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Table of Contents
About Us
Our Projects
How can you get involved?
About Us
Simply put, Volunteer Nation is a ‘nation’ of volunteers! We are an army of ‘servant leaders’ whose ‘choice of weapon’ is volunteerism. Volunteer Nation is a non-profit volunteer group which seeks to provide opportunities for young Jamaicans to participate in charitable initiatives geared towards building a better Jamaica. It is through volunteerism that Volunteer Nation wishes to do its part in achieving the objectives of Vision 2030. It is the hope of Volunteer Nation that the ‘spirit of activism’ will transform Jamaica.
Volunteer Nation is less than a year old as its projects started officially in February 2014. To date over half a dozen innovative projects can been completed with the main area of focus being disability.
Volunteer Nation Founder, Ms. Nicole Nation with Ms. Yanique DaCosta following an interview on the ‘On the Road to Success’ television program, where they discussed the important of disability awareness.
The Facts
“In 2001, the census recorded 163,206 persons with disabilities, comprising 6.3 per cent of the population. In comparison, the 1991 census recorded a total of 111,114 persons with disabilities, comprising 4.7 per cent of the population. The foregoing shows that whereas the wider population grew by approximately 8.3 per cent, the population of people with disabilities grew by over 49 per cent.” Vision 2030 Jamaica National Development Pla, Persons with Disabilities Draft Sector Plan, June 2009.
“It's not that the disabled are not technically and academically qualified for jobs, but companies are reluctant, says the Jamaica Council for Disabled Persons (JCPD), to retrofit their buildings to allow access for the impaired.” ‘Joblessness a major handicap to disabled persons’ by Taneisha Davidson Jamaica Observer, Sunday, December 11, 2005
“Supernatural beliefs were held by a significant minority of Jamaicans, with superstitions less prevalent (18%) than the idea that disabled children are "sent by God" (40%). These beliefs are significant if held by parents, because they may interfere with intervention efforts or may encourage isolation and "putting away the child".” Thorburn, M. J. (2006). Attitudes towards childhood disability in three areas in Jamaica. Issues in Educational Research, 16, 19-25.
‘They that hath a clean hand…’ Handwashing Campaign
From left, Nicole Nation presenting the donation of bars of soap to Ms. Wellington of Shady Grove Basic School, Ms. Turner of Mona Commons Basic School and Ms. Brown of Chevannes Basic School.
As a part of its efforts to educate the youngest Jamaicans about the importance of handwashing launched its Handwashing Campaign. Three schools were targeted in the Kingston Metropolitan area. Chevannes Basic School, Shady Grove Basic School and Mona Commons Basic School were collectively the recipients of over 40 bars of soap. Before the donations were handed over to the early childhood education institutions, a brief demonstration of effective handwashing techniques was done as a means of teaching the youngest members of the Jamaican society the importance of handwashing. The project was done in conjunction with UWI’s Medical School’s Standing Committee on Public Health (SCOPH).
SWEETY FOR THANKS PROJECT
From as early as 2010, funds have been raised for the purchase of water tanks for Jamaican educational institutions.
Summer in Jamaica is associated with drought which can unfortunately result in the closure of schools due to the lack of water. Volunteer Nation sought to address this problem through the donation of water tanks. The fundraising for the water tanks came in the form of the selling of candy or sweety.
Autism Awareness Notice Board
Picture of the Autism Awareness Notice Board which was erected at the Cornwall Regional Hospital in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
For the perceptions about persons with disability to change the populous must first be educated. This is the premise upon which Volunteer Nation erected the Autism Awareness Notice Board. With the thousands of visitors to the regional hospital daily the board acts as a medium to educate the average Jamaican about issues which affect his fellow Jamaican.
Volunteer Inaugural Persons with Disabilities Scholarship
Volunteer Nation’s Founder, Ms. Nicole Nation presents Ms. Nakita Beckford with her scholarship. Also joining in the celebration is Mrs. McKenzie principal of the Montego Bay Learning Centre (formerly the School of Hope) and Mrs. Beckford, Nakita’s mother.
Volunteer Nation wholeheartedly supports the education of persons with disability. We therefore sort to financially support Ms. Nakita Beckford who is a student of the Montego Bay Learning Centre (formerly the School of Hope). The scholarship valued at $10, 000 JMD was fundraised through the sale of sweets as well as donations from students at the University of the West Indies, Mona. Ms. Beckford was chosen from a pool of applicants. Ms. Beckford is noted to be a natural leader with the potential to be mainstreamed.
‘Sticky Dreams’ Mental Health Campaign
Students interact with the wall of dreams which contains multi colored post‐its filled with the dreams of Jamaican university students.
As children many of us have dreams however as we become adults we slowly push those dreams aside as we are confronted with the reality. However this simple exercise of writing your dreams on a coloured piece of paper is aimed at awakening within the participants the fact that they do have dreams. Dreams which at one point in their lives brought them immense joy and hope for the future. From wanting to get married to singing on stage, the dreams of these young minds were captured so that others could be inspired to remember and embrace their own dreams.
Disability Awareness Poetry Competition
From left: Mrs. T. Cherian, Principal of Mt. Alvernia High School, Ms. Sakile Cornwall, winner of the poetry competition, Ms. Kizanne James, president of the Standing Committee on Public Health and Ms. Nicole Nation, Volunteer Nation’s Founder.
The aim of the competition was to highlight the importance of being aware of being disability friendly. Students were invited to write a poem of no more than 200 words which highlighted the importance of disability awareness.
Council on Voluntary Social Services Award
Jamaica has a promising future as young Jamaicans are taking initiative and finding new ways of solving the problems which affect them and their community.
How can you get involved?
Volunteer Nation’s founder, Ms. Nation making her pitch at the Volunteer Symposium 2014 for a playground for the Montego Bay Learning Center.
Map of Jamaica and Projects completed in the respective parishes
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