ASTON is a 15-year-old with a vicious temper

[Tuff Gong]

Re: ASTON is a 15-year-old with a vicious temper

Originally posted by remo:
[qb]

Originally posted by jaith:
[qb] count me in on this...i'm willing to put some money in the pot. [/qb]

same here..I would be willing to give a few hundred dollors(canadian that is) [/qb]

Good.....and thanks, I don't think we need much more than that, she said she needs JA$10000. Anyway I am still waiting on an answer from the editor. I am thinking when we are able to go forward to have the money sent to X-Man and let him donate it in the name of Jamaicans.Com-Marcia!

Peace

[Zeko]

Re: ASTON is a 15-year-old with a vicious temper

TG a very good topic. I know too well the plight of mothers like her, but I too have been in situations where I have given money to start chicken farms, arts/craft, clothing for tourist industry, crochet, etc - I have seen 10s of thousands of US Dollars go down the drain on a lot of Dianes, so be careful. Once she gets that money, you or anyone dare not ask for account of what she is doing or did with it. Been there - and it is not pretty. Diane is far better than a lot of others we have tried to help over the years and to-date we have nothing to show for it - except for that empty feeling you get when you have been jilted by a sad story.

I wish this Diane person all the best and her children too - but whatever you decide to do to assist her - do it with an open mind - and do not get your hopes up too high.

[Leonie]

Re: ASTON is a 15-year-old with a vicious temper

some months ago there was a similar case and MarieK had posted the info on the board and others came up with the idea of helping, Marie got info from the Jamaican paper and members were very interested in giving, but the plan did not come true as one member spread propoganda on her that she Marie was looking the funds for herself - Ah sah, [img]/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img] anyhow wish you luck you may be able to pull this one through

[kthydvs]

Re: ASTON is a 15-year-old with a vicious temper

Originally posted by Tuff Gong:
[qb]

Originally posted by remo:
[qb]

Originally posted by jaith:
[qb] count me in on this...i'm willing to put some money in the pot. [/qb]

same here..I would be willing to give a few hundred dollors(canadian that is) [/qb]

Good.....and thanks, I don't think we need much more than that, she said she needs JA$10000. Anyway I am still waiting on an answer from the editor. I am thinking when we are able to go forward to have the money sent to X-Man and let him donate it in the name of Jamaicans.Com-Marcia!

Peace [/qb]

I like the idea of donating the money in the name of JA.com-Marcia. It was something I was considering but I wasn't sure what the reaction would be to using Marcia's name. But I am sure with her love for Jamaica, she would not object.

[kthydvs]

Re: ASTON is a 15-year-old with a vicious temper

Zeko , I've also been there many times giving support to individuals in Africa. Some make good use of the support, others use and abuse it. I did initially get angry, but then reality set in. Some you can help some you can't, but I am willing to take a chance. If this lady wastes this opportunity, then what have we lost. Not very much financially, perhaps some loss of faith in human nature, but the next person can give that back. Time is the master and we will not know unless we try.

Leonie, I did wonder what the problem was with MarieK. This is sad that a person can be defamed for trying to help another. Bad minded people or what?

[musa]

Re: ASTON is a 15-year-old with a vicious temper

peace,
when reaching out to help people there's always the risk of the money being misused and our thrust betrayed.
but that is the #1 alibi for the greedy not to give and invite others not to give as well.
as sister kumba rightly said (i know i compliment you often sis, but that's the way it is: you sound wise to me) we have little to loose anyway.
count me in with this one.
one love.

[jaith]

Re: ASTON is a 15-year-old with a vicious temper

nobody can steal from you what you give with an open hand...

[Tuff Gong]

Re: ASTON is a 15-year-old with a vicious temper

Originally posted by jaith:
[qb] nobody can steal from you what you give with an open hand... [/qb]

Correct!

Anyway I am pleased to say that I have been contacted by the writer and have sent him a reply which I will post here:

Good Evening Mr. ....,
My name is .... ..... I am a member of a discussion board called:
jamaicans.com

Your story was copied from the online version of the gleaner and posted in
the political forum of the Bulletin Board here:

http://www.jamaicans.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=11;t=001554

Some members have come up with the idea to help her with this money.
I would first like to verify that family in this story is true and secondly
if the lady will accept this gift to do whatever she can with it.
This of course is not an offer of continual support or personal involvement,
we will not worry about the disposal of the money except only to verify
that there is :
A. that there is the family
B. a genuine need

So if you will please communicate with the lady to see if and how best this
can be achieved, we would be most grateful.
Thanks very much for your help in this matter.

Please also understand that any or all communication on this specific issue
except for actual names, identities and or addresses may or may not be
posted on the public section of the jamaicans.com Bulletin Board.

....


....
----- Original Message -----
From: "...., ...." <....>
To: <....>
Sent: Friday, July 25, 2003 5:58 PM
Subject: "Sons on the Street"


Mr. ....,

My name is .... ...., the reporter who wrote the story "Sons on the
Street". You may e-mail me regarding any queries which you may have.


Yours truly,

.... ....

[Tropicana]

Re: ASTON is a 15-year-old with a vicious temper

Originally posted by blueingreen:
[qb] Would it really help giving this woman $10,000? I mean, I don't want to sound as if I have no compassion, but condoms would have been cheaper. Am I a mean person?

xxbig [/qb]

Agreed. No you are not mean. There are programmes that have been in place in which condoms ARE available free in Ja. and have been for decades. (Same story with birth control pills. Much to my shock, depo povera was even availalbe free in Jamaica LONG before it was approved for use in the US but that's another issue). USAID has worked with the Ministry of Health to increase this availability even more:

Major training activities were conducted to assist NGOs and Government of Jamaica (GOJ) agencies to deliver educational programs related to prevention of HIV/AIDS and other STIs to youth both in-school and out-of-school. Access to condoms increased by establishing an additional 585 non-traditional outlets. The cumulative figure for these outlets now stands at 2,000.

http://www.usaid.gov/pubs/bj2001/lac...maica_ads.html

Here is more:

Ja gets contraceptives worth US$165,000 from UNFPA

Observer Reporter
Thursday, February 21, 2002



Executive director of the National Family Planning Board (NFPB), Dr Olivia McDonald (left), tests the strength of one of the three million male latex condoms donated to the government agency by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Watching (from 2nd left) are Hetty Seargeant, UNFPA's regional adviser on reproductive health; Mariela Padron-Quero, UNFPA's regional director Latin America and the Caribbean division; and Dr Wyante Patterson, who chairs the NFPB board. The presentation took place at the Kingston offices of the NFPB. The donation, worth US$165,000, included 100,000 phials of the contraceptive injection Depo Provera. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)
THE United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Tuesday donated US$165,000 worth of contraceptives to the National Family Planning Board (NFPB) and, at the same time, hailed Jamaica's efforts at reproductive health.

UNFPA regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean, Marisela Padron-Quero, presented the 100,000 phials of Depo Provera, the main injectable contraceptive used by Jamaican women, as well as three million male latex condoms to NFPB executives at a function which heard that the governments of The Netherlands and the United Kingdom contributed to the donation.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/html..._from_unfpa.asp


There are complex reasons for resistance to contraceptive use which I am not prepared to go into on a public discussion board. Suffice it to say that these programmes have been in place LONG before this mother had her 8 children.

I am familiar with Majesty Pen from my social work days. Obviously, nothing has changed:

We found out that his mother, Diane, lives in Majesty Gardens and has lupus. She cannot earn enough to support Aston and his eight siblings. He says that he's on the street to earn money to help her.

MOTHER IN MAJESTY GARDENS

Diane has lived all her 45 years in Majesty Gardens. Her nine children are aged three to 19 years old and her affliction with the chronic illness requires bi-monthly treatment. It is extremely hard for her to provide for her family and herself, but she ekes out an existence by doing days work and washing.

I feel really sorry for the children but sorry, the mother is irresponsible. I could never even fathom supporting 8 children. Is one pickney me have. I say use birth control, get your tubes tied (also available free) or stop have sex. No ever died from not having sex. Dem deh kinda story REALLY get me riled up.

If it were me and within my power, I would make other provisions for the children and not give the mother one red cent. Unfortunately, the Places of Safety are in pretty rough shape and have been for decades. Perhaps this is where some of us overseas can help out.

BTW: teenage pregnancies are down in Jamaica.

Thank God.

[Tropicana]

Re: ASTON is a 15-year-old with a vicious temper

One of the organizations operating in Jamaica but foreign funded is Open Doors. They give women loans to set up small businesses and once the businesses are self-sufficient they gradually re-pay the loans and the money is then lent out to other women. They operate in a number of countries. Jamaica is just one.

In addition to giving money they teach budgeting, business management, nutrition, etc. to really give the women a viable shot at a better quality life. There are a number of similar organizations. Perhaps we can hook the women up with one of them and those who are interested can sponsor her.

Sorry, it's not called Open Doors. I will find the name of the organization and post it.

Can someone who is based in Jamaica please track down the following information:

- Is the Medical Social Work Department still operational at the University Hospital of the West Indies? If so who is now the Chief Social Worker? I heard a rumour that the duties had been transferred to another department. Here is the number for the hospital

- Is the St. Andrew Settlement down at Majesty Pen still operational? It used to be run by Mr. Levy but I think I heard he passed away. Please PM me the relevant contact information or post it.

Thanks.

BTW, unfortunately, there are some aid programmes for which Jamaica is no longer eligible due to the relatively high per capita income when compared with some other developing nations. Believe it or not Save the Children actually rates Jamaica as number 9 of the top 10 developing countries on the Mother's Index and tied with South Korea and Panama at number 21 overall in a ranking of over 106 counties. Kind of hard to believe huh?

Tuff Gong, please enable your PM.

[Tropicana]

Re: ASTON is a 15-year-old with a vicious temper

The organization I was speaking about that gives loans to women to set up small businesses is:

http://www.gemsofhope.org/

I have just left a voice message for them. Let's see what we can find out.

Michael Ganley of Jamaica Self-Help was on their board up until recently. Does anyone based in Jamaica know how to contact him or this organization on behalf of this woman?

Jamaica Self-Help has a base here in Canada. One telephone call coming up:

http://www.jshcanada.org/jsh5.htm

Pleae try to track down the Jamaican contact info. too though.

Perhaps we can sponsor this mother to have access to resources provided through this or a similar initiative. Just handing over money won't solve the problem on a long term basis.

I have also sent an e-mail to Habitat for Humanity's Jamaican office. Let's keep our fingers crossed that the e-mail address on the site is current. Perhaps someone in Jamaica can follow up directly:

http://www2.habitat.org/intl/countryprofiles.fm

HFH Jamaica
Alicia Dobson
28 Upper Waterloo Rd
Kingston, 10
Jamaica

Phone Number:
876-920-0509


Still look forward to receiving info. re: St. Andrew Settlement and Medical Social Work at UHWI. Please also provide contact info re: Medical Social Work Dept. at Bustamante Children's Hospital. Whoever is in Jamaica can obtain this info. by calling these organizations. E-mail contacts would also be helpful.

[dre4792]

Re: ASTON is a 15-year-old with a vicious temper

Dis poas ah mek me a laugh now..what are we talking about $2? Doesn't cost too much to clean some peoples conscience these days, does it? Not trying to say I won't help out either..but crikey!!!

I've also been there many times giving support to individuals in Africa

Nuff respect for this sistah, anyone can see she's a highly intelligent, a caring and thoughtful person...but if I see another post about her "African" experience, or Africa this, Africa that, I'll rip every strand of hair out of my entire body. Enough already...move on!!!!

Tropicana, you should go work for the CIA, FBI somthing along those line. I've never come across anyone so into researching every little detail; or go make movies! "Tropicana Spielberg". [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] Don't get me wrong all the information is much appreciated in every respect..but I'm almost on the verge of a migrain!!

Peace, love..

xxbig

[Tropicana]

Re: ASTON is a 15-year-old with a vicious temper

How do you know I DON'T work for the CIA or produce movies?

[dre4792]

Re: ASTON is a 15-year-old with a vicious temper

LOL..well it wouldn't be a shocking thing if you did...

xxbig

[Tropicana]

Re: ASTON is a 15-year-old with a vicious temper

Hey, you never know. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]