GraceKennedy Foundation Birthright Programme -Immersing culture and education for young people in the diaspora
Published:Thursday | August 21, 2025 | 12:14 AMKeisha Hill/Senior Gleaner Writer
Each year, the GraceKennedy (GK)Birthright interns set off on a remarkable journey, one that immerses them in the vibrant culture of Jamaica. Through our music, our food, and the breathtaking beauty of our island, they have learnt more about the island in five weeks than some do in a lifetime.
Over the past month, these interns have been fully immersed not only in the sights, sounds, and soul of Jamaica, but in a thoughtfully designed journey intended to cultivate personal growth, professional development, and a profound connection to their culture and heritage.
According to Crystal-Gayle Williams, operations manager, GraceKennedy Foundation, each experience, interaction, and adventure was crafted with purpose, to reconnect the interns to their roots and help them carry forward the spirit of Jamaica, wherever life may lead them next.
“Beyond exploring all the cultural sites Jamaica has to offer, the Birthright Programme is also about fostering personal and professional growth. This year, our interns began their experience with an orientation into the GraceKennedy Group, to learn not only about what we do, but why we do it. These insights laid the foundation for their placements within various GK companies, where they tackled real challenges, contributed to impactful outcomes, and expanded their professional skills in meaningful ways,” Williams said.
“Alongside their workplace immersion, they participated in courtesy calls with dignitaries, where they had meaningful conversations that fostered confidence and highlighted the importance of civic duty and pride,” she said.
DESIGNED TO RECONNECT
Four interns, Lauren Roach and Josiah Royes of the United States, Abigail Ralph from Canada, and Kyrah McIntosh of the United Kingdom, participated in the exhilarating experience.
Roach studies economics and mathematics at University of Miami. She will be entering her fourth year in September. She applied for the internship because of the unique opportunity it provided her to further her corporate experience, to follow in her mother’s footsteps, who worked at Grace Foods in the 1990s.
Royes studies finance at Hofstra University and will be entering his second year in September. He was happy to be experiencing daily life working in Jamaica, and applied for the programme to reconnect with his roots and identity as a second-generation Jamaican. Both of his parents are Jamaicans.
Ralph recently completed her master of science in neuroscience at McGill University. She applied for the programme to get a deeper understanding of her Jamaican heritage and culture. His paternal grandparents are Jamaican.
McIntosh studies computer science at Liverpool Hope University. She will be entering her second year in September. Her father is Jamaican.
The GraceKennedy Jamaican Birthright Programme is designed to reconnect second- and third-generation Jamaicans living in the USA, UK and Canada to their proud Jamaican heritage. Selected candidates work in a GraceKennedy subsidiary linked to their field of study, therefore granting them hands-on experience in a wide range of industries.
This internship benefits the candidates in a variety of ways, including practical experience and mentorships.
SIGNIFICANT LEGACY
Frank James, chief executive officer, GraceKennedy Group, said that as a company with Jamaican roots and a global reach, the Jamaican diaspora continues to play a vital role in GK’s story.
“Through the Birthright Programme, we proudly invest in that legacy by supporting the next generation of leaders who will carry Jamaica with them wherever they go, whether in boardrooms, classrooms, operating rooms, communities, or creative spaces. We are honoured to reaffirm our commitment to nurturing future leaders, thinkers, and trailblazers who embody the spirit of Jamaica at home and abroad,” James said.
Many second- and third-generation Jamaicans diaspora, he said, grow up knowing the food, hearing the music, and maybe even practising the Jamaican accent with their families.
“But there is a difference between knowing Jamaica and experiencing it, walking the streets of downtown Kingston, visiting Trench Town, tasting Blue Mountain coffee right from the source. That is the deeper connection this programme is all about, being immersed in the culture in a way that allows them to make deep, long-lasting connections with their Jamaican birthright,” James said.
The GraceKennedy Foundation Birthright Programme has welcomed over 60 interns to Jamaica since its 2004 inception. As the organisation marks the 14th time hosting these students, they are delighted to carry forward this significant legacy of personal growth and reconnection to Jamaica.
The GraceKennedy Foundation partnered with a wide range of public- and private-sector organisations that share a commitment to nation-building and strengthening ties with the Jamaican youth diaspora. Key partners included Island Car Rentals, official transportation partner; Caribbean Airlines, official airline partner; and the Jamaica Tourist Board. Additional support was provided by Jakes Hotel, River Rapids, Chukka Caribbean, Joy Spence Appleton Estate Rum Experience, Flow Jamaica, Juici Patties, Island Grill, Urban Development Corporation, the Bob Marley Foundation, Burger King Jamaica, Restaurants of Jamaica, the Port Authority of Jamaica, YS Falls, The National Gallery, and the Jamaica Music Museum. GraceKennedy subsidiaries that contributed included Hi-Lo Food Stores, Grace Foods & Services, and World Brands Services.