From barefoot beginnings to multi-millionaire: Altiman Davis tells his story

Like many Jamaican youths growing up in rural Jamaica in the 1960s and 1970s, Altiman Davis had to walk several miles between districts in St Ann and St Mary in order to get an education.

Born in Upton, St Ann, Davis attended Newstead All-Age School in St Mary, walking several miles through dried-up river beds, across a wood footbridge spanning the White River which connects St Ann and St Mary, to get there.

He did all this, like many of his peers, barefooted.

“I did not get a pair of shoes until I was around 14-years old so I had to make the trek to school barefoot,” he said.

According to Davis, life in rural Jamaica was extremely challenging while growing up.

“Growing up in poverty, I could not afford a pair of shoes to wear to school. I did not even have the opportunity to attend high school. Yet, through determination, courage, creativity, and an industrious spirit, I found a way forward,” he told The Gleaner.

According to Davis, at age 16, he had to leave Newstead All-Age. However, a teacher at the school found alternative accommodation for a number of students which allowed him to continue his education.

From this make-shift classroom, Davis was able to sit the First Jamaica School Certificate Examination. This tenacity for learning eventually carried him to Mico College where he earned a teacher’s certificate.

He later taught at a number of schools in Jamaica, including St Catherine High School. His area of teaching was math, he said.

His quest for learning led him to apply to and be accepted by University of Wisconsin in the United States. However, the tuition was some US$6,000, a fee that he could not afford. He was assured by the university that he could work on campus.

CHANGE IN TRAJECTORY

His trajectory changed when a past colleague at Mico told him that he was applying to Concordia University in Montreal. The cost, he said, for attending Concordia, was just about CAD$750.

He applied and was accepted to Concordia University in Montreal, Canada where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in computer science and mathematics.

During his college days, Davis said he worked many odd jobs, including painting houses, as a stevedore and repairing cars, to make ends meet. He also learned to build cars using kits.

“As a student I did not have authorisation to work in Canada so I had to find other means to earn a living to sustain myself,” he said

After completing his studies, Davis went on to establish his own IT consulting company.

“Over time, I also became a successful real-estate investor, and ventured into the stock market as well. Each step of my journey was fuelled by resilience and an unwavering belief that one’s beginnings do not define one’s destiny,” he said.

This life journey, his struggles, triumphs, and lessons learned, is captured in the pages of his newly published book Jamaican Barefoot Boy to Multi-Millionaire.

According to Davis, the book is more than just his story, but rather a message of hope for all who read it.

“My greatest wish is for my fellow Jamaicans and other immigrants to be inspired by my experiences and to realise that where you start in life does not dictate where you finish,” he said.

The book has all the following wrapped up in it: humility, drama, excitement, courage, heartbreak, inspiration, tales of industriousness and initiative, funny stories and guidance on how to use the bank’s money to make yourself rich.

The book invites readers to embark upon a heartfelt journey through the life of a young boy growing up in the rural area of Jamaica having been born into poverty to a single mother in a one-room house.

“Although I faced countless challenges, including the ever-present temptation to follow the wrong path and, despite the scarcity of material wealth, my childhood was rich in love, joy, and a sense of belonging. These invaluable gifts were nurtured by the unwavering discipline and guidance of my parents, Martha Evering and Norris Evering, who instilled in me the importance of staying on the straight and narrow,” he said.

TESTAMENT OF RESILIENCE

Davis said the purpose of writing his book was not to boast about his material success or wealth that he might have achieved, but rather to serve as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the boundless potential within all that can inspire the achievement of dreams.

“It is a reminder that where you begin in life does not dictate where you can go. With hard work, determination, and a bit of intuition, industriousness, it is possible to overcome even the most daunting circumstances and carve out a path to success,” he said.

From a barefoot boy in rural Jamaica to a successful businessman in Canada, Davis shares a deeply personal story of resilience, sacrifice, and triumph.

Davis’ memoir traces his remarkable journey across continents. From humble beginnings in the Jamaican countryside to the heart of North American life, navigating culture, career, family, and the quiet strength it takes to rise above systemic barriers.

editorial@gleanerjm.com