Keisha Shakespeare-Blackmore, Staff Reporter

Birthright participants and sponsors at the meet and greet reception held in their honour at GraceKennedy Remittance Office in Kingston on Thursday. They are (from left, front row), left to right: Rachel Amosu, Melissa Hugh, Petria-Kaye Farons, Brian Goldson of GraceKennedy,, Celine Drummond, Rebecca Smith and Dale Dawes. In the back row are Jamal Myers, David Burton and Erwin Burton. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

SIX ENTHUSIASTIC young adults from the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States are here to participate in the GraceKennedy Birthright intern programme for the summer.

The Birthright programme is a fully paid cultural and professional internship geared at highlighting all aspects of Jamaican life while furthering the career goals of the selected candidates ­ a well-rounded Jamaican experience.

FAMILIARISATION

This year, to kick off the programme, a meet and greet reception was held by GraceKennedy Remittance at 2-6 Trafford Place, New Kingston, last Thursday afternoon. It was a means for the interns to get familiar with each other, their co-workers and sponsors. Also they were able to have a taste of Jamaica through great Jamaican food and music. The programme that started three years ago has blossomed as a way of cultivating young Jamaican ambassadors living aboard.

To participate, one has to be a second or third generation Jamaican who has never lived in Jamaica or never been in the island for more than six months.

After selection, candidates come to the island for two months to work on rotation within Grace-Kennedy Limited thus granting them hands-on experience in a wide range of industries. Interns have to live together in a townhouse so that they will experience the Jamaican culture first- hand.

EXEMPLARY QUALITY

This year's candidates are Rachel Amosu and David Burton from England, Jamal Myers from Canada and Rebecca Smith, Dale Dawes and Melissa Hugh from the United States of America.

GraceKennedy's chief operating officer for information services division, Brain Goldson, said that the quality of the candidates continues to be exemplary. "It gives me a sense of comfort and confidence that the future for the Caribbean people is bright," he added.

Candidates said that they were happy to be a part of the programme and go out and work. Also they said they intend on enjoying every bit of this experience.