...’BLESSED GREATLY, GIVE BACK GREATLY’

DESPITE NOT having a strong financial background, Ann-Murray Brown secured a number of university degrees and is today an international consultant to numerous non-profit organisations across the world.

“I did my first degree at The University of the West Indies in sociology and psychology, then went back to get a Master of Science in social policy at the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies,” she said.

“After that, I got a fully paid scholarship from the South Korean government. I then got a job at the United Nations and then migrated to the Netherlands. I now own my own business, doing evaluations for non-profits.”

Brown told The Gleaner of ambitions to have her service club, the Rotary Club International in the Hague, Holland, to do what it can to assist the more than 80 clinics in Jamaica that are yet to be adopted. Fifteen have been adopted by companies, and Brown is the first individual to do so.

“I encourage others to give back. It is not about me. I am the first individual to adopt. If you have been blessed greatly, give back greatly. Always give back to the measure you were blessed. I sit on the international projects committee of the Rotary Club International in Hague. I sit and decide on projects to support in Africa. I want to do the same for Jamaica.”

She continued: “Before I can do that, I have to lead by example. I have adopted one clinic and there are 84 more that need to be adopted in Jamaica. I can say I have used X amount of my own money and you can follow suit.”

Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton told The Gleaner that “the programme is progressing well. This one, though is very nice because this individual comes from the area and is giving back on her own.”