A Salute to Woman

THE WEEKLY GLEANER | MARCH 24 - MA RCH 30, 2021 | www.jama ica-gleaner.com | I J AZZ CLAYTON-HUNT is the presi- dent of the Jamaica Organization of New Jersey (JON-J), which works to impact social, educa- tional and economic outcomes for Jamaicans and their descendants in New Jersey and in Jamaica. Raised in the cool hills of Mandeville, Manchester, she credits her drive to succeed and work ethic to the val- ues instilled by her parents and the education she received in Jamaica during those formative years. A graduate of Bishop Gibson High School and the then called CAST in Kingston, Jamaica, she serves as chief of staff to the Mayor and Director of Communications andTechnology for the City of Plainfield, in New Jersey. Previous positions include Director of Marketing and School-Based Programs at the Jewish Renaissance Medical Center and Director of Media and Communications for the City. She is the founder and executive director of the consulting company, Creative Blitz. Having the opportunity to live in India for three years, Clayton- Hunt served on the Policy and Advancement Committees for the American School of Bombay, a renowned international school. She also volunteered her time with the Mumbai Crèche charitable organisa- tion and worked with children from underserved communities, nurturing, teaching, tutoring, and mentoring many young people. She is a member of The National Forum for Black Public Administrators, where she previously served as pres- ident and vice-president for the New Jersey chapter. She is the former vice-president of the Board of Trustees for the King’s Daughters Day School, serves as secretary for the non-profit organisation Plainfield NOW, and is a board member of the Union County Commission on the Status of Women. Nurturing her lifelong love affair with her homeland of Jamaica, she travels home two to three times each year to see family and friends. She is married to Ricardo Hunt, who is also from Jamaica, and they have two girls, Ariell and Danielle. TORONTO: A CANADA-BASED organisation that promotes early childhood education in Jamaica has kicked off a campaign to acquire 2500 tablets for children who are now being homeschooled. PACE Canada is aiming to start pro- viding the tablets by the end of this summer. “We are excited to launch the ‘One Tablet per Child’ campaign to pur- chase at least 10 tablets for each of the 250 kindergarten schools supported by PACE across the island. These 5-6 year old students need the ability to continue their learning and lessons at home until schools are again open for operations. We know these tablets will also be beneficial for their parents’ learning and assistance with assign- ments,” says Diana Burke, president of PACE (Canada). Burke notes that the Ministry of Education in Jamaica estimated that the government-approved standard devices would be CDN$250 each. PACE identified more cost-effective devices for approximately $100, and passed on the information to the Early Childhood Commission, noting that the feedback was very positive. “The ECC looked at the video and we love the tablet! We particularly love the fact that it’s not configurable by others and no other applications can be in- stalled. Also, making the content avail- able offline will be great for most of our children who are without Internet access. We thank you so much, “ said Michelle Williams of the commission. The device is the Onetab which has been developed by the onebillion foundation in the UK. It is a robust, dedicated tablet designed to deliver reading, writing and numeracy in the child’s own language – The Onetab comes in a durable protective case with an optional solar charger. It boots straight into the application designed for kindergarten students. A fully configured device is esti- mated to cost about CDN$125, includ- ing funds for set up and operational support. PACE launches ‘One Tablet per Child’ campaign AT HL, ours is a journey influenced by love for people, community and serving others for over 30 years. As an immigrant, Angela Huggan soaked up the value of doing things with others long before‘together’became a thing in the pandemic. Little did she know her love for community work would years later transform into Huggan’s List (HL). Hundreds of community service hours later, she earned a reputation among friends and family — ‘call Huggan to get the job done’. She recommended home contractors, professionals and more. Around the spring of 2020, Angela shared the joy of her secret garden with the community. And, in the beauty of her thriving garden, she imagined building a dream team of hard-to-find home professionals and services. She shared her vision with her network and it was an instant hit. Her contacts became Huggan’s List. They say do what you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life. Nothing could be closer to the truth for this community builder and curator of Huggan’s List. OUR MISSION Our mission is to finish what you started. We’re only satisfied when you have more time, greater freedom and less to do. For us it’s not just business, it’s personal. We create happier homes by making quality home, garden and lifestyle information and services accessible under one roof. OUR PROMISE Our promise is to take a load off your hands. We create community to connect, collaborate and complete every project on your home or personal todo list. Our assurance —we get the job done right. Angela Huggan, community builder, CEO hugganslist.com Angela Huggan. CONTRIBUTED “We are excited to launch the ‘One Tablet per Child’ campaign to purchase at least 10 tablets for each of the 250 kindergarten schools supported by PACE across the island. These 5-6 year old students need the ability to continue their learning and lessons at home until schools are again open for operations.” Jazz Clayton-Hunt Jazz Clayton-Hunt, President, Jamaica Organization of New Jersey-JON-J. CONTRIBUTED 14 THE WEEKLY GL AN R | MARCH 24 - APRIL 24, 021 | www.jamaica-gleaner.co | WOMEN’S MONTH FEATURE