We are pleased to inform our community that over the summer of 2021 the Jamaica Association in Switzerland assisted the charity Candle In The Dark (in Mandeville, Manchester Jamaica) commence construction work in expanding its building facilities towards alleviating homelessness in Manchester, Jamaica (read full story in the gleaner here).

Due to the impact of COVID19 the homeless in our communities have been adversely affected, which inherently increases homelessness. Through your monetary support, which we received during our JAS Christmas Fundraising and Zoom Telethon in December of 2020, the Jamaica Association in Switzerland was able to donate $1600 US dollars to the charity Candle In The Dark (in Mandeville, Manchester Jamaica) in helping to build additional shelters for the homeless and the mentally challenged. Without the support of you, our community, the Jamaica Association in Switzerland would not have been able to make this impactful contribution for a worthy cause. A very big thank you to all!

Sincerely,
Dr. Warren A. Wallace
President of the Jamaica Association in Switzerland 

Please be advised that the Government of Jamaica has instituted the following travel restrictions: 

 

• On 29th January 2020, the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) announced travel restrictions on Chinese nationals (including from Honk Kong, Macau and Taiwan) entering Jamaica, on account of the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, now referred to as COVID-19.

 

• Following its risk assessment and the World Health Organization Situation Report 37 of 26 February 2020, restrictions were imposed on an additional four (4) countries, namely:  Iran, Italy, Singapore and South Korea. 

 

• The MOHW also indicated that it would review the situation in respect of Japan where a number of cases of outbreak of the virus, including a death, have been reported.

 

• The restrictions announced on 26 February 2020 are as follows:
  • all Jamaicans who have visited Italy, South Korea, Iran, and Singapore in the last 14 days will have landing privileges in accordance with the law but will be subject to a health assessment and quarantine;
    
    
  • persons who have visited Italy, South Korea, Iran and Singapore in the last 14 days, and who do not have permanent residency or marriage exemption in Jamaica, will not be granted landing privileges at any of the country’s ports of entry;
    
    
  • non-Jamaicans who have permanent residence and marriage exemptions who are landed and who had visited Italy, South Korea, Iran, and Singapore in the last 14 days will be subject to a health assessment and quarantine;
    
    
  • persons who have visited Italy, South Korea, Iran and Singapore and have been granted landing privileges and are classified by the Ministry of Health and Wellness as high risk will be quarantined in Government facilities; and those who are assessed by the Ministry of Health and Wellness as low-risk will be self-quarantined at home under the strict evaluation and supervision of the Parish Health Department; and persons returning from Italy, South Korea, Iran and Singapore who have been granted landing privileges and who display any symptom of COVID-19, as per the case definition published by the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization, will be placed in immediate isolation at a health facility. 

The Government announced that France, Germany and Spain, were added to the restricted list, effective Thursday, 12th March 2020:

 

• All Jamaicans who visited France, Germany, and Spain in the last 14 days would have landing rights in accordance with law but would be subject to a health assessment and quarantine;

   

• Non-Jamaicans who visited France, Germany and Spain in the last 14 days and who do not have permanent residency or marriage exemption in Jamaica would not be granted landing privileges at any of the country’s ports of entry; 

 

• Non-Jamaicans who have permanent residence and marriage exemptions and who had visited France, Germany and Spain in the last 14 days would be landed and subject to a health assessment and quarantine;

 

• Persons who visited France, Germany and Spain who have been granted landing privileges and were classified by the Ministry of Health and Wellness as high risk would be quarantined in Government facilities; and those who were assesses by the Ministry of Health and Wellness as low-risk would be quarantined at home under the supervision of the Parish Health Department; and Individuals returning from France, Germany and Spain who have been granted landing privileges and who display any symptom of the novel coronavirus 2019, as per the case definition published by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO/World Health Organisations (WHO), would be placed in immediate isolation at the Health Facility. 

Please be advised that the Government of Jamaica has instituted the following travel restrictions: On 29th January 2020, the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) announced travel restrictions on Chinese nationals (including from Honk Kong, Macau and Taiwan) entering Jamaica, on account of the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, now referred to as COVID-19. Following its risk assessment and the World Health Organization Situation Report 37 of 26 February 2020, restrictions were imposed on an additional four (4) countries, namely: Iran, Italy, Singapore and South Korea. The MOHW also indicated that it would review the situation in respect of Japan where a number of cases of an outbreak of the virus, including death, have been reported. The restrictions announced on 26 February 2020 are as follows: a) all Jamaicans who have visited Italy, South Korea, Iran, and Singapore in the last 14 days will have landing privileges in accordance with the law but will be subject to a health assessment and quarantine; b) persons who have visited Italy, South Korea, Iran and Singapore in the last 14 days, and who do not have permanent residency or marriage exemption in Jamaica, will not be granted landing privileges at any of the country’s ports of entry; c) non-Jamaicans who have permanent residence and marriage exemptions who are landed and who had visited Italy, South Korea, Iran, and Singapore in the last 14 days will be subject to a health assessment and quarantine; d) persons who have visited Italy, South Korea, Iran and Singapore and have been granted landing privileges and are classified by the Ministry of Health and Wellness as high risk will be quarantined in Government facilities; and those who are assessed by the Ministry of Health and Wellness as low-risk will be self-quarantined at home under the strict evaluation and supervision of the Parish Health Department; and e) persons returning from Italy, South Korea, Iran and Singapore who have been granted landing privileges and who display any symptom of COVID-19, as per the case definition published by the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization, will be placed in immediate isolation at a health facility. The Government announced that France, Germany and Spain, were added to the restricted list, effective Thursday, 12th March 2020: a. All Jamaicans who visited France, Germany, and Spain in the last 14 days would have landing rights in accordance with law but would be subject to a health assessment and quarantine; b. Non-Jamaicans who visited France, Germany and Spain in the last 14 days and who do not have permanent residency or marriage exemption in Jamaica would not be granted landing privileges at any of the country’s ports of entry; c. Non-Jamaicans who have permanent residence and marriage exemptions and who had visited France, Germany and Spain in the last 14 days would be landed and subject to a health assessment and quarantine; d. Persons who visited France, Germany and Spain who have been granted landing privileges and were classified by the Ministry of Health and Wellness as high risk would be quarantined in Government facilities; and those who were assesses by the Ministry of Health and Wellness as low-risk would be quarantined at home under the supervision of the Parish Health Department; and e. Individuals returning from France, Germany and Spain who have been granted landing privileges and who display any symptom of the novel coronavirus 2019, as per the case definition published by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO/World Health Organisations (WHO), would be placed in immediate isolation at the Health Facility

We’re delighted to share another amazing story, highlighting the talent of a young Jamaican boy living in Switzerland.

His name is Samuel Durrleman. He is 10 years old and was born from a Jamaican mother, Stephanie, and a French/Swiss father, Mathieu. Stephanie Durrleman was born and raised in Kingston. She attended Priory before moving to Paris at age 16 to learn French. Further justifying Paris’ title of city of love, Stephanie met her husband in the French capital and the rest is history. They have three children together and have been residing in Switzerland for 25 years. The Durrleman family currently resides in Geneva and Samuel has made the Jamaican community proud with his achievements yes, but mostly with his maturity and commitment to excellence at this young age.

Samuel’s mother, being a linguist, wanted her son to learn several languages, and therefore had him change schools to enrol in Ecole Moser where they provide a trilingual program in French, German and English. It wasn’t easy at first, adapting to a new environment and trying to make friends.

However, life has a way to help to find a path in every situation. It so happens that Ecole Moser’s facilities provided table tennis tables, and Samuel thought sport might be a good way to help him socialize with his new schoolmates. He started playing table tennis and eventually joined the school tournament, and…won!

“Mummy, you need to buy a large Lindt chocolate bar for my friend…I beat him in the school tournament” Samuel said to his mom. What an inspiring story, and this is just the beginning!

Samuel had found something he liked. He wanted to play more table tennis and therefore his parents signed him up in a table tennis club in Geneva. He started practicing seriously. He even turned down playdates with his schoolmates because he wanted to practice. What an amazing level of maturity and commitment at such a young age!

Eventually, the club signed him up in a pre-selection competition. It was a long tournament, over three hours. When Samuel’s mom came for the last hour she was surprised to see all these people cheering for her at-the-time 9-year-old son! He had won the pre-selection and had therefore qualified for the next stage! Stephanie could hardly believe it, but Samuel tapped into the power of the universe, that will help you achieve anything in life you put your mind to.

Samuel went on to compete in three other competitions, to finally become the player representing Canton Geneva at the Swiss Final of the Gubler School Trophy in Schöftland (Canton Aargau in the Swiss German part)

Can you guess what happened next?

Yes, exactly! Samuel won the Swiss Final of the Gubler School Trophy in his age category! Amazing!

And it doesn’t end here. Samuel has made many friends at his new school and is now playing competitive table tennis. Currently he sometimes has to play by level and not by age, meaning that now at age 10 it can happen that he is confronted with 16 year-olds! Furthermore, Samuel was invited to train at the national sport center in Macolin, which is located in canton Bern. This is where future Swiss champions train, so look out for Samuel Durrleman in the coming years, he’s set up a bright future ahead for himself.

What a beautiful, powerful and inspirational story. Here’s the take away for this month: no matter your current situation and circumstances, the universal forces will make a way for you if you only believe. Keep moving forward, keep faith, and doors will open up for you!