Special Olympians: ‘Let me be brave’

While the Paris Olympics is dominating sports news, we salute Jamaica’s over 300 Special Olympians from 12 parishes who impressed supporters at their annual national games over the past weekend. Lorna Bell, now executive director of Special Olympics Caribbean and her successor Roy Howell, with the guidance of Chair Allie McNab, have grown the organisation to embrace these wonderful athletes.Our Special Olympians have been flying our flag high, gaining top medals at World Games. Bell and Howell emphasise that without the parents, volunteers, and sponsors they would never have been able to excel. Our Special Olympians have travelled the world, most recently to last year’s Berlin Games. They have won gold medals in ice skating and are now training to participate in the Special Olympics 2025 Winter Games in Italy.Jamaica’s Special Olympics movement has affirmed the rights of persons with intellectual disabilities and has celebrated their achievements. They remind us that every single Jamaican can excel if given the opportunity.As we are in the midst of negative political chatter, our Special Olympics National Games is a breath of fresh air. Its motto reflects courage and calm: Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt. A great lesson for all Jamaica.The Law Enforcement Torch Run — led by the Jamaica Constabulary Force and supported by the Jamaica Defence Force; Jamaica Fire Brigade; Jamaica Customs Agency, and Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency — has raised millions to support the organisation. Sponsors of this year’s national games include the Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education Fund; Digicel; Hi-Lyte; Jamaica Information Service (JIS); Sports Development Foundation; KFC; and Jamaica Broilers Group of Companies.Encouraging PEP ResultsCongratulations to the students, teachers, and parents whose efforts have seen a six-point increase in this year’s Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examinations. A JIS release noted the following results:• Mathematics — 60 per cent proficiency• Language arts — 67 per cent proficient or highly proficient• Science — 70 per cent proficient or highly proficientMinister of Education Fayval Williams noted that academic support will be given to students in the beginning and developing categories. They need to be encouraged and affirmed.Good response from Mustard SeedThere is a saying that “No good deed goes unpunished.” And so it is that after Mustard Seed Communities agreed to accept 59 Haitian orphans in an agreement with the organisation HaitiChildren, it is now being accused of mistreating the children.Laurette Adams-Thomas, executive director of the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), has stated that her organisation has inspected all the Mustard Seed residences and have received no reports of neglect.Mustard Seed Executive Director Darcy Tulloch-Williams, in responding to allegations that her staff may not be able to manage some of the children with disabilities, said Mustard Seed had been caring for Jamaican children with similar conditions. The 40-year-old organisation has established protocols to give a high standard of care, she assured.It is shocking that the representative of HaitiChildren, who had asked that the children be transferred, should make such an accusation.Health ministry challengesOur Ministry of Health and Wellness has been coming under fire after sad incidents involving the death of a baby, for want of a ventilator, and increased maternal deaths.Our health system is challenged by too many victims of road crashes and crime, in addition to the migration of nursing staff. And, alarmingly, the Blood Bank is now at a low 50 per cent of capacity.The ministry has been running several wellness campaigns, including the most recent ‘Know Your Numbers’ as they remind us that ‘Your Health is Your Responsibility’. However, Permanent Secretary Jacquiline Bisasor-McKenzie has noted that 50 per cent of Jamaicans are either overweight or obese. Let us protect our health and support the ministry by making better choices.Bridgerton’s timely messageThe Netflix series Bridgerton has characters of every shade in the roles of royalty and nobility. This is the witty imagery from Shonda Rimes’ Shondaland, which has won over millions of viewers worldwide. And why not? Many of those grand buildings and events were created by the sweat of millions of enslaved Africans. Some of the precious metals and jewels which had brought sparkle to such occasions were plundered from former colonies.The first look at the variegated cast may have been surprising, but as the seasons progressed, we have found them to be natural and believable. This took me back to a speech made by the late Professor Rex Nettleford to the advertising fraternity in the 80s: “I understand that the explanation for so many light-skinned people appearing in advertisements is that the lighting suits them better,” he said. “Well, I challenge you all to fix the lighting!”Shondaland has not only fixed the lighting but has also given us a world free of racism, a world we all hope to see one day.Farewell, Kingsley CooperJamaica is reeling from the loss of cultural and entertainment icon Kingsley Cooper. With his passing have come tributes from not only government leaders but also from the myriad organisations and individuals who were inspired and mentored by him.Thanks to television host Alrick McKenzie, we heard Cooper relate his life story just seven months ago: his love of art; being appointed head boy of his beloved alma mater, Kingston College; and his extra-curricular activities while he studied law at The University of the West Indies. He said that the building of Pulse Investments Limited is a natural response to his God-given gifts, sharing that everyone has their unique gifts and we are called to develop them.In developing his gifts, he brought new opportunities for aspiring models, who, under his guidance, have graced the covers ofVogue and catwalks at international shows. He developed his Pulse headquarters on Trafalgar Road into a hub of fashion and entertainment and booked internationally acclaimed artistes to perform at big shows, taking disappointing no-shows as lessons in building his business.By gaining the confidence of investors, Cooper listed Pulse Investments on the Jamaica Stock Exchange and expanded into real estate development, transforming Villa Ronai into an elegant residential and commercial complex. It all seemed so natural for this nationalist, but it must have taken extraordinary effort during the 40-year ebb and flow of the economy.Cooper shared that he was ensuring that his daughter Safia Cooper, CEO of the company, as well as other members of his management team would have a solid foundation on which to build. It is a splendid legacy.Our condolence to his beloved family, and may his great soul rest in peace.Jean Lowrie-Chin is founder of CCRP, a legacy project of her company PROComm. Send comments to [email protected].