JUST when young Juzzle Sayles thought that she was down and out, a flood of job offers and other pledges of assistance came her way after yesterday’s Jamaica Observer lead story which reported her plight.
The Mico University College, Sagicor Group Jamaica, Digicel Jamaica, Hi-Lo Food Stores Jamaica, Police Commissioner Antony Anderson and the Jamaica Constabulary Force, US company Rx Reserve Distributors Inc, Minister of Local Government and Community Development Desmond McKenzie along with the Social Development Commission (SDC), the Ministry of Transport and Mining along with the Island Traffic Authority, and Observer online readers, including those in the Diaspora, all responded to Sayles’ plea for a job.
President of The Mico University College Dr Asburn Pinnock told the Observer that he read Sayles’ story and was interested in offering her a space at the university through a scholarship.
“We would like to sit down with Ms Sayles to identify her interest and from there we would be able to see how best we can offer her a scholarship, given her talent,” Dr Pinnock said.
On Wednesday, 21-year-old Sayles, who has 16 Caribbean Examinations Council passes, told the Observer that she had completed and sent out close to 50 job applications but was unable to secure employment.
Following this revelation, Sagicor contacted the Observer and subsequently Sayles and pledged to assist the young woman, who lives in Cassava Piece in St Andrew, with a contractual job.
Minister McKenzie, who Sayles said offered words of encouragement when he contacted her yesterday, has instructed the SDC to offer assistance as it relates to finding a place within the Government-run organisation for her.
The Edith Dalton James High School and Camperdown High School past student had shared with the Observer that a job would allow her to pay her way through university, following which she would start a career in media. Her mother, Sophia Thompson, was not able to fund her beyond upper sixth form, neither could she pay tuition for her brother Zienden beyond lower sixth form.
Telecoms company Digicel and the Ministry of Transport and Mining have both scheduled interviews with Sayles with the intention to offer her a job.
Yesterday, Sayles said that she had to “first give God thanks” for creating opportunities for her and noted that she was still in disbelief at the outpouring of support.
“I could not believe the responses, and I want to thank them all so much. I want to say thank you, Jamaica, for the outpouring of love and support, because at first I was afraid of putting my story out there because I did not know what people would say. Everyone in my community bought the paper and was coming to me and showing me the paper, and I was really happy for the support,” Sayles said.
Sayles, the eldest of four children, was fired from her business process outsourcing (BPO) job after just a year.
But her mother, who initially said that it is difficult for the majority of inner-city children to get a fair shot at life, insists that the dismissal was a case of victimisation.
Yesterday, the grateful mother thanked the people and entities responsible for the offers her daughter was receiving.
“I cried this morning when I saw the paper. I really want to thank the Observer for putting her story out there. And I want to thank the many people and companies for assisting. Thank you, thank you,” Thompson said.
it’s sad that before this article, nobody wanted to offer her a job, and i’m pretty sure it was because of her address. maybe some a dem same company ya wha a run in a look highlight were amongst the 50 she reached out to and dem probably jus scoff at her application when dem see cassava piece. with all that said, i’m glad that she has subsequently gotten these opportunities.