GraceKennedy Birthright Programme connects interns
Published:Friday | July 5, 2019 | 12:00 AMKeisha Hill/Senior Gleaner Writer
GraceKennedy Limited, through the GraceKennedy Jamaican Birthright Programme, has chosen four outstanding interns this year who will be exceptional ambassadors for not only GraceKennedy, but for Jamaica on a whole. The chosen applicants will be exposed to their rich Jamaican culture.
The four are Kayla Jessup and Tarik Graham of University of Chicago and Harvard University in the USA, respectively; Sapphira Thompson-Bled of University of Ottawa, Canada; and Callum McCarthy of Cambridge University in the United Kingdom.
They will be on their cultural immersion trip for five weeks, which began the minute they arrived in Jamaica. So far, they have had the opportunity to meet with GK executives to learn about different brands,+ and they also received an exclusive tour of GK factories. The interns have been exposed to various aspects of Jamaica’s history and culture through art.
According to Caroline Mahfood, executive director, GraceKennedy Foundation, the programme is designed to reconnect second- and third-generation Jamaicans living in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada to their Jamaican heritage.
“This cultural and professional internship is geared at highlighting all aspects of Jamaican life while furthering the career goals of the selected candidates, giving them a well-rounded Jamaican experience,” Mahfood said.
RECONNECTING WITH DIASPORA
Senator Don Wehby, group chief executive officer at GraceKennedy Limited, said that with the organisation being a global consumer brand, it was important to reconnect with members of the diaspora, especially those with a deep-rooted commitment to Jamaica.
“We are grateful for the support from the Jamaican diaspora since the re-establishment of the programme in 2015 and the notable assistance that we have received from our partners. We wish you the best and urge you to raise the Jamaican flag high, sharing with your respective countries the vibrancy of your culture and all you have learnt during your stay,” Wehby said.
Meanwhile, Donovan White, director of tourism at the Jamaica Tourist Board, who brought greetings on behalf of Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett, said it was important that the beneficiaries partake of the opportunities that will emerge from the work experience.
“I feel sure that at the end of your internship, you will be looking back with awe that a country so small, in comparison to your respective homelands, could have so much going for it in terms of its development, its worldwide reputation of popular music, its achievements in sports, not to mention the natural beauty of the landscape, and much more,” White said.
Kayla Jessup said that she was grateful for the opportunity to experience the life and culture of Jamaica. “We are looking forward to the many aspects of Jamaican life and to connect with the heritage of our parents and grandparents,” she said.