Jamaica-born actress Sheryl Lee Ralph (right) and American actress and comedian Kim Whitley share a light moment with Ambassador Stephen Vasciannie at Delta Sigma Theta Sorority’s reception at the Jamaican embassy in Washington recently. – Contributed
Seventeen-year-old Martin Jarrett of Charlemont High School in St Catherine says his life has been transformed by the Junior Achievement Jamaica (JAJ), which has reached some 10,000 students across the island annually.
“Not only has the business I have been involved in grown, but I have grown as an individual,” Jarrett told a gathering of business operators at a corporate breakfast hosted by Caribbean Producers Jamaica (CPJ) last Wednesday morning in Montego Bay, St James.
The company, ‘D-Buzz’, formed by Jarrett and his classmates, and sponsored by Citibank, implemented special events at their school and produced and sold school supplies including pens, pencils, rulers and erasers.
“Among the lessons I have learnt are dedication, respect, honesty and confidence, and the importance of hard work, which are just a few of the values that this programme has instilled in me,” said Martin.
His comments were cemented by JAJ chairman Bruce Bowen, who admitted that the programme, which got its kick-start from the United States Agency for International Development, now needs the private sector to take it over. “The Junior Achievement programme is trying to fill a void that is a particularly important one,” stated Bowen, adding that the programme can really make a difference in the leadership challenges that the country faces.
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The Gleaner
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