JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation Scholarship Recipient Seeks to Transform Lives through Social Work
A major plight of transitioning wards of the state is furthering their education, which is often blighted by little or no support, based on their limited family structure and the interventions in place to assist them to transition to adulthood. According to reports, more than one fifth of these individuals discharged from Jamaica's child protection system (annually) have a challenge in transitioning seamlessly and pursuing higher education.
Today, Gabriel Hall, who is also a former ward of the state, has been able to defy these odds, as one of the 93 JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation scholarship recipients, for the 2018/ 19 academic year.
Her story is one riddled with obstacles, yet she has stood as a resilient force, full of positivity, possibility-thinking and promise. This is a testament to the transformation that has occurred in this former ward of the state’s life. She credits this transformation, in part, to the Foundation and the opportunities it has afforded her, through its scholarship and Conversations for Greatness programme.
The now 20 year old Gabriel recalls being a reserved individual, who suffered from low self-esteem, because of several unfortunate incidents that plagued her earlier life. Due to an unstable home environment, marked by abuse and constantly moving from parish to parish – which resulted in infrequent school attendance - Gabriel eventually landed in foster care in 2014. Her grandmother was appointed her guardian initially, and later in 2016, she transitioned to state care at the Father’s House Home for Girls, Montego Bay.
Although admitting that state care was not void of its challenges, she credits it for helping to shape the person she is today, because of the stability, discipline and the financial support it provided. “While living with my mother I was not under any order and I had limited guidance. They (state care) saved me…and helped me to be the person I am today. (Living in the children’s home) gave me the emotional support, a mentor, and gave me all the basic things I needed to attend school.” With the structure provided in foster and state care, Gabriel was able to complete Ocho Rios High School with nine CXC subjects, attaining an award for outstanding performance, from the Ministry of Education, in 2016. In addition to being actively involved in her school community, she was named deputy head girl and prefect.
Kindness of Strangers
Having benefitted from the kindness of “strangers” for most of her life, it is no surprise that Gabriel’s career choice reflects her gratitude for the positive impact these individuals have had on her. The now third year student at Northern Caribbean University (NCU), pursuing a degree in Social Work, sees this career path as her way of paying it forward to support others, who have also experienced similar unfortunate life circumstances.
“I chose social work because, while I was a ward of the state, (because) I met some really good people in the foster care system and I want to be a part of (a group of persons) who make a difference, by going beyond the call of duty.” One of the impactful social workers that Gabriel met is Ms. Gray-Russell, who has maintained a relationship with Gabriel, even after her transition from the ‘system’. She continues to play a maternal role in Gabriel’s life and is a source of guidance and emotional support. In describing her relationship with her former case work, she said, “She was easy to talk to, and she had a genuine interest in me and even tried assisting me in getting a scholarship, (before I got the JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation scholarship).” Additionally, she lauds praises on a few of her teachers at Ocho Rios High School, her grandmother- Carole Nelson and another social worker (Mrs. Clarke), for the positive role they played in steering her on the right track and for the assistance provided.
Change of Fate Through Conversations for Greatness
It was while working with the Montego Bay Autism Centre that Gabriel was introduced to the JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation, a chance introduction that led to a change of fate. In addition to providing employment, as the project assistant for a regional coordinator of the Foundation’s national project, entitled the Conversations for Greatness (CFG) programme, the programme had a transformational impact on Gabriel’s life.
The CFG programme is designed to empower individuals with the tools to have a mindset shift that will assist them to uncover their greatness and achieve their dreams. The project is built on the core principle of love and assisting to awaken the greatness in individuals, so that they can impact their communities. This is done by providing the necessary skills and tools to ultimately lead to a powerful and positive transformation.
The principles taught in the CFG programme have been fully embraced by Gabriel and has helped her to ‘uncover her greatness,’ overcome her past and become a confident person. “I use the principles taught in the CFG programme every day; it has truly changed my mindset. As I see the possibility in everything… (I) can conquer the world, (I am) the best,” shared Gabriel, as she lauds the programme for the transformation it has allowed her to experience as a more positive and self-confident person.
Additionally, the opportunity to pursue further education has not been lost on Gabriel, who realized firsthand the limitations that the lack of education creates and the cycle of poverty it can perpetuate. For Gabriel, being named a 2018/19 scholarship recipient is more than financial support, it is about transformation, “This is a new beginning of Gabby, (this) has given me a new life,” she said happily.
Through the assistance of the Foundation, Gabriel is one step closer to achieving her dream of becoming a Social Worker and social entrepreneur, operating a boarding facility for orphans, and being a motivation to others so that they too can achieve high accolades, in the face of adversity.
The JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation Scholarship Invests in Youth
For the new academic year, the Foundation offered over J$7M in scholarships, primarily to students at the tertiary level, and to students at the primary and secondary level, on a case-by-case basis. The Foundation, in demonstrating its commitment to transforming lives, also extends its Conversations for Greatness programme through a five-hour long transformational leadership session, led by a trained facilitator, to all scholarship recipients and beneficiaries of the Foundation.
The programme is in keeping with the Foundation’s mandate to support nation-building and assist in transforming youth, while it maintains its commitment to supporting educational initiatives, entrepreneurship, institutional strengthening and community development.