BU SINESSJAMAIC AN AME RIC AN C LUB
Jamaican American Club Newsletter WINTER
2017
Build A Better Jamaica Jamaica is in a dire and deteriorating position. Remittances save those lucky enough to have relatives abroad but for the less fortunate life is a daily struggle for survival. What do you do if your child needs a US$180 MIR scan? Medical treatments are out of reach of many. The growth in crime is not a surprise since our growth industries are poverty and desperation. I believe that if we reduce our fuel bills we could redirect hundreds of millions of USD to education, health, roads etc. Last year our fuel bill was US$4.75 billion. Also, for meaningful change to occur the diaspora must be involved in our decision making. What they're doing works for the few. My name is Dr John Lennon (born during Beatlemania). I'm a British expatriate living in Montego Bay. I was born in the UK but spent my teenage years in Clarendon.
My passions are education and the environment and I want to build the first wasteto-energy plant on the island. The electricity generated would be sold to the grid and the profits used for education.
fited only myself so this was a better arrangement:
This would be the first step towards the creation of a transparent renewable energy industry: paying a living wage and all profits for the people.
Every year 2000 students would benefit.
Making a difference A wise person said "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime". I wanted to make a difference so I sold my UK home with plans to finance a solar facility at a school. The leasing proposal would have saved thousands of USD every month.
I'd employ someone to clean/manage two beaches.
The school would inherit the facility on my death. The project did not transpire. I contacted 6 schools and at the time of writing they are all on the grid. Continue on page 2
My home was my pension but the rental income bene-
Trivia Who is Dr. Jacob L. Shirley? What is a Answer is on page 8
John Lennon
TABLE OF CONTENT Build a better Jamaica page 1 Trivia page 1 Book club page 2 FORGOTTEN BRANCH OF BLACK COMMUNITY PERSEVERES page 3