Greetings and welcome to this evening’s reception in honour of our Sponsors and Stakeholders who work to make the GGPE a meaningful Initiative, achieving its objectives and impacting the target groups in a meaningful way.
Thanks to the support of our Custodes and their parish Committees, the GGAA County Awards continue to unearth and recognize outstanding individuals in al the 14 parishes who are community builders and who are preparing themselves academically to make even greater contribution.:
This past year, forty Governor-General’s Achievement Awards (GGAA) were presented: thirty-six in the three County ceremonies and four from the Diaspora in Canada, USA and the United Kingdom.
- To mark my tenth anniversary as Patron of the program, we pinned all our Custodes as IBI Ambassadors and Flow took up the initiative promulgate the IBI message on its electronic billboards in various locations across the island.
- We commenced the programme year with a new National Coordinator Ms. Sonja Simms, following the departure of Major During the year, Ms. Grier also transitioned into other career endeavour and, Mr. Andwayne Davis has been as the Project Officer.
Both Major Whyte and Ms. Grier are here. Let us thank them again for their invaluable contribution to the GGPE!
GGAA and IBI
- This year we saw a further strengthening of the synergy in the program as we worked together and recognized individuals around the central theme of volunteering, Recognizing and imparting values to strengthen the nation.
- During the year a number of GGAA Recipients and IBI Ambassadors were in the local and international news for their achievements and the work they have done and are doing for nation building:
- Just last week, 2017 IBI Ambassador Mr. Sujae Boswell made a presentation on youth advocacy and development in Jamaica at the UNESCO Conference in Paris.
- On November 12, Her Majesty, The Queen, awarded IBI Ambassador Mr. Neville Charlton the Commonwealth’s 115th Points of Light Award for his exceptional service in mobilizing young people to volunteer. In April this year he conducted the second Annual staging of his Positive Youth Awards – recognizing young people for their contribution to youth empowerment, rural and inner-city development.
- I must bring to your attention that of the eighteen Chevening Postgraduate Scholarships awarded to Jamaicans for studies in the United Kingdom in 2019, four of our IBI Ambassadors who were SOS recipients are now on scholarships abroad:
- Miss Najuequa Barnes
- Miss Tishauna Mullings
- Odayne Haughton
- Abrahim Simmonds
And finally, Management Committee Member, IBI Ambassador and Corporate Sponsor – Dr. Janet Dyer who, in September, was awarded an
Honorary Doctor of Divinity and Ministry degree, and is now an ordained Minister of the Gospel.
Summer of Service
- Ladies and Gentlemen, at the Summer of Service (SOS) presentation in August, 24 students were beneficiaries of over J$17 million worth of tuition fees and grants with the kind support of you, our corporate sponsors and partners. Through the SOS we assist students to achieve a tertiary education.
Earlier this month, Ms. Leneka Rhoden and Mr. Timothy Simmonds SOS recipients graduated with honours degrees from the University of the West Indies. Leneka obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Marine Biology and International Relations while Timothy in Spanish and Communication. Timothy is currently employed in the Government, and Leneka is pursuing graduate work at the University of the West Indies.
Youth Consultative Conference
At this year’s record breaking staging of the YCC, the attendees got a first hand close-up, real-life encounter with the global issue of Human Trafficking, and the little known extent to which Jamaica is deeply affected. It was well-executed and received.
The Conference received extensive national media coverage and was trending all day on Social Media platforms. Each year the Conference gets better and better and I look forward to the 2020 iteration (when we will bring to our youth and solicit their support in combatting another serious challenge which we are facing. We will announce as soon as the advisory Board votes it.
IBI Luncheon
- Just two weeks ago, on November 14, twenty-five new IBI Ambassadors were inducted. We received the reports of projects from previously and newly inducted Ambassadors who conducted Health Fairs, Back to School Initiatives, building and establishing Centres for Early Childhood Education, remedial education, and home work. Some of were also involved in summer camps, and supporting workers in children’s homes and facilities for children with disabilities. IBI Ambassadors are at work spreading the gleans of hope across the nation.
- The IBI also partners with Organizations that are working with and for young people. This past September we joined with the ASI Adventist Laymen’s Services and Industry to conduct conversations with freshmen entering Universities in the city. Leading the conversations were Executive Life Coach Dr. Lisa Walker and her husband Dr. Peter Walker, Vice President of Visa, who are Jamaicans living in Atlanta. They too, were inducted as IBI Ambassadors.
Ladies and gentlemen, the successes of the GGPE overall, and the IBI in particular, were numerous in 2019.
Family
- The Family Pillar of the IBI, had a soft resurgence with the broadcasting of Parenting Nuggets on Mello FM throughout the months of November and into December, with the support of one of our corporate sponsors.
- I am so gratified that this idea of the IBI is gaining traction. So many young people have contacted our staff, sent email messages, and posted queries on our Social Media platforms about how they can be involved in this transformative program. We will have to find ways to increase our staff to fulfill the demands.
Conclusion
- Before we return to our conversations mingling and eating please allow me to recognize our loyal partners and Sponsors who have supported us throughout our GGPE journey at varying stages.
- Jamaica National Group
- Victoria Mutual Foundation
- FLOW
- Jamaica Broilers Group
- The Gleaner
- Scotia Bank Jamaica
- HEART Trust/NTA
- The Tourism Enhancement Fund
- The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China
- First Regional Cooperative Credit Union
- National Integrity Action
- University of the West Indies
- University of Technology
- Caribbean Maritime University
- Mico University College
- Northern Caribbean University
- St Joseph’s Teacher’s College
- JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation
- Derrimon
- Sandals Foundation
- NCB Foundation
- Fosrich Group of Companies
- Kingston Bookshop, and.
- Other national and local sponsors and partners.
I am truly grateful for the support of our corporate sponsors, our committee members and the commitment of our IBI Ambassadors. I also commend the GGPE National Coordinator, and her team, and the King’s House Staff for another successful year of GGPE activities.
Thanks to the Media for publishing the successes and gains of the GGPE.
Ladies and gentlemen, I invite you to continue using what is right in Jamaica to fix what is wrong.
Thank you. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year when it comes!