With troubled eyes and his body shivering uncontrollably, 65-year-old Tyrone Cole paints a painful picture of the devastation and loss being experienced by scores of farmers islandwide who are left to ponder their next move when thieves make off...
As a member of the police force he was feared on the streets, but Michael*, a recent divorcee, admits that he was often abused by his girlfriend and later his wife, but did not retaliate because of his childhood pledge to never hit a woman.Michael,...
An increase in the subsidy on pharmaceuticals for children and the revamping of an intervention programme aimed at promoting physical activity and balanced dietary consumption in schools are part of the Government's plans to improve the health of...
At least three women have been rescued from life-threatening, abusive relationships in recent times, and several others are being assisted by a secret underground network, which just last week acquired a safe house outside of Jamaica to bolster...
The weeks leading up to the reopening of school used to be a very profitable one for Eunice Powell, as her stall would be flocked by parents wanting her to outfit their children in khaki and tunic.But the senior citizen is now hard-pressed to make...
Independent and self-assured, Beverley* readily admits that she does not fit the stereotypical image of a battered woman. But for more than 12 years she bore the brunt of her husband's anger outside and within the confines of their Cherry...
She had dedicated 20 years of her life to the Monymusk Sugar Factory and was crestfallen when her employment was terminated, but Paulette Shortridge was all smiles last week as she prepared to move into a new house near her former workplace, which...
With affordable medication being a necessity for many senior citizens in the country, the National Health Fund (NHF) is looking at how it can improve its Jamaica Drug for the Elderly Programme (JADEP) to meet the varying needs of beneficiaries.Now...
Her 18-year relationship with a policeman saw Janet* being beaten on a regular basis, but it was the realisation that their son was also becoming abusive that finally forced her to pack up her things and flee to the United State this year.Janet said...
In a society such as Jamaica, women's advocate and former president of Woman Inc, Joyce Hewett, is warning that the lives of most women in domestic-violence situations are at risk whether they leave or stay in their abusive relationships.Speaking...
"It is like you are in this prison and you dare not try to get out, because even though you are there and the situation is bad, it's like leaving is going to be worse."This is how Camille* sums up her marriage of several years to an abusive man who...
The life and legacy of Louis Marriott took centre stage last Friday as his friends and family bid farewell to one of the pioneers of Jamaican theatre.The distinguished playwright and actor led a very illustrious life which spanned theatre, politics...
Consultant psychiatrist and wellness advocate Dr Anthony Allen believes the increased level of mental stress being faced by many Jamaicans is contributing to scores of persons slowly committing suicide by gorging on unhealthy foods.According to Dr...
The country's only shelter for battered women will be closed shortly to undergo refurbishing, even as the nation grapples with a raft of gender-based violence cases and murder/suicides which have ripped families apart.The Crisis Shelter operated by...
A fear of death is believed to be the main reason scores of Jamaicans do not make a will, but the hassle faced by those they leave behind to share their estate should give everyone reason to take stock."There is a culture in Jamaica where people do...
Almost half of all sexually active females in Jamaica between the ages of 15 and 24 years old were forced into their first sexual encounter.The same is true of 16 per cent of adolescent boys between 10 and 15 years old, as they did not consent to...
While acknowledging that obesity among children is a real issue, Minister of Education, Youth and Information Ruel Reid has dismissed calls for physical education (PE) to be made mandatory for all students.According to Reid, mandatory physical...
Although a DNA test showed he is not the biological father of the son he thought was his, 46-year-old Patrick Mair* spent millions of dollars, fought with United States Embassy officials, allowed the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) to comb...
With the international financing institution, The Global Fund, set to transition its support from Jamaica come 2018 as a result of the country's middle-income status, some local groups are expressing concern that the gains made in fighting HIV/AIDS...
Days after a Coroner's Court ruled that the 2012 death of Vanessa Wint's in state care "was caused by suicide, by hanging, due in part by the neglect of the authorities of Horizon Adult Remand Centre to place her under suicide watch and take...
Human Rights lobby group Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) is holding on to the hope that the latest announcement of plans to review the Government's support for foster parents will come to fruition."While public announcements are easy to make, only their...
They celebrated 19 years last Thursday, but it was not a happy day for staff of non-governmental organisation Children First, as they were still struggling to come to grips with the fact that thieves had broken into their facility and left with all...
Jamaica has been ranked 51st out of 163 countries on the KidsRights 2016 Index, which is the global ranking of United Nations member states that have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.The country received the highest scores for...
The Child Development Agency (CDA) is contending that a boy who ran away from a state facility where he was placed after his mother was found guilty of abusing him seven years ago went back to living with her after he absconded from the children's...
Although Jamaica has almost eradicated mother-to-child HIV transmission, there are concerns that women living with the virus are still being criticised by some medical personnel when they get pregnant.Kandasi Levermore, executive director of Jamaica...
