The Jamaica Diaspora Mentorship Academy (JDMA) has wrapped up a profitable pilot 12 months with a digital end-of-year celebration that introduced collectively greater than 140 individuals from 14 nations. The occasion marked a milestone for the programme, which was formally launched in the course of the tenth Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Convention in Montego Bay in June 2024.
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A joint initiative of the Ministry of Schooling, Abilities, Youth and Data and the Ministry of International Affairs and International Commerce, the JDMA was created to bridge geographic divides via significant, one-on-one mentorship between Jamaican college students and members of the worldwide Diaspora.
Since its launch, the academy has matched over 80 college students from all 14 parishes with Diaspora mentors based mostly in North America, Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, and the Center East. Mentors symbolize a wide selection of fields, together with regulation, science, training, finance, and the humanities. Month-to-month digital classes have targeted on profession steering, purpose setting, and resilience, working beneath the slogan, “Jamaica Diaspora Empowers Tomorrow; One Mentee at a Time.”
JDMA Founder and Schooling Sector Chief for the World Jamaica Diaspora Council, Dr. Sandra Colly-Durand, described the programme’s first 12 months as a “transformative expertise” for each mentors and mentees. Testimonials shared in the course of the occasion highlighted its affect on college students’ educational efficiency, confidence, and private improvement.
A standout second of the celebration was a efficiency by mentees from the Lister Mair Gilby Faculty for the Deaf, reinforcing the academy’s dedication to inclusion and accessibility. The occasion additionally featured a ‘Vox Populi’ video capturing highlights from the JDMA’s delicate launch and concluded with a vibrant ‘Cross-the-Mic’ musical phase set to “I Imagine that Youngsters are the Future”, edited by France-based mentor and singer, Nazila (aka Ms. KoKoa).
Dr. Colly-Durand thanked all stakeholders and issued a name to motion. “We’re nonetheless actively searching for mentors, sponsors for laptops and cellphone plans, and funding to maintain and scale this programme. In the event you imagine within the transformative energy of mentorship, now’s the time to step ahead,” she urged.
Waiting for its second educational 12 months, the JDMA stays dedicated to nurturing educational excellence, international competence, and resilience amongst Jamaican youth—one relationship at a time.
