JSIF to roll out 100 climate-resilient greenhouses as Jamaica reports PEP gains and tourism certifications

The Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) will establish 100 climate-resilient greenhouses across four parishes as part of ongoing Hurricane Melissa recovery efforts, Managing Director Omar Sweeney has said.

Addressing a recent JIS Think Tank session, Sweeney said the initiative is meant to help farmers withstand climate-related shocks. The greenhouse package represents close to $1 million in agricultural infrastructure, including water reservoirs storing one to two million gallons, solar pumping, rainwater harvesting, and drip fertigation tanks. The programme falls under a wider agriculture recovery portfolio for the 2026–2027 fiscal year valued at approximately $2 billion.

Sweeney said further support is expected through the Green Climate Fund, for which JSIF is accredited. A partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization is also set to bring $50 million in resources over five years once a pending agreement is signed. "Beyond the $2 billion that we'll spend this year through the Ready 2 program, the adapt will be following on with additional resources for that," he said.

Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change Matthew Samuda has pushed back against claims that water projects serve only selected areas. At this week's post-Cabinet briefing, he argued that projects are shared across constituencies, pointing to the Western Resilience scheme. That project will run a pipeline from Martha Brae to the opposition spokesperson's constituency in western Westmoreland, connecting with a major distribution main and two water treatment plants—one at Great River on the boundary of Hanover Eastern and western St. James, and another at the Martha Brae treatment plant.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett told Parliament that annual certification output for tourism workers has grown from 40 graduates in 2017 to more than 3,000 by the end of the 2025–2026 financial year. Last year, 3,273 graduate certificates were issued from 3,589 registrations, a 91% pass rate. Certificates covered guest service, food safety, hospitality supervision, hospitality management, hotel operation, leadership, revenue management, culinary development, and other fields. More than 25,000 tourism workers have been certified under internationally benchmarked programmes through the Jamaica Centre for Tourism Innovation.

Grade Six PEP results show mathematics proficiency rising to 69% rated proficient or highly proficient—one percentage point below the Ministry of Education's 70% target but up from 57% in 2023. Girls outperformed boys in the subject. In language arts, 5.5% of students were highly proficient, 66.5% proficient, 27% developing, and 1% at beginning level, with 72% proficient or above overall. The education minister gave the breakdown at a PEP press conference held at Jamaica House on Monday.

Students at Granville Primary and Infant School in St. James now have a dedicated play therapy room following a partnership involving the Sandals Foundation, Food For The Poor Jamaica, and the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information. Similar counselling upgrades were completed at Irwin Primary School in St. James and Port Maria Primary and Infant School in St. Mary, with therapeutic tools, sensory materials, creative resources, and child-friendly furnishings. Denise Jefferson, executive director of Food For The Poor Jamaica, said the project includes training for 40 guidance counsellors. Irwin Primary Principal Kingsley Bailey said the play therapy room gives students a safe space to heal and develop emotionally, socially, and mentally.

Jamaicans are again being urged to exercise caution online after a fraudulent AI-generated video circulated featuring Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce Delano Seiveright. The deepfake falsely depicts him endorsing an investment scheme. In a statement, Seiveright said he has no connection to the opportunity or financial scheme promoted in the video and appealed to Jamaicans at home and in the diaspora not to send money, share personal or financial information, or engage with links associated with the fraudulent material. The public is encouraged to verify investment offers through official sources and report the video if encountered.