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Joan Duncan Foundation
The year 2020-21 continued to present challenges locally and globally that stretched our capacity for agility, creativity and resilience. At the JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation, JMMB’s core values of love, openness, honesty, integrity and care became even more of a driving force as we stood firm in our commitment to nation building and people empowerment. As economic hardships increased and the unpredictability of the upcoming months became more apparent, the Foundation quickly examined its operations and adjusted plans in order to navigate the crisis while still fulfilling our mandate.
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The Foundation continued to execute projects and programmes, while ensuring the health and safety of all concerned. We continued to partner with individuals and organizations to meet the needs, which have been even greater during the pandemic, in the areas of education, transformational leadership, youth entrepreneurship, capacity building and community development. One key partnership that we were very pleased to support was the PSOJ COVID-19 Jamaica Response Fund, aimed at mobilizing and distributing resources to assist vulnerable citizens.
The timeline for some initiatives including regional expansion of the Joan Duncan Foundation in the territories within which we operate were extended; however, we remain focused and indeed excited about “The Positive Transformation of Lives and Nations, To Support the Creation of Oneness and the Realization of Greatness” in these territories.
We are delighted to share the details of some of our key initiatives for the year 2020-21.
COVID RELIEF
FOOD PACKAGES
The JMMB Group through the JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation was one of the first corporate organizations to commit support for the distribution of food packages (in the amount J$10 Million) through the PSOJ COVID Relief. The fund was aimed at mobilising and distributing resources for the protection and welfare of Jamaicans, through a multi-sectoral partnership including other umbrella organisations such as the Council of Voluntary Social Services (CVSS), The United Way of Jamaica (UWJ), American Friends of Jamaica (AFJ), and other key stakeholders.
JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation CEO, Kim Mair noted, “We were very happy to be a part of this initiative, because of the difference it made in the lives of our fellow Jamaicans, especially some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society; by helping to take care of their welfare and provides some financial protection during this difficult time. We see this as part of our commitment to share in the inter-relatedness of all life.”
The PSOJ COVID-19 Jamaica Response Fund was a powerful example of the positive impact that can be made through partnership with individuals and organizations who choose to serve with unconditional love for the betterment of our fellow citizens.
TABLETS FOR SCHOOLS
A call for support of the ‘One Laptop or Tablet Per Child’ initiative (introduced by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information (MOEYI)), was made by the PSOJ for corporate companies and individuals, in Jamaica and in the diaspora. The JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation was quick to respond. We donated 400 tablets and data valued at J$10 Million to 32 primary schools island wide, to enable vulnerable students to fully participate in online learning. In an effort to provide a holistic solution to address the digital divide, along with the provision of tablets, the Foundation provided each student recipient a SIM and data on a monthly basis to enable connectivity.
Little Jaedon Reid (right), a student at Salt Savannah Primary and Infant School, is a picture of excitement as CEO of JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation, Kim Mair hands him a tablet as part of the Foundation’s support of the ‘One Laptop or Tablet Per Child’ initiative, and in response to the call made by the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ), for individuals and corporate companies to lend a hand to the initiative to assist students to participate in remote learning. The Foundation has donated approximately 400 tablets to 32 schools islandwide.
JMMB’s client partnership manager at Haughton Terrace, Rockann Lee Crawlle (right) shares an elbow bump with Rahkeem Davis (foreground, left), a student at Clan Carthy Primary, who is a happy recipient of one of the tablets provided courtesy of the JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation, as part of the ‘One Laptop, One Tablet Per Child’ initiative. Sharing in the moment are: Sheldon Richards (left), Clan Carthy Primary principal and Donald Foster, chairman of the school board. The Foundation contributed J$10M towards the initiative spearheaded by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information (MOEYI) along with the Junior Achievement Jamaica and National Education Trust (NET), aimed at providing 100,000 students, including children with special needs and wards of the state, with devices to enable full participation in online teaching and learning. NATIONAL PROJECTS
The Conversations for Greatness (CFG) In-Schools programme which has impacted approximately 5,400 lives over five years, continued this financial year and will come to a close in June 2021, having kept our commitment to the schools engaged. This transformational conversation continues to inspire educators and entire school communities, to take a stand for themselves and their students to manifest their greatness and transform their lives. The stories of transformation are many.
One school community in Trelawny was impacted in several positive and significant ways. After the closure of a sugar factory, parents migrated in search of work, having to leave their children, creating challenging circumstances. The impact was felt quickly at school, but because of the ongoing Conversations for Greatness with staff, an exciting initiative was born. They developed a mentorship programme for approximately 30 children with staff members from all categories, academic and ancillary, taking the children under their wings as “School Mothers”. This mitigated the displacement experienced by the children. The school in that period reported a marked decrease in absenteeism, antisocial behavior and also indicated that grades showed improvement. The Education Officer for the region recommended the programme to be replicated in other schools.
The power of the CFG tools was also manifested in the life of a teacher, now Vice Principal of the school. Prior to CFG she indicated that being Vice Principal was not a future she had ever imagined for herself; however, through CFG she experienced
a transformation which opened her up to limitless possibilities. A second teacher reported starting her own business. She now boasts of the success of that enterprise and credits CFG for the confidence gained to see possibilities for herself and to step into action. Though just one example among many, this school represents the heart of what CFG set out to accomplish in the schools across Jamaica: Transformation of the individual and the community.
Given the challenges associated with COVID, this fiscal year we adjusted our approach and delivery method so that we could continue to engage meaningfully with 26 schools that were fairly advanced in the programme in order to bring them to completion. This phase of CFG will be complete in June 2021. We will continue to contribute to nation-building and support an authentic and transformational culture through this powerful programme.
MULTICARE YOUTH FOUNDATION (M.Y.F./ Y.U.T.E.)
As the primary sponsor of the programme, over the past seven years, The JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation continued to enable the training, matching and tracking of successful mentor/mentee relationships, totaling 650 at the end of the 2020-21 year. Because of our belief in mentorship as a powerful intervention tool and an effective way to enhance young people’s awareness of and belief in their own potential, helping them achieve educational, career or life goals, the Foundation was delighted to be able to maintain this partnership.
While the programme’s reach and face-to-face interaction were limited due to prevailing conditions, the MYF was able to adjust its training to engage mentor/mentee participants virtually. For the period April 2020 to March 2021, 30 additional participants from the YUTE Teach Early Childhood Training programme were engaged in the year-long mentorship intervention.
The MultiCare Youth Foundation has thanked JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation for its care and support for, and collaboration with the MYF in offering the rich benefits of mentoring to provide life-changing opportunities for Jamaica’s youth.
CHILD RESILIENCY PROGRAMME
The JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation continued its support of the programme operations of the Child Resiliency Programme (CRP). This year the programme scaled back operations, concentrating its efforts atthe Boys Town centre only. Our support this year facilitated programme delivery to 62 children in a blended delivery methodology. The purchase of tablets to facilitate the virtual delivery of activities and the cost associated with the continued support of families via phone calls, WhatsApp video teaching and home visits was also under taken.
Of significant note was the improvement in the engagement of parents due to the increased dependence on home and family for both the referral of the children, and the actual delivery of the programme resulting from the absence of the usual school referral system. Notwithstanding, significant effort had to be placed on building the resiliency and wellness of the staff themselves to be able to continue the programme delivery in these challenging times. We are pleased to have been able to support the development of A Peace Building, and Resiliency and Wellness Training Manual in support of the dedicated team.
The staff, children and parents of the Child Resiliency Programme continue to express their extreme gratitude for the ongoing support of the JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation.
EDUCATION
SCHOLARSHIPS
As a result of the pandemic and the severe disruption to the school year, parents, students, policy makers, school administrators and other education stakeholders grappled to find the best approach to provide quality education, in an equitable manner. Given our commitment to education, The JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation awarded 42 scholarships for Academic Year 2020/21 in support of Jamaica’s youth. Deliberate emphasis was placed on final year tertiary students, whose ability to complete their programme would have been jeopardized by the increased financial fallout due to the pandemic. This support we believe has afforded them the opportunity to continue seamlessly to the next stage of their educational and professional journey.
Moving from the UTECH campus to the studios of TVJ, the 7th annual Joan Duncan Memorial Lecture brought into sharp focus, opportunities which abound for entrepreneurs to take advantage of doing business in the digital global space, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions placed on operating in the traditional brick and mortar space. Sharing their expertise in the lecture titled, “Digital Entrepreneurship, Breaking Boundaries” were practitioners in the digital space: Tyrone Wilson, founder, president and CEO of iCreate; and Stacy Kirk, CEO, Quality Works Consulting Group, California, US.
The Joan Duncan Memorial Lecture honours the vision, mission and passion of our late corporate leader and JMMB co-founder, Joan Duncan, for whom the Joan Duncan School of Entrepreneurship, Ethics and Leadership has been named.
The panel of participants in the form of (from left) Hector Wheeler, AVP, advancement, UTech, Jamaica, Tyrone Wilson, CEO of iCreate, Patricia Sutherland, chairman, JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation, Professor Colin Gyles, actg. Principal, UTech, Jamaica and Stacy Kirk, CEO, Quality Works Consulting Group, California, USA (not shown in photo), following the recent Joan Duncan Memorial Lecture, broadcast live on TVJ. UWI ENDOWMENT
The Joan Duncan/JMMB Endowment was established to provide scholarships and bursaries, student development and training programmes at the University of the West Indies, Mona (UWI), and to support Mona School of Business & Management (MSBM) academic staff development. We continue to enjoy a fruitful relationship with UWI through this partnership.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
In fulfilling our mandate to nurture young entrepreneurs and foster good corporate social responsibility in new business ventures, the Foundation continued to support competitions among tertiary institutions to encourage innovative business plans. This year, the JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation supported both the UWI Vincent Hosang Venture Challenge and the UTECH Business Model competitions which pivoted to online delivery of their competitions. Teams of budding student entrepreneurs participated in the 2020/21 competitions, demonstrating an apt response to the “new normal” business environment by showcasing digital solutions to current problems and gaps in the market.
Expanding our involvement with Entrepreneurship through partnership with the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, the Foundation continued to support the PSOJ’s Access to Finance Facilitation
Panel (AFFP) thrust to increase awareness and education around the reforms needed for the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). A central hub was established, which provides access to information for businesses - https://www.smallbusinessportal. com/psoj-affp-project and includes information on grant funding, financing and training.
In August 2020, an online conference was hosted and Facebook Live chats continued on the PSOJ: Financial Access Jamaica page hosted by Nevada Powe and Rochelle Cameron called #COVIDCastJA. This format was a response to having to change the method of delivery to reach more persons during Covid-19 while limiting physical gatherings.
JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT JAMAICA (JACE)
As we continue to build out a more robust entrepreneurship programme, we reengaged with Junior Achievement and partnered with them for their Junior Achievement Company of Entrepreneurs (JACE).
The JACE Programme is a hands-on entrepreneurship course for Grade 9 students in high schools across the country. It is a part of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information’s National Standard Curriculum. For the 2020-2021 school year, over 70 schools were enrolled in the programme across all parishes. Our efforts focused on supporting the Marketing Maven Competition which endorses the marketing teams for each student company.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Due to restrictions on gatherings, team members were not able to be physically involved in community outreach activities for the period. However, the Foundation remained steadfast in our commitment to communities, primarily through our COVID 19 response activities. Though in a much smaller scale, we were also still able to support the virtual Sagicor Sigma run benefiting the Annotto Bay and Port Antonio hospitals. CUMI – COMMITTEE FOR THE UPLIFTMENT OF THE MENTALLY ILL
If ever there was a time when awareness of the importance of mental health was paramount, this COVID-19 season would certainly rank among them. The JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation’s commitment to The Committee for the Upliftment of the Mentally Ill (CUMI) has been of even more significance during this financial year.
Through our ongoing funding, CUMI continued its support for clients in the communities it serves. Despite having to re-structure and reduce in some cases, to facilitate the Covid19 protocols and safety measures for clients and staff, daily operations continued in order to maintain client rehabilitation programmes and stable mental status. Clients remained able to utilize the facilities for general self-maintenance i.e. grooming, laundering, two meals per day (breakfast and lunches) and most importantly the taking of medication and related clinical services.
Of significance was increased focus and allocation of resources in supporting caregivers, family and friends of clients with mental health challenges given the barriers to accessing CUMI facilities at times, due to curfews and quarantine requirements.
CUMI has expressed sincere appreciation to the Joan Duncan Foundation for our continued, reliable support even through these difficult times. “It is reassuring that the Foundation’s contributions could be relied upon.”
Joy Crooks (L), of the Committee for Upliftment of the Mentally Ill (C.U.M.I.), spends some quality time with C.U.M.I.’s client Sarah (R) . C.U.M.I. provides a safe haven for those with mental health challenges, while assisting them to learn life skills needed to thrive socially and creatively.
TRANSFORMATIONAL TRAINING
We believe that providing financial donations is only a part of the larger contribution we as a Foundation can make. Providing a transformational experience in addition to donations empowers recipients to make the most of every opportunity. In the true JMMB spirit originally championed by our co-founders Joan Duncan and Dr. Noel Lyon, participants are empowered with a possibility thinking mindset and given practical tools as they continue on their journey to make their unique mark toward an “infinite, prosperous and abundant society & Universe” (VOL). Every individual or entity that receives funding, regardless of the size or nature of the contribution, is invited to participate in a six-hour version of our transformational workshop, Conversations for Greatness, which supports persons in tapping into and unleashing their individual and collective greatness.
The period 2020-2021 brought with it unique challenges resulting from the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Foundation chose to rethink the approach to sharing these workshops with beneficiaries, and launched its virtual programme, offering CFG Workshops to persons through online portals. This gave participants the ability to connect from the comfort of their own environments, safe from exposure to COVID-19. Workshops were also restructured to accommodate the differences required in the virtual space. Our beneficiaries however were also adjusting to the pandemic, and so uptake for the workshops was significantly lower than usual with an increased rate of engagement only in the last quarter of the period.
The impact of the pandemic also inspired a new project – the creation of a Conversations for Greatness Webbased Application (CFG App). This is an exciting project for the Foundation, aimed at engaging participants in the digital space. The application will allow new and existing members of the Conversations for Greatness community to develop the practices required to build and strengthen a transformational mindset. This will be achieved through the provision of interactive content, workshops and other types of live and pre-recorded sessions. It is also intended to become the vehicle through which the CFG Community can engage through conversations with each other, including in real time should they so choose. Although Q1 focused on identifying partners and fine-tuning the vision for the application, the project, dubbed “Project Greatness” was officially launched in August 2020 and the application was expected to start Beta testing in May 2021.
We end this year in a spirit of gratitude and hope. Grateful that we have been able to continue to impact lives in significant ways through one of the hardest periods Jamaica has ever seen, and hopeful that through the power of love and service, Jamaica will rise and rebound even stronger.
Let go
