Saffrey Brown: ‘A radical for positive change’
EARL JARRETT, chief executive officer of The Jamaica National Group, has commended the contributions made by Saffrey Brown, former general manager of the JN Foundation, and described her as a “radical for positive change,” as she performed her work with passion and zeal.
Brown demitted office on April 1 after 10 years leading the foundation. A farewell function was held in her honour at Serengeti, Hope Zoo in St Andrew, recently.
“She displays the qualities of the Caribbean woman ... multifaceted, eager to learn and do things. During her tenure at JN, Saffrey Brown brought her ancestral assets to bear on her work, including her father, a talented writer; her mother, a design inspiration; her sister, a film-maker; and her partner, a man of the earth,” he told wellwishers who turned out to bid Brown farewell.
In his tribute to Brown, Jarrett said through the many projects she accomplished while at the JN Foundation, she had impacted the lives of many Jamaicans.
PROJECTS
Some of the projects, he noted, included The Source, community resource centres developed in underserved communities; the Resolution Project, photography clubs in rural high schools, which encouraged students to be community advocates; the stateof-the-art Road Safety Hub; and the Parish Histories of Jamaica Project, which is currently documenting the histories of the 14 parishes in Jamaica.
“During her time with us, Saffrey stamped her mark on the organisation and, by extension, Jamaica, with a range of positive projects,” he declared.
Parris Lyew-Ayee, chairman, JN Foundation, in thanking Brown for her contribution, said her insight, unwavering commitment and creativity made it possible for the JN Foundation to fulfil its mandate to “positively impact the lives of Jamaicans”, through meaningful programmes and projects.
Catherine ‘Kay’ Knight, office attendant at the JN Foundation, who has worked with Brown for some 20 years, said Brown assisted her to secure a property for herself.
“I am one of the many innercity persons she has assisted,” Knight disclosed. “She is one of the persons in my life whom I look up to, and she has inspired me to be a better person.”
In her response, Brown said that she was overwhelmed by the commendations and that she was sad to be leaving, pointing out that the decision and journey to transition out of JN had been extremely hard.