Coopers Pen Children Get Help From Ministry Of Labour And Social Security

FROM L-R: 1st and 3rd from right, members of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security team present school supplies to a parent on location at Coopers Pen. 

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS) has provided back-to-school assistance to children and families affected by the situation at Coopers Pen, Trelawny, as part of its continuing social intervention and support for vulnerable households. Following assessments and engagement with families at the location, the Ministry provided school supplies to children who remained on site. 

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., MP, JP, said the Ministry's intervention reflects its responsibility to respond to the immediate needs of vulnerable children while continuing to identify families who may require additional assistance. 

“When families are displaced our responsibility is to provide support so they can continue their education and maintain some sense of stability. The Ministry has therefore been working to ensure that the children we have identified receive the assistance they need.” 

Since the Ministry's initial intervention, several families have relocated from Coopers Pen, resulting in some children no longer being present when teams returned to the location. 

To ensure that these students are not excluded from the Ministry's support, additional school supplies have been placed at the Ministry's parish offices to facilitate direct interventions for children who may have been missed during the on-site distribution. 

Minister Charles stressed that the relocation of families should not become a barrier to accessing available assistance. 

“Our intervention does not end because a family has moved from the original location. We recognise that several families have relocated, and we have made provisions through our parish offices so that we can continue to reach affected students who were not present when our teams were on the ground.” 

The Minister said the approach is consistent with the Ministry's broader emphasis on ensuring that social protection services are responsive to the circumstances of citizens. 

“This is what it means to put people at the centre of service delivery. We have to be prepared to adjust the way we work when circumstances change. In this case, that means moving beyond the initial location and creating another avenue through our parish network to reach the children who still require support.” 

The Ministry will continue to work through its parish-level network to facilitate appropriate interventions for affected families and children requiring assistance. 

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Alert - Meteorological Service

The following information is from the Meteorological Service.

Weather Forecast from the Meteorological Service - September 8, 2026

SIGNIFICANT FEATURES…  A Trough across Jamaica. 

Comment… The Trough is expected to linger for the next few days. Additionally, a Tropical Wave is projected to move across the island late Thursday into Friday.    

24-HOUR FORECAST
Tonight   … Lingering thunderstorms across northern parishes otherwise partly cloudy. 
Tomorrow Morning  … Partly cloudy. 
Tomorrow Afternoon & Evening … Widely scattered showers and thunderstorms across western parishes and some hilly areas elsewhere.  

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Alert - EarthQuake

An earthquake of magnitude 4.78 was just recorded off the coast of Jamaica. The epicentre is to the west of Black River.

Please indicate if you felt the earthquake in your area and give the name of your area. Was there any damage? Add the information as a comment at the end of this blog.

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Keep abreast of the news and information in the world. Bark Di Trute, a Jamaican blog, is packed with accurate information. Click the following link and get information at your fingertips. WhatsApp link is: https://chat.whatsapp.com/C9bkP96JIN2JgHiuktY3Jj 

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Attacking The Messenger Cannot Kill The Truth

Some satanic persons have been upset about things I have written on this blog. The blog is called Bark Di Trute for a reason.

If you cannot deal with the truth then stay away from this blog. You should deal with the issues in the articles and stop wasting time adding distasteful comments about me. 

I have lived a clean life since I was born in Trelawny and eventually moved to Kingston. You end up damaging your own character and not mine. 

Some of you are very evil. I am yet to meet a good looking evil person in my life. Trying to destroy the messenger will not destroy the truth. 

My real concern is that I have to spend valuable time deleting the garbage written by these idiots.

Alert - NWC Water Challenges

The following message as sent to customers by the NWC on September 8, 2026 

Customers on the Constant Spring network daytime water supply schedule are being advised that their supply is currently disrupted due to electro-mechanical issues affecting the Molynes Road Facility.

This facility is used to augment distribution in the impacted areas.

The NWC is working to resolve the issues quickly in an effort to resume water supply before the end of the scheduled supply period at 6:00 p.m. today.

Areas affected include:

Queensborough, Queensbury, Perkins Boulevard, Meadowbrook Estate, Pembroke Hall, Cassia Park, Waltham Park Road, Chisholm Avenue, lower sections of Molynes Road, Half-Way-Tree Road, Hagley Park Road, Maxfield Avenue, Moreton Park, Richmond Park, Cockburn Gardens, Kencot, Whitfield Town, sections of Cross Roads, Maxfield Park, Lyndhurst Road, Duhaney Park, Waterhouse, Olympic Gardens, Penwood, Washington Boulevard and adjoining roads.

Customers are encouraged to conserve their stored supply at this time.

The NWC apologizes for any inconvenience caused and appreciates the patience and understanding of its valued customers.

For updates, customers may call NWC Customer Care toll-free at 888-225-5692 or follow @nwcjam on all social media platforms.

                           -END-

 

Which Language Do We Speak In Jamaica?

 

There was the nine-day wonder talk about using Patois in Parliament. I said to myself, "But what is Patois?" There are so many versions of Patois being spoken these days. If we think that we will be able to use Patois as the language of the state in the near future, then we are wasting time. Some of us know how to hit the headlines. I now hear words in Patois such as 'yu done know,' 'zimi,' and 'sir' replacing 'Mr.'; young people are referred to as 'dawgs,' and the list goes on. My concern is that we have not learned to speak the English language, which is an international language. We should also be looking at more people learning Mandarin.

Today, I will be looking at how we use the English language. The easiest way to learn a language is to live it and speak it. In Jamaica, English seems to be a dying language, and we wonder why students have difficulty doing CXC English. Our political leaders, heads of organizations, and educators seem hell-bent on destroying the English language. Is it because it was the language of our colonial masters?

Let us get specific now. A few people continue to say, for example, "December 25th" rather than December 25. One can say the 25th of December. The date should be written as "Friday, December 25, 2026," which will be Christmas Day. More radio presenters are now saying the date correctly, but our educators and others continue to give us headaches when they speak.

The one that takes the cake is the use of the phrase "would have." That is now trending because it seems that many people believe that when they use that phrase, they are carrying the swing. The question is, did you do what you were supposed to do, or not?. You can say, "I would have bought more groceries if I had more money. 

Tonight on television, I heard school principals talk about 'damages' done to school buildings by Hurricane Melissa. The word should be 'damage'. The word 'damages' is used in a court of law when, for example, one takes out a civil action and sues someone for damages.

There is also the practice of saying 'aaam' after every word. God gave you two arms, so you don't need multiple 'aaams'.

I went to a church recently, and when I listened to the newly appointed pastor, I wondered if they offered him any training in speech and the English language. Words such as 'hour' had the 'h' emphasized. I nearly said hemphasized. Equipment, sheep, and baggage, for example, are not pluralized. 

Note also that some people are mixing up "prosecution" with the word "persecution."

Let me say it ad nauseam: the prime minister's wife is not the first lady of the country. It is the governor general's wife.

Students have to work with coaches, and many of these coaches have a major problem with the English language.

Please share this blog with principals of schools and also with our political leaders. We cannot tear the English language apart and then be shocked when our students cannot manage CXC English.

I encourage you to add your comments at the bottom of the blog and criticize what I have written. You should add other words or phrases that we use incorrectly.

Thanks and all the best.

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Keep abreast of the news and information in the world. Bark Di Trute, a Jamaican blog, is packed with accurate information. Click the following link and get information at your fingertips. WhatsApp link is: https://chat.whatsapp.com/C9bkP96JIN2JgHiuktY3Jj 

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Jamaica To File Reparations Petition To King Charles

Press Release From The Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport - September 6, 2026

"We go fearless into another chapter in our story when we petition, His Majesty King Charles on the matter of reparations” said the Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange.

The Minister made the comment on Sunday (6 September) during her address at an ecumenical church Service of Remembrance, Justice and Repair held at the New Park Road Baptist Church in London on the eve of filing the historic petition.

The church service commemorated the 245th anniversary of the Zong massacre when approximately one-third of the Africans being transported to be enslaved as chattel in Jamaica were thrown overboard the slave ship in a scheme to collect insurance for loss of property.

“They threw approximately 140 Africans to their deaths, children, women and men… It was mass murder without a second thought,” declared the Minister who described the Zong massacre as a powerful illustration of the gravest crime against humanity.

The Minister said “the Zong stood out for the barbarity of the crew as well as the temerity of the owners of the ship, the Gregson syndicate from Liverpool, who knew that the crew had deliberately killed more than one-third of the Africans onboard, but still decided to make a claim on their insurers for loss of property.”

The insurers refused to honour the claim which resulted in the ship owners taking the ultimately unsuccessful matter to the English court.

Minister Grange said Jamaica’s filing of a reparations petition on King Charles was to honour the African ancestors who suffered under hundreds of years of enslavement on the island. In this she included the victims of the Zong massacre and those who survived the perilous and torturous trip to Black River in 1781.

The Minister said she took inspiration from the many heroes who fought for and won our freedoms including National Heroes, the Right Excellent Sam Sharpe, the Right Excellent Nanny of the Maroons, Tacky, Kojo, Accompong, and Fyah as she files the petition to His Majesty King Charles on Monday, September 7, 2026.

“We do not come begging. We come, once more, as in the case of the Zong massacre, looking to the English court for a just decision,” said Minister Grange.

The petition asks the King, in his capacity of Head of State of Jamaica, to refer three questions to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, Jamaica’s highest court.

The Minister summarised the questions as follows:

“Was the seizure, transport and enslavement as chattel of Africans ever lawful under English law? Was it a breach of international law to seize, transport and enslave Africans in Jamaica? And whether the UK has a legal obligation to provide a reparatory remedy to the people of Jamaica?”

Emphasising that this a legal procedure, instead of a political one, Minister Grange said, “We anticipate that His Majesty will accept our petition and refer the questions to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.”

The Minister also addressed those opposed to the government’s petition.

“We are ready for those who will deny and oppose. To them I say, as we’ve been taught, let justice ring.”

The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange, addresses a church Service of Remembrance, Justice and Repair in London on Sunday commemorating the 245th anniversary of the Zong massacre on the eve of filing a reparations petition on King Charles.

The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange (centre) sings and dances with Pastor of the New Park Road Baptist Church, Rev Nathan McGuire (2nd right) and Chair of the Baptist World Alliance, Rev. Karl Johnson (right) at a church Service of Remembrance, Justice and Repair in London on Sunday. Also pictured are (from left) Chair of the National Council on Reparations, Laleta Davis Mattis, and High Commissioner of Jamaica to the United Kingdom, His Excellency Alexander Williams.


Editor's Note
The sad thing is, it does not matter how many petitions we send; if the government of the United Kingdom refuses to grant our request, there is nothing we can do. Jamaica has no tools for sanctioning that country that will significantly impact them.

Are we wasting time? What do you think? How can we ensure that we have enough support in the British Parliament to make reparations possible?

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Keep abreast of the news and information in the world. Bark Di Trute, a Jamaican blog, is packed with accurate information. Click the following link and get information at your fingertips. WhatsApp link is: https://chat.whatsapp.com/C9bkP96JIN2JgHiuktY3Jj 

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Without your support, Bark Di Trute could fail to bark one day. Send your ideas, stories, and news by WhatsApp at (876) 816-5261.

You can view the blog on your computer at https://vderby.blogspot.com, and you will be able to see the various links. For example, there is a link that takes you to the calendar to see what is happening on the weekend. You can even search the site for articles. There is also a weather link, which you can use to track hurricanes.

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