New year brings renewed hope for single father

Norvel Palmer, a 40-year-old father of three and a single parent, is expressing gratitude to Scotiabank and the Food For The Poor (FFP) after receiving much-needed assistance to provide for his family.

After parting ways with the mother of his children, Palmer feels he has no other alternative but to live up to his parenting role. Left with three children ranging from the age of one to five years old,, he has been doing his best under trying circumstances to take care of them.

In 2019, fate stepped in, securing Palmer a roof over his family’s head as a recipient of a home in Kingston, courtesy of FFP Jamaica. While the house is a stabilising factor, Palmer has been unable to secure a steady source of income, affecting his ability to properly take care of his three children, who often need basic items such as food and diapers. “My mother and sister help me out when they can,” explained Palmer.

The random monetary inflows haven’t stalled Palmer’s ambition and his drive to ensure that his children are clothed, fed and educated. Using his own strengths, he created a small business, a chicken farm.

“I built a small chicken coop,” he said. “I’ve raised two batches of 50,” Palmer said. The problem is a matter of scale. The current number of chickens is too small to

The little profit is eaten up, literally, by the cost of feeding the animals, with Palmer finding himself in debt each month to keep up the supply. This vicious circle has left him with only dreams of expansion at this point.

KEY TO SELF-SUFFICIENCY

For Palmer, the key to self-sufficiency for himself and his family in the year ahead was to acquire a larger coop to house more chickens and a deep freezer, so that he can expand into selling jerk chicken.

With the assistance of Scotiabank and its annual ‘Love, Scotiabank’ Christmas-giving initiative, on December 15 Palmer received several items on his wish list, including a deep freezer and a grill to increase the potential success of his chicken business. For the children, he also received two tablets, a double bed and mattress, and a 32-inch smart television.

Naadia White, VP for compliance Scotiabank, in making the presentation to Palmer explained that the bank is currently engaged in supporting efforts to provide economic resiliency for local communities. “While this is the season of giving, we are also looking beyond to 2022, to see how the families we assist can better provide for themselves financially and give their children an opportunity at a brighter future,” White said.

“It was heart-warming to see the smiles and to hear the gratitude from the recipients, when they were surprised with items from their wish list. Now, they’ll be able to live in more comfort. Now, they can engage in an income-generating activity. Now, they’ll be in a better position to care for themselves and their families! At the end of the day, this is what Christmas is all about; bringing happiness and restoration to those who need it most,” said Kivette Silvera, executive director of FFP.