JSSE, Society for the Blind partner to fight vision loss
Published:Friday | June 13, 2025 | 12:08 AMMickalia Kington/Gleaner Writer
With social equity and national development as top priorities, the Jamaica Social Stock Exchange (JSSE) and the Jamaica Society for the Blind (JSB) have committed to full transparency through a transformative partnership set to improve the lives of visually impaired Jamaicans.
At the centre of this collaboration is the ‘Everyone’s a Winner’ 3K & 5K Walk/Run and the newly launched Eye Care Medical Assistant Programme. These two initiatives were designed to raise funds to provide critical medical aid and bring public awareness to visual impairment.
The partnership reflects the JSSE’s core mission, which is to mobilise resources to strengthen Jamaica’s social sector by providing a transparent and trustworthy platform for charities and donors.
Speaking with The Gleaner, JSB Chairman Daemion McLean stated that this was a significant milestone.
“If it wasn’t for the MOU between the Jamaica Stock Exchange and the Jamaica Society for the Blind, then this probably would not have materialised,” McLean said. “This represents a partnership that allows the Jamaica Society for the Blind to benefit from the Jamaica Stock Exchange in a positive way.”
JSSE Manager Nora Blake also highlighted the importance of transparency in philanthropy, which she says is the basis of the JSSE.
Blake clarified that one of the major challenges that non-profit organisations, foundations, civil society groups, and benevolent societies face is the inability to mobilise resources, specifically funds.
The JSSE’s platform, therefore, mirrors the structure of the traditional stock exchange but with a focus on social impact.
“We’re taking social projects to the market. Eventually, we’ll also be able to take social businesses. We’re waiting on the legislation to be able to do that,” said Blake.
ACCOUNTABILITY PARAMOUNT
Every project listed goes through a rigorous vetting process to ensure financial responsibility and technical capability. “We require of them accounting on ... how the funds are being spent,” Blake added.
“Monthly, there’s a management report, ... measured against what the project proposal said they were going to do ... you’re not going to be allowed to get any more funds until you meet the business plan.”
Meanwhile, McLean says that The Eye Care Medical Assistant Programme comes at a critical time, particularly as Jamaica’s ageing population and lifestyle diseases like diabetes continue to contribute to a rising prevalence of visual impairment.
“If you lose 20 and still have 80, if you lose 80 and still have 20. We still believe that sight preservation is the order of the day,” said McLean, referring to the degree of individual visual impairment. “And with a fund like this, we’re hoping that a lot of it will go into sight preservation.”
The JSB will primarily assist individuals identified through the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) and the Social Pension Programme, along with referrals from churches and other community organisations.
While specific targets are still being finalised, McLean is confident in the initiative’s impact, also adding that the funds raised would be applied strictly to surgeries, medications, and necessary medical disposables.
The ‘Everyone’s a Winner’ event, which will be held on Sunday, June 15, at Hope Gardens starting at 6 a.m., was first conceptualised by Running Events Jamaica in 2010 and has been sponsored by Best Dressed Chicken since 2012.
This year, the funds raised will support the Eye Care Medical Assistant Programme, which aims to provide surgeries, medication, and post-operative support for people suffering from preventable or treatable eye conditions.
Beyond just fundraising, the ‘Everyone’s a Winner’ event also promotes physical wellness and social inclusion.
McLean says, “We want to ensure that people exercise right to keep away the lifestyle diseases, like diabetes, that can lead to diabetic retinopathy.” If left untreated or undiagnosed, diabetic retinopathy can lead to blindness.
SHIFT IN PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS
McLean also hopes that public perceptions of disability will shift positively, pointing out that blind and visually impaired participants often outperform their sighted counterparts. “I think they need to turn up to see the contingency of blind and visually impaired persons who will be walking and running and beating a lot of those who can see,” McLean highlighted. “That will change a lot of the perceptions that are out there.”
The emphasis on credibility and trust is shared across both organisations. “The more improved your accounting system is, it is more likely that funders would be impressed with what you do and give you the support,” said McLean.
This partnership between the JSSE and the JSB also represents critical investments in the country’s human capital, beyond charity and inclusivity, with the goal of sustainability.
“We have come into a period of greater vulnerability ... . This country certainly needs for us to step up. Even a small contribution ... is really towards a bigger cause. There are people who need for you to participate so they can have sight,” McLean appealed.
In addition to the run/walk, the JSSE has also launched a national raffle featuring major prizes, including a 2026 motor car from JetCon, a year of petrol from Fesco, and three years of insurance from General Accident.
The JSSE’s platform allows donors to easily contribute with card, PayPal, or bank transfer through jsse.jamstockex.com.