Youths Stand Out At JCDC Visual Arts Competition

Kamille Kirlew, 'Tools of Yester Year'.

The Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) continues to unearth new talent and provide a platform for experienced and developing artists, the latest example of this was through its annual National Visual Arts competition.
JN Foundation's Resolution Project 2011/12 youth photographer Kamille Kirlew came first for her 'Tools of Yester Year' entry.

Congratulations Kamille!!!

Read more: http:http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120729/arts/arts2.html

Cool Prizes to be won in the JN General Insurance Bookworm Bites summer read competition!

Enter the JN General Insurance Bookworm Bites summer read competition and win great prizes! The competition is open to all Grades 1- 6 students and runs from July 10 to August 31, 2012. Pick up entry forms at the JN Foundation and Jamaica Partnership for Education offices.

National Visual Arts Competition and Exhibition 2012

As part of its new initiative to be open to the public every last Sunday of the month, the National Gallery will again be open on Sunday 29, from 11 am to 4 pm.

Visitors will be able to view National Visual Arts Competition and Exhibition, where select work ofJamaica National Building Society (JNBS) Foundation's Resolution Project youth photographers and advocates (2011/12 cycle) will be on display.

Free guided tours of the exhibitions and collections will start at 11:30 am, 1 pm and 3 pm, respectively, and there will be a special children’s activity tour which will start at 2 pm.

Musical entertainment will be provided by the Peacemakers Mento Band, which will perform from 2 to 3 pm.

Rave Reviews for “INTERPRETATIONS: The Jamaican Experience" Photo Exhibition

A photograph says a thousand words but when seen through the resolution and tinge of black green and gold, the words that seem to resonate are “a fi wi sinting.” This was the profound sentiment that was echoed by 250 UK-Jamaicans at the Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre in London on July 24, 2012. The reception was of a deep powerful sense of nation pride.



Mounted by the Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) Foundation,“Interpretations: The Jamaican Experience - A look into our journey over the last 50 years,” is a retrospective collection in celebration of Jamaica’s 50^th Anniversary of political Independence from Britain.
The collection features juxtaposition between age and experience in the form of photographs taken by celebrated UK-Jamaican photographer, Neil Kenlock and a view from fresh eyes in the form of photographs taken by rural high school students in the JNBS Foundation’s advocacy through photography programme, Resolution Project. 






Leesa Kow, General Manager of JN Money Services Limited captures the essence of this 5 decade spanned pictorial by stating that Kenlock’s fifty interpretive pieces chronicle the journey of Jamaican migrants to the UK during the 1960s and 1970s, and visually represent the struggles and triumphs of Jamaicans in their adopted country, while the student images celebrate the best of Jamaica today from a youth perspective.

Nostalgia was a powerful and shared emotion as some relived moments of their childhood through the pictorial. Guest Denese Gasche commented that “the student work was remarkable. I was particularly impressed by their ability to capture ‘the human moment’ in their photos. My children have never been to Jamaica. I was able to tell them about my childhood through some of the photos in the exhibit.”

The exhibition runs Mondays through Saturdays, between noon and 7:00 p.m.; and will close on August 15.

Neil Kenlock to be interviewed on Smile Jamaica (TVJ)

Stay tuned to 'Smile Jamaica, It’s Morning time on Television Jamaica (TVJ)' today to see Mr. Neil Kenlock, UK-Jamaican photographer be interviewed about INTERPRETATIONS: The Jamaican experience.

INTERPRETATIONS, is an exhibition being held in London that consists of the work of Mr. Kenlock as well as that of Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS)Foundation’s Resolution Project youth photographers and advocates.

You may watch the show online (live) at http://www.televisionjamaica.com/LiveTV.aspx
Today's show will run from 6:00AM - 9:00AM (EST)

J'can photographer takes Londoners down memory lane at Elephant and Castle

LONDON, England — Jamaicans living in the United Kingdom (UK), many of whom have not been back in years, were taken on a journey down memory lane through a photo exhibition now mounted at the Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre here in South London.

The images, captured by renowned Jamaican-born photographer Neil Kenlock and date back to the 1960s, depict various social issues faced Jamaicans living here and on the island, and were mounted alongside more recent images captured by high school students from rural Jamaica who were participants in the Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) Foundation Resolution Project.

Read more: 

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/J-can-photographer-takes-Londoners-down-memory-lane-at-Elephant-

JNBS Foundation to roll out new social enterprise project

"Rather than try to combat poverty from the top-down, microenterprise fights poverty from the ground up by working directly to change the lives of those most affected by poverty.”

– Bishop Simon Chiwanga

 

The JNBS Foundation continues in its mission to empower Jamaicans: to make better for themselves and their families through social entrepreneurship. We have lots to share with you in the upcoming months about our initiatives. Stay tuned!!!

JN Foundation/Neil Kenlock's Photo Exhibition (UK)

This is the genius of the Resolution Project – a programme which gives high schools students cameras and basic photography training – to take our gaze to places we’d never see otherwise.

Young people all across Jamaica, take us into their communities and homes – the places they know best – and share their lives with us.

Their pictures are revelatory, keenly observed and poignant. They demonstrate the ability of art to teach and to transform, as the participants in the project learn new skills and ways of seeing and communicating in ways they never knew before.

Currently, there is an exhibition of the work of UK-Jamaican Photographer Neil Kenlock and JN Foundation's Resolution Project students. See exhibition details below:

- Exhibition opens July 18th, 2012 at 12 noon and closes on August 15th, 2012
- Mondays to Saturdays, 12 noon to 7pm Unit 237
- Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre, London SE1 6TE

Learn more about the Resolution Project: http://www.jnfoundation.com/content/see-me-here-resolution-project

Vehicle Safety Hints

Is your vehicle safe? Here’s a quick checklist that helps to determine whether or not your vehicle is roadworthy:

• Tyres are very important and should be inspected for wear and tear and correct air pressure. There must be sufficient tread on tyres for them to operate effectively. Wheel balancing and alignment should also be checked regularly;

• Windscreen wipers should be effective and in good working order. New blades are inexpensive and easy to fit;

• The windscreen washer container should be filled to clear the windscreen of bugs and road debris. Windscreen cracks and/or blemishes should be repaired;

• Worn shock absorbers have a detrimental effect on a vehicle’s handling. Have shock absorbers checked before a long journey;

• Brakes should be thoroughly inspected;

• Lights and headlamps should be in good working order and be properly adjusted;

• Mirrors should be properly adjusted;

• Brake and indicator signals should be in good working order.

--- 
 Tek Time Drive... Arrive Alive! A road safety campaign brought to you by the Jamaica National General Insurance (JNGI) Company Ltd.   

Are you overloading your vehicle?

Did you know that…

• An overloaded motor vehicle is dangerous and illegal?

• Overloading can cause tyres to overheat, resulting in a possible tyre blow out.

Remember …

• Never load more passengers or goods than is allowed per vehicle.

• Overloading damages our roads and costs the economy (taxpayers) millions of dollars annually!!!

--- Tek Time Drive... Arrive Alive! A road safety campaign brought to you by the Jamaica National General Insurance (JNGI) Company Ltd. 

Nelson Mandela turns 94

Mandela spent 67 years of his life fighting for the rights of humanity. Since 2009, in celebration of Mr Mandela’s life and legacy, July 18is observed in South Africa as Nelson Mandela Day. On this day, individuals are asked to give 67 minutes of their time to be of service to others, be it supporting a charity or serving their local community.

In 2011, the day was officially adopted by the United Nation as ‘Nelson Mandela International Day’. The day not only celebrates Nelson Mandela’s life, but also represents a global call to action for people to recognize their ability to have a positive effect on others around them. The day hopes to inspire people to embrace the values that Mandela shared. These values include democracy, freedom, equality, diversity, reconciliation, and respect.  This year, under the theme ‘Take Action, Inspire Change, and Make every day a Mandela Day’, individuals are encouraged to take responsibility for changing the world into a better place.

The Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) Foundation believes in the power of the individual to do good. As such, the message of the Foundation has always been one of a call to ‘Act!on’, whereby Jamaicans are encouraged to ‘Take Act!on’ to inspire change, and positively impact the lives of others and their communities. Through our Act!on Jamaica volunteer programme, Jamaicans are given opportunities to give back meaningful ways, by participating in national and community development initiatives.

Based on Mandela’s passion for children, the JN Foundation will be undertaking an activity aimed at engaging working and street children in Kingston, and Spanish Town. According to the National Survey of Street and Working Children 2003, the number of working and street children is approximately 6,000, of which boys out number girls by a ratio of 70:30. Many of these children end up on the street as a result of poverty, neglect, and/or abuse. Often times isolated from local communities, and having to ‘hustle’ for survival, they become vulnerable to criminal enterprises, and are at risk.

Several organisations in Jamaica have dedicated resources to improve the plight of these children.  After consultation with these organisations, the Foundation decided to host a clinic that will address some critical needs.  The clinic will be held on Nelson Mandela Day on July 18 at Children First Premises in Spanish Town, and YMCA in Kingston. This will be done in partnership with the Ministry of Health (MOH); Fish Eye Clinic; Registrar Generals Department; and, the Tax Administration Office to provide relevant services free of cost to participants.

Road Rage: Hints about your attitude

Has anyone ever showed you a finger, verbally assaulted you, or even 'bad-driven' you in traffic?

Unfortunately, you have been a victim of road rage! 

So, what exactly is road rage anyway? Road rage is violent anger caused by the stress and frustration involved in driving a motor vehicle.

Accidents are not the only cause of death on the road – there is also road rage.  Check out these simple yet useful guidelines that may help you overcome road rage:

• Be patient, considerate and courteous. Respect one another and preserve the GIFT OF LIFE.
• Do not react to provocation by other drivers nor attempt to provoke them;
• Do not flash your lights or use your horn in order to pass other vehicles; and
• While travelling, motorists must maintain at least a three second following distance. This is equivalent to at least 2 car lengths.

 

Driving may be stressful at times, however, we should all play our part to ensure that we drive in a safe and relaxed environment. We hope that you found the tips we've shared with you, to be helpful. Feel free to re-share them with your friends.

Pedestrians, when using the road you should...

As a pedestrian, you cannot be too careful when travelling on the road. Here are five helpful tips that you should keep in mind when using the road:

1. Walk facing oncoming traffic
2. Wear light-coloured clothing at nights
3. Don’t assume the right-of-way at pedestrian crossings
4. Walk in a single file where there is no sidewalk or where the sidewalk is narrow
5. Clearly indicate to motorists and cyclists your desire to cross the road

Remember: You must try as best as possible to be assertive in order to ensure your own safety as well as others.

Nelson Mandela Day Volunteers Needed...

Nelson Mandela International Day is fast approaching...

We are looking for vibrant volunteers who want to make a difference in other persons' life. Are we looking for YOU?

What: Act!on 67  Wellness & Recreational Clinic

The Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) Foundation will host two simultaneous Wellness and Recreational Clinics called ‘Act!on 67’ in celebration of Nelson Mandela International Day on July 18, 2012. These Clinics will target working and street children to provide some of the critical resources that will ensure their formalisation of citizenship within the society, as well as offer health and lifestyle services free of cost.

Where:  Kingston YMCA, ….. Children’s First, 9 Monk Street, Spanish Town, St. Catherine.

The JN Foundation has partnered with other developmental agencies: Children First; and, the Kingston YMCA to host these clinics. Together we will reach out and invite more than 200 needy children to make use of the services, with the view to making a real and meaningful difference in their lives in the short and long terms.

For further information and/or to indicate an interest, please send email to robinsona@jnbs.com. You can also contact us at 926-1344 extension #4776.

Grants Pen youths receive more IT training

Stacey Hylton (sitting at the computer), a student attending the Stella Maris Foundation Information Technology Training Centre, explains her work to (from right) Omar Frith, manager of the Stella Maris Foundation; Saffrey Brown, general manager the Jamaica National Building Society Foundation; Beverley Lopez, chairman of the Stella Maris Foundation and Valerie Moodie, director of the Stella Maris Foundation. Occasion was the signing of a grant-funding agreement, on July 3, with the JN Foundations, and Stella Maris Foundation, to expand the Stella Maris Foundation Information Technology Training Centre. - Contributed


Click on the link to read more...

83 year old Grange Hill residents entertains the JN Swipe Team

 83 year old Grange Hill resident Hortense Johnson (left, wearing purple head wrap) dances up a storm while she deejays for patrons at the JN Swipe booth in Grange Hill Square, Westmoreland. All eyes and cameras were on Hortense, who didn’t mind all the attention, as she entertained the small crowd.

Deh Pon De Road: Grange Hill, Westmoreland

The JN swipe card provides persons living in rural areas access to accounts/funds without having to travel far into the town.

The card is used like a debit/multilink card and will be able to be used in various wholesales and stores in the rural communities.

The promotions began from in June and has been happening in various different towns, such as Balaclava and Southfield in St.Elizabeth, Lawrence Town in St. Andrew and next week we'll be going to Lionel Town in Clarendon and Yallahs in St. Thomas.

JN Swipe Project Heads to Grange Hill, Westmoreland

Grange Hill… Grange Hill… Grange Hill…

Look out, we will be coming to your town today! That’s right… from 10am - 4pm come visit the JN Swipe booth at the A& L Distributors Hardware which is located in Grange Hill Square, Westmoreland.

JN Swipe allows customers EASY and CONVENIENT access to banking services right from YOUR community. By using your JN 24/7 Teller and Money Transfer debit cards, you can access the following:

-          Cash withdrawals;

-          Store purchases, and

-          Small business loans payments.

Stay tuned to this page to learn more about the JN Swipe Project.

JN Foundation’s Resolution Project scores big in the National Visual Arts Competition and Exhibition!

The National Visual Arts Competition and Exhibition

“Jamaica at 50: Celebrating Our Nation’s Artistic Heritage and Future”

Jamaica National Building Society Foundation sweep the prizes!

Sectional  Prize Winners

Summit Prize

For the Top School or School Club) Kindergarten, Preparatory, Primary or High School) with the highest number of Jury selected entries.

Award: J$10,000.00 cash plus trophy

Awarded to JAMAICA NATIONAL RESOLUTION PROJECT

The JNBS Foundation is the charitable arm of the Jamaica National Building Society that was instituted in 1990 to manage the philanthropic efforts and projects of the Society. The Jamaica National Resolution Project is a programme of the Foundation that targets teenagers in Jamaica’s rural high schools to use the creative media of photography to critically look at their communities and through their artwork, make an appeal for positive change. The programme evolved from the Youth Zoom that was established in 2004 that aimed to teach high school students how to capture images of positive and negative situation in their communities. The Resolution Project infuses the element of youth advocacy in the art of photography. The programme continues to target rural schools that are encouraged to form photography clubs throughout the island.

Youth 12 – 14

Nickala Brown             Mobile Market                                                 Regular Entry

Rashane Campbell     Past accomplishments                                    Regular Entry

Ashlie Parchment         Man Does Not Live By Bread Alone                Regular Entry

Ashlie Parchment         Past, Present and Future                                  Jamaica 50 Special Entry

Kaveen Walker            Mom                                                                Regular Entry

Kaveen Walker            Today’s Catch                                                            Regular Entry

Youth 15 – 18

Oreva Apokene          Glimpse of Former Glory                                  Jamaica 50 Special Entry

Nasieka Brown                        Streetside Hustling                                           Regular Entry

Tehri-Ann Brown           By The Sweat of My Brow                                Jamaica 50 Special Entry

Orlando Bryan             Entrepreneur                                                    Regular Entry

Orlando Bryan             Market Come To You                                      Regular Entry

Toni-Jade Chin            Artisans                                                            Jamaica 50 Special Entry

Veneisa Gayle             Boat Builder                                                     Regular Entry

Deneka Gooden         Follower                                                           Regular Entry

Monique Griffiths         Happy for Work                                               Regular Entry

Mikhail Henry               Black, Green and Gold                                   Jamaica 50 Special Entry

Mikhail Henry               We Serve                                                          Jamaica 50 Special Entry

Scereki Hinds               Really?                                                             Jamaica 50 Special Entry

Kamille Kirlew              Tools of Yester Year                                         Jamaica 50 Special Entry

Jamaica 50 Youth Prize

Stanley Ramdeen        Simmer Down                                                  Regular Entry

Naomi Redway           Jamique                                                          Regular Entry

Naomi Redway           Just Imagine                                                    Regular Entry

Naomi Redway           Rastaman                                                        Jamaica 50 Special Entry

Shanae Sands             Only in Negril                                                   Regular Entry

Omar Spence              Duppy Church                                                 Jamaica 50 Special Entry

Mickae Walters            Good Over Evil                                                Regular Entry

Note

There was also one adult entrant from the Granville Resolution Project who submitted work

Michka Walters            Vantage Point                                                 Regular Entry

Each individual received an Exhibition Honours Certificate and additionally for those who submitted Jamaica 50 themed work a special Jamaica 50 medal.

Top Teacher Prize

For the Top School or School Club) Kindergarten, Preparatory, Primary or High School) with the highest number of Jury selected entries.

Award: J$60,000.00 cash plus trophy

Awarded to JAMAICA NATIONAL RESOLUTION PROJECT

The JN Resolution Project continues it’s work through the knowledge of expert photographers to train students in the art of photography.

JAMAICA 50 PRIZES

For the best Jamaica 50-themed entries by jury vote.

YOUTH

Awarded to KAMILLE KIRLEW fro “Tools of Yester Year”

Award: $50,000.00 cash plus commemorative plaque.

Kamille hails from Clarendon and is 17-year-old Knox College student. She take photographs in her spare time and is a participant in the Jamaica National Building Society Foundation’s Resolution Project.