Photo Caption: Hon Pearnel Charles Jnr (left), Minister of Labour and Social Security, listens attentively to Horace Hines (right), General Manager, JN Money Services during the launch of the JN Money Fields of Opportunity Scholarships held at the JN Financial Centre in New Kingston on July 9. The programme was launched in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security through its Jamaica Liaison Service. The initiative will benefit six children of Jamaican seasonal farm workers based in Canada, providing support to students enrolled at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels in Jamaica.
Six children of Jamaican seasonal farm workers based in Canada are set to benefit from the inaugural JN Money Fields of Opportunity Scholarship, which will support students enrolled at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels in Jamaica. Two scholarships will be awarded in each category as part of this corporate social responsibility initiative by JN Money Services (JNMS), a global remittance company and is a member of The Jamaica National Group.
The scholarship programme was launched in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security through its Jamaica Liaison Service at the JN Financial Centre in New Kingston on July 9. It aims to assist families whose livelihoods are sustained by overseas farm work. These annual scholarships will complement the existing 10 PEP grants, offered by JNM, through the JN Foundation, the philanthropic arm of The Jamaica National Group.
The launch follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in July 2024 between the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and JN Money Services Canada Limited, a subsidiary of JNMS. The agreement formalised a partnership focused on enhancing the overall welfare of Jamaican farm workers in Canada through targeted social support initiatives.
Horace Hines, General Manager, JNMS, emphasised the company’s ongoing commitment to education and community building through initiatives that extend beyond remittances.
“One of the things that we have always prided ourselves on is being able to support educational causes and sports. We support a lot of educational activities here in Jamaica,” he said.
“We feel that what we have today is a game changer. We do feel that it will help to enrich the lives of not just our current customers but the next generation. We hope that we can plant a seed that will help to grow generations to come.”
The General Manager pointed out that JNMS maintains a strong relationship with farm workers in Canada, noting that the company opened a JN Money branch in Simcoe, Canada last year to strengthen the support services and to facilitate farm workers sending remittance to their families in Jamaica. He added that the workers have expressed appreciation for the positive impact of these services on their lives.
Mr Hines further stated that plans are underway to expand the scholarship awards.
“What we are launching here today, the primary focus is on Canada for this year. It is our intention to roll it over into the USA before the end of the season.”
Hon Pearnel Charles Jnr, Minister of Labour and Social Security, commended JNMS for its vision and highlighted that the programme provides several opportunities for farm workers to improve the lives of their family and community members.
“Any help we can give to these nation builders [who] are dedicating their life to uplifting their families is a good investment,” he said.
“Jamaica cannot achieve its goals in a siloed way; we have to work together to achieve it,” he maintained adding that the collaboration will make it possible for children to receive funds to help purchase books, uniforms, pay tuition, and cover other essential expenses needed for their academic journey.
Minister Charles disclosed that there are nearly 6,500 Jamaican farm workers currently in Canada, with an additional 235 who departed the island on July 9.
“It is a clear signal of the demand for Jamaican workers because of how we have portrayed ourselves, the reputation that we have gained internationally and the preparation of our workers so that they can be as competent and capable as possible,” he said.
To qualify for the scholarships, applicants must be Jamaican seasonal farm workers who are the parent or legal guardian of a child currently enrolled in school in Jamaica. They must have participated in the Seasonal Agriculture Work Programme for at least three years, be a JN Money customer for at least two years, and must have conducted at least one transaction monthly since the start of the 2025 Seasonal Workr Programme. Additionally, the student should be maintaining at least a B average in their mot recent academic report and must not have been a previous recipient of a JN Money or JN Group scholarship.
Applications should be submitted at the JN Money branch in Simcoe or at the Jamaica Liaison Service Offices in Canada by October 31.