available through the country’s network of public clinics, many people avoid treatment for fear of being labeled “mad gyal” or “mad bwoy” by neighbors and community members.
Shifting public discourse away from fear and stereotypes to empathy and evidence is the first critical step to reducing this harmful stigma, Dr. Roberts argued. Lower stigma not only encourages more people to seek early care, it also reduces the crippling social isolation that worsens outcomes for many affected people. It also opens up access to employment and housing opportunities, which are core pillars of long-term recovery and well-being.
Dr. Roberts also placed heavy emphasis on the urgent need for earlier diagnosis and intervention, explaining that delayed care has measurable long-term impacts on brain health and prognosis. “The longer a person goes without the appropriate diagnosis and intervention, the greater the likelihood of significant brain damage as well as residual symptoms,” he explained. “Simply put, early diagnosis and intervention save brain structure and function.”
While prescription medication remains a foundational component of schizophrenia treatment, Dr. Roberts noted that sustained recovery extends far beyond clinical medication management. Affected people see far better outcomes when they have access to holistic support including psychotherapy, social skills training, stable affordable housing, meaningful employment, family connection, and community inclusion. Family members and caregivers play an irreplaceable role in this support system: by encouraging consistent treatment adherence, helping loved ones attend medical appointments, and keeping them connected to family and community life, they dramatically improve long-term recovery prospects.
Exclusion from community and family life, by contrast, deepens social isolation and worsens health outcomes, Dr. Roberts added. He also highlighted the urgent need for expanded community-based mental health support infrastructure across Jamaica, including assertive ongoing community treatment programs, improved crisis response resources, and targeted housing and employment support for people living with schizophrenia. Many people with the condition require intensive, consistent follow-up care to maintain stability while living in the community, which requires coordinated care across psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, mental health nurses, and dedicated case managers.
As Jamaica continues to work through long-standing cultural stigma around all forms of mental illness, Dr. Roberts is calling on all Jamaicans to approach conversations about schizophrenia with radical empathy, informed understanding, and humanity. “Everyone can develop a mental disorder, so let us be kind to those who are suffering from mental disorders,” he said.
For individuals and families currently navigating the challenges of schizophrenia, Dr. Roberts offered a message of unwavering hope. Even if progress feels slow, and people have not yet reached the milestone of independent living, steady employment, or the life they hope for, he urged them not to give up. “With the right treatment and support the vast majority of persons living with schizophrenia can improve significantly and lead productive lives,” he said.
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St James residents unite to restore Rose Heights Community Centre
In St James, Jamaica, a widespread collaborative effort between local residents, volunteer groups, and public and private sector stakeholders has breathed new life into the storm-ravaged Rose Heights Community Centre, marking a major milestone for this year’s Labour Day Parish Project.
The community hub, which suffered extensive structural damage when Hurricane Melissa swept through the region, has received a full $3.8 million renovation. Works launched on May 22, progressing steadily to completion by the Labour Day holiday on May 25, and included comprehensive debris cleanup, full roof repairs, fresh interior and exterior painting, with plans already in place to establish a community garden on the facility’s grounds. For the more than 17,000 Rose Heights residents who rely on the centre for regular programming and gatherings, the restoration addresses a critical gap in local community infrastructure.
Beyond reestablishing a central gathering space for neighborhood events, the upgraded facility will also serve a vital public safety function as a certified emergency shelter for future hurricane events. This upgrade comes as local authorities ramp up preparedness efforts ahead of the 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season.
Speaking exclusively to JIS News, Richard Vernon, Mayor of Montego Bay and St James Councillor, emphasized that the project delivers dual benefits for the parish: strengthening disaster readiness and building long-term community resilience. “As we approach the new hurricane season, it is critical that we repair existing damaged shelters and bring infrastructure back online to expand our capacity after the losses we sustained from Hurricane Melissa,” Vernon explained. “This project puts us in a far stronger position to protect residents when the next storm hits.”
Vernon also highlighted the overwhelming community buy-in for the initiative, noting that the restoration has sparked widespread enthusiasm among local residents. “When I spoke with neighbors earlier this project, they told me this is a dream come true,” he said. “Out of the crisis of Hurricane Melissa, we’ve gotten renewal and rehabilitation, and the community is incredibly grateful for this investment.”
Andrea Kerr Finakin, president of the Rose Heights Community Centre, echoed that gratitude, extending recognition to every stakeholder that contributed time, funding, and labor to the project. Finakin noted that the centre has long been the beating heart of the Rose Heights community, and she is thrilled to see it restored to its role as the neighborhood’s primary emergency shelter and event space.
Volunteers made up a large portion of the renovation workforce, including a team from the University of Technology (UTech) Jamaica Circle K Club. Abisah Graham, one of the UTech volunteers, emphasized that the project exemplified the power of cross-community collaboration to drive meaningful change. “No matter what your background is, we can all come together to give back,” Graham said. “Our club brings together members from all walks of life, and we’re here to contribute however we can—whether that’s swinging a hammer for renovations, dropping off donations, or picking up a paint roller. This work is all about uniting as one to improve our community and make a real difference.”
As the final touches are put on the renovation, the restored Rose Heights Community Centre stands as a testament to collective action and proactive disaster preparedness, ready to serve the St James community for years to come.
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Prime Minister Holness’ National Labour Day Message 2026
As Jamaica prepares to mark its annual Labour Day, the nation’s leader has delivered a stirring address tying the holiday’s core ethos of service to the ongoing work of recovering from Hurricane Melissa, while laying out a bold vision for long-term national renewal. Unlike common framing that frames nation-building as the exclusive responsibility of official leadership, the address opens with a core reminder: every Jamaican carries a stake in shaping the future of their country, through collective effort, intentional discipline, and generous community spirit. This year, the call to service carries uncommon urgency, coming months after Hurricane Melissa carved a path of destruction across the island, leaving thousands of families and communities grappling with lasting damage. While many areas have made incremental progress in recovery, hundreds of households still lack adequate shelter, access to critical public services, and stable pathways to rebuild their livelihoods. For those still facing hardship, the leader offered a clear reassurance: no Jamaican left affected by the storm will be forgotten. Outlining the government’s ongoing recovery commitments, the address confirms that more than JMD 67 billion has already been earmarked for relief and reconstruction work. A substantial portion of that funding, JMD 10 billion, has been allocated to the ROOFS Programme, which provides direct grants to eligible households to fix storm-damaged roofs and complete essential home repairs. Critical public infrastructure is also being restored: damaged schools and residential properties are undergoing repairs, a strategic loan to the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) is accelerating the full restoration of power across the island, and one of the largest debris clearance operations in the nation’s history has been completed across all affected parishes. In partnership with the National Housing Trust, the Ministry of Housing, and the Government of China, the Jamaican government has secured more than 2,700 semi-permanent modular housing units for families whose homes were completely destroyed and who lack the resources to rebuild immediately. The units are awaiting the completion of reinforced concrete foundations before they can be installed, the address confirmed. Reaffirming a commitment made last December, the leader emphasized that all public and donated funds for hurricane recovery would be directed toward tangible, long-lasting, and verifiable projects. Of the JMD 1.4 billion donated to recovery efforts, JMD 600 million will fund the construction of foundations for the first 900 prefabricated units, which have already arrived on the island. The remaining donated funds will be used to restock roofing material supplies to support the ongoing government-led roof repair programme. “Our commitment is simple: to use donated funds in ways that are tangible, resilient, accountable, and traceable,” the address stated. “We will not spend recklessly. We will not be profligate. We will spend responsibly and strategically.” Repaired roofs, poured foundations, and restored homes serve as visible, undeniable proof that recovery resources are being managed honestly and effectively, the leader noted, adding that the government stands ready to allocate additional funding for affected communities as more accurate damage assessments are completed. Beyond public investment, the address highlighted the immeasurable value of volunteer effort, collective sacrifice, and international goodwill that has emerged in the wake of the storm. Images of neighbours sharing resources, communities lifting up vulnerable households, and strangers offering help to those they had never met embody the very spirit of service, sacrifice, and solidarity that Labour Day was created to honour. With that in mind, every Jamaican is encouraged to see themselves as an active participant in national reconstruction this Labour Day. The effort underway is not merely about replacing what was lost, the leader stressed: it is about rebuilding Jamaica to be better, safer, stronger, and more resilient than before. This is a chance to address longstanding vulnerabilities, reduce future climate risk, and create communities that can withstand the storms and other shocks that lie ahead. While full national recovery cannot be achieved in a single day, every small action adds up to transformative change. Jamaicans are invited to contribute in tangible ways: repairing a leaking classroom at the local basic school, replacing a broken window at the community clinic, clearing overgrown grounds at the community centre, or simply cleaning residential yards, gateways, drains and sidewalks. Just weeks ahead of the 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season, the address also used Labour Day as an opportunity to jumpstart national preparedness efforts. By now, Jamaicans have seen firsthand how critical advance preparation is to reducing storm damage, the leader noted, and called on every household to use the holiday to inspect their property and surroundings, identify potential hazards to homes, community infrastructure and personal safety, check emergency supplies, service generators, complete affordable roof repairs, trim hazardous trees, and clear blocked drains and culverts. “Let this Labour Day be the beginning of your hurricane preparedness,” the address urged. Beyond physical reconstruction, the address turned to a deeper national duty: transforming Jamaica into a more productive, disciplined, and efficient nation. Productivity determines how quickly the nation can grow its output, while efficiency determines how wisely it uses its existing resources, and the leader argued that this critical conversation demands honest, serious engagement from all Jamaicans. For too long, the address noted, outdated mindsets have held the nation back: some have embraced the false idea that prosperity can be achieved without collective work, or that effort equals exploitation, while others have hidden behind bureaucracy and obstruction, quick to criticize but slow to create, and unwilling to take responsibility for building national value. That outdated mindset cannot build a modern, competitive Jamaica. Instead, the nation needs a new generation of doers: Jamaicans who understand risk, are willing to innovate, are prepared to work both harder and smarter, and who step forward to build, produce, solve problems, and lead. The leader emphasized a core economic truth that the next generation must embrace: rising wages without corresponding growth in productivity only fuels inflation, and sustained improvements in wages, prosperity, and living standards can only come from increased output, stronger efficiency, and better national performance. Jamaicans must embrace a new national ethos, where performance matters and performance is rewarded. This principle is particularly critical for the public sector, where accountability, efficiency, and performance-based management must become standard practice. Jamaica is globally renowned for the speed, agility, and resilience of its people, the leader noted; now, the nation must also earn a reputation for getting things done efficiently and effectively. To advance that goal, the government has established the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA), with a clear mission: to drive the nation’s reconstruction forward with urgency, coordinated action, transparency, and speed. “We will prove that Jamaica can build quickly. We will prove that Jamaica can build well. And we will prove that Jamaica can recover stronger than before,” the address stated. Closing, the leader reminded Jamaicans that Labour Day is ultimately about more than work: it is about purpose, service, discipline, and national pride. If every Jamaican does their part, no storm, no setback, and no challenge can defeat the nation. “Together, let us build. Together, let us prepare. Together, let us recover. Together, let us strengthen Jamaica.”