Growth & Jobs | JN Money awards scholarship to daughter of female Canadian farm worker

Despite being a predominately male programme, one Jamaican mother has carved out her place in the Canadian Farm Work Programme with grit and determination to create a brighter future for her two children.

For the past seven years, Maria Peart of Paisley, St James, labours on a large farm in Canada often enduring long hours and harsh weather. She is one of nine women among 330 men on the farm.

“I work harder than a man. My boss and most of the workers love and rate me,” she related.

Reflecting on the physical demands required for the job, she noted that she is not deterred by the challenges.

“No work is really easy. The hardest part is when the time is cold and when rain is falling. Otherwise, you have to set your mind and just do what you have to do,” she said.

HARD WORK REWARDED

Her commitment to the farm work programme has been rewarded as her child, Ciara Robinson, a student of Muschett High School in St James, emerged as one of six scholarship recipients in the inaugural JN Money Fields of Opportunity Scholarship programme, an initiative of JN Money Services, a global remittance company. The presentation took place at The Jamaica National Group corporate offices recently.

“When I got the news that she got the scholarship, I was so excited and so proud because it can help to get back some of her school stuff,” Ms Peart said, explaining that her daughter lost some of her school supplies when Hurricane Melissa destroyed her home.

She lauded JN Money for the support the company provides to farm workers.

“We are so happy for them because they help us a lot,” she said, explaining that the company is very accommodative in facilitating their remittances. “No other company do that for us. We use the service every two weeks.”

HER DREAM FOR HER CHILDREN

Peart pointed out that in the past she worked at a wholesale but gave up the job to participate in the farm work programme so she can provide her children with opportunities she never had.

“My greatest hope and dream for my two kids is for them to come better than me and have life much easier than me. I always put that in their head. I just want them to come better than me.”

“I never went to high school, so I’m proud I can afford to send both of them to high school,” she pointed out adding that her mother, a single parent, was not able to afford to send her beyond grade nine at all-age school. That experience has shaped her resolve to ensure her children get a good education.

Cedrica Reid, marketing and sales manager at JN Money Services, underscored the significance of supporting families who depend on seasonal farm work.

“These scholarships are about recognising the fortitude of our farm workers, especially the women who continue to break barriers in a traditionally male-dominated space. Their sacrifices extend far beyond the fields, and we are proud to support their children’s educational journey as part of our commitment to empowering the families who place their trust in JN Money.”

The scholarship programme is a collaborative effort with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security through its Jamaica Liaison Service. The agreement formalised a partnership focused on enhancing the welfare of Jamaican farm workers in Canada through targeted social support initiatives.