When Power Overrides Compassion: The End of Jamaica’s Cuban Doctor Partnership and What Jamaicans Can Do Next

 

For decades, the partnership between Jamaica and Cuba in medical cooperation stood as one of the Caribbean’s most practical examples of solidarity. Cuban doctors and nurses helped staff hospitals, clinics, and rural health posts across the island—often serving communities where shortages of medical professionals made healthcare difficult to access. Through the internationally known Cuban Medical Internationalism program, thousands of Cuban health workers have provided care throughout the Global South, including in Jamaica. However, increasing pressure from the United States has led to Jamaica scaling back or ending aspects of this medical relationship with Cuba.

Washington has criticized the program, arguing that the Cuban government profits unfairly from the labor of its doctors. But to many Caribbean observers—and to patients who relied on these professionals—the result feels less like protection of workers and more like geopolitical muscle flexing that ultimately harms ordinary people. For Jamaica, the consequences are immediate and deeply human. Hospitals already struggling with staff shortages now face even greater gaps.

Rural clinics may operate with fewer doctors. Waiting times grow longer. And patients with chronic illnesses—diabetes, hypertension, cancer—are the ones who suffer most. Whether one agrees or disagrees with the politics surrounding the Cuban medical missions, the sudden removal of doctors from an already stretched healthcare system raises a pressing question: What can Jamaicans do now to protect the health of their people?

 

1. Mobilizing the Jamaican Diaspora

The Jamaican diaspora is one of the most powerful assets the country has. Millions of Jamaicans and Jamaican descendants live abroad, particularly in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Many work in healthcare. Diaspora professionals—doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and therapists—can help by organizing short-term medical missions, returning periodically to Jamaica to serve underserved communities. Even a few weeks per year can make a significant difference. Professional networks could also establish telemedicine programs, allowing specialists overseas to consult on difficult cases with physicians on the island.

 

2. Supporting Medical Training at Home

Another long-term solution is strengthening Jamaica’s own pipeline of healthcare professionals. Institutions such as the University of the West Indies already train many Caribbean doctors, but capacity could be expanded. The diaspora could create scholarship funds to help more Jamaican students pursue medicine, nursing, and allied health professions—on the condition that graduates serve several years in local hospitals or rural clinics. Investing in education today builds the self-sufficient healthcare system Jamaica deserves tomorrow.

 

3. Funding Equipment and Rural Clinics

Healthcare challenges are not just about personnel; infrastructure matters too. Community organizations abroad can raise funds to supply Jamaican clinics with diagnostic equipment, medications, and mobile health units. Small donations from thousands of diaspora members can collectively support:

• ·         Community health outreach programs
• ·         Maternal and child health clinics
• ·         Screening initiatives for chronic diseases
• ·         These efforts can prevent illnesses from becoming emergencies.

 

4. Advocacy and Independent Caribbean Cooperation

Jamaicans—both on the island and abroad—can also advocate for policies that prioritize healthcare over geopolitical rivalry. Regional cooperation through organizations such as Caribbean Community could help Caribbean nations share medical resources, training programs, and specialist networks. A stronger regional health framework would reduce reliance on any single external partner.

 

5. Community Health Volunteers

Finally, ordinary citizens can play a role. Community health volunteer programs—trained to monitor blood pressure, diabetes, and elder care—can reduce the burden on hospitals. Public health begins long before a patient enters a clinic.

 A Test of Values

The end of Jamaica’s Cuban doctor partnership highlights a broader truth: when powerful nations impose political pressure, the consequences often fall on the most vulnerable people. The debate over the Cuban medical missions may continue in diplomatic circles, but for Jamaican patients the issue is far simpler—they need care. The Jamaican spirit has always been one of resilience and collective responsibility. If the island and its diaspora mobilize their skills, resources, and compassion, they can build a healthcare system that no foreign pressure can easily weaken. In moments like this, the real measure of a nation is not how it responds to power—but how it responds to human need.

How the Jamaican Diaspora Can Respond to U.S. Visa Restrictions

 

In moments of tightened immigration policies, immigrant communities often feel the impact first and most deeply. During the Trump administration, visa halts and restrictive immigration measures sent shockwaves through diaspora communities worldwide, including Jamaicans who depend on family reunification, student visas, work permits, and temporary travel opportunities. While such policies are often framed as matters of national security or economic protection, their human cost is undeniable. For the Jamaican diaspora, the challenge is not only to cope—but to act strategically. History has shown that organized, informed, and unified diaspora communities can play a meaningful role in influencing outcomes. Here are several ways the Jamaican diaspora can help respond to visa restrictions and protect their community.

 

1. Advocate Through Collective Voice

     Political advocacy remains one of the most powerful tools available. Jamaicans living abroad—particularly in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom—can organize through diaspora associations, churches, alumni groups, and professional networks to engage lawmakers. Writing letters, participating in town halls, and supporting immigration-friendly policies can help ensure Caribbean concerns are part of national conversations. Where possible, U.S. citizens of Jamaican descent should leverage their voting power to support leaders who promote fair and humane immigration policies.

 

2. Support Legal Aid and Immigration Education

     Visa restrictions often create confusion, fear, and misinformation. Diaspora organizations can help by funding or partnering with immigration attorneys and legal clinics to provide accurate guidance. Workshops, webinars, and community forums can help families understand their rights, options, and timelines during policy shifts. Pooling resources to support legal defense funds can be life-changing for students, workers, and families caught in policy transitions.

3. Strengthen Ties with the Jamaican Government

      The diaspora plays a critical role in diplomacy. By working closely with Jamaican consulates, embassies, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, diaspora leaders can help elevate concerns at the bilateral level. Coordinated lobbying can encourage diplomatic dialogue between Jamaica and the United States to protect travel, education, and labor pathways. Jamaica’s economy and development are closely linked to remittances and overseas opportunity—making diaspora advocacy a national interest.

 

4. Provide Economic and Emotional Support

      When visas are halted or delayed, families often face financial strain and emotional stress. The diaspora can respond through scholarship funds, emergency assistance, housing support, and mentorship for affected students and workers. Community solidarity helps reduce the human cost of restrictive policies. Faith-based groups and nonprofits are especially well-positioned to provide mental health support and counseling during uncertain times.

 

5. Shape the Narrative Through Media

      Public perception matters. Diaspora members in journalism, academia, and digital media can help humanize the issue by sharing real stories of Jamaican students, nurses, farm workers, entrepreneurs, and families affected by visa restrictions. Op-eds, podcasts, social media campaigns, and interviews can counter stereotypes and highlight the positive contributions of Jamaican immigrants. A strong narrative helps shift immigration debates from fear to fairness.

5 ways to get the bag part # 2

 

Even if you have a regular 9-5, one always needs some extra money. It can be for a birthday, anniversary or any special occasion. Making money online is easy to do in this era. Here are some ideas:

Drop shipping

Create a website that your niche would appreciate and they will buy from you. There are many drop shipping companies that you can connect to in the backend of your website. They will send out the items from their fulfilment center to your customer. There is no need the keep a stock pile of them in your personal space.

White labeling

Many items need to be federal approved such as skincare, supplements or cleaning products. These companies have done the hard work and need someone to promote them. For example, rap snacks.

Manufacturing your own products

The majorly of items found in the large chains were produced in other countries. Establish a relationship the one of these companies for the specification of what you want and there you have it. Import them and establish a distribution for the public to consume them.

Teaching Classes

What makes the world interesting, is learning something new. You can share to the world your expertise. Someone is interested. You can provide a step-by-step instruction on how to do just about anything. Ask yourself: “What does this community need?”

Streaming Platforms

Yes, you can own your own network. Fulfill the needs for a community. It can be watching Westerns or a trip down memory lane to see shows that you watched as a child. License these shows and stream them on your platform. i.e. Tubi

5 ways to get the bag part # 1

 

New Year means new beginning. Even if you have a regular 9-5, one always needs some extra money. It can be for a birthday, anniversary or any special occasion. Making money online is easy to do in this era. Here are some ideas:

Freelancing

Ever hear of Fiverr or Upwork? Other sites are available as well. When you put your services online, someone will hire you.

Resale Apps

Children grow so fast. You can sell your children gently used items online in places such as Amazon or Poshmark. These are just a few places to sell items instead of just donating them to the goodwill box.

Affiliate Marketing

Many online companies want to get the word out about their product. Look at the bottom of their site and you might see the word affiliate. Fill out the paperwork and you just might qualify to promote their product or service on your website or social media.

Digital Products

Anything people download, is an opportunity for you. I can be audio, videos or even journals. If you are having problems refining your niche, AI will be happy to assist you.

Print on demand

Any merch can be sold, such as hats, cups, T-shirts, home décor. Use your imagination. Simply upload your design to one these companies such as café press (there are many to choose here) and let them produce the items and send it out to your customer.

German Town Jamaica no more

 

In the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, numerous Caribbean communities are suffering. Jamaica has seen numerous communities leveled, and irreparable damage has occurred throughout the Island. This tragedy has, first and foremost, destroyed the lives of so many good and hard-working people. Our first concern should be with the people who have perished in this disaster and their loved ones picking up the pieces. Numerous people are still missing, and entire families have been left homeless in droves.

Farms and businesses have been destroyed, and it will take significant time and effort to revive these critical assets on the Island. As I look for ways to help restore the infrastructure and aid the people most hurt, as I feel should be our priority in this time, I would like for us to ponder the cultural loss Jamaica has suffered from this travesty. Numerous historic structures have been severely damaged, and many more are beyond repair. The topic of Seaford Town, aka German Town, Jamaica, is a recurring theme in my work and in my life.

Fifteen years ago, I began documenting the village of Seaford Town, Jamaica, known to many as German Town. I heard stories and read short articles over the years about this tiny village that held so much German cultural heritage within its people, structures, and history. I made a long trek to the village in the summer of 2010. I woke at the crack of dawn and drove from Kingston to Seaford town, Westmoreland, armed with a camera, a microphone, and a stack of mini-DV tapes. I began introducing myself to the people in the village, asking every question I could and learning as much as I could about this unique village.

I found many people held an obtuse mindset toward this village and a blatant disregard for its unique qualities. Though many people to this day I encounter insist there is nothing inherently unique or noteworthy about the village and its German heritage, I couldn't help but see all the fantastic attributes and cultural remnants that shone within the town. One of the most amazing things about Seaford Town, Jamaica, was the German cottages and German-style structures. Many of these German-style homes dated back to the 19th century and had connections to the original German settlers who arrived in the 1830s.

I recorded many of these homes and incorporated this footage into my documentaries on Seaford Town, and I knew it would be precious at some point. It was already precious to me because I did not feel these structures would stand forever. I was not sure how much longer German cultural remnants would survive in Seaford Town, but I felt strongly compelled to document them in this village. I knew this heritage would not exist forever. I knew the footage I captured would become precious at some point.

I felt it was precious as I held each tape in my hands each night, seeing the faces of the people I interviewed as they described their family homes with passion and pride. Telling the stories of their loved ones and the physical remnants left behind by their ancestors. I did not know how much longer these remnants would last, but I felt that at some point within my lifetime or after I was gone and buried, these stories and records would mean something to the world. Fast forward fifteen years, and here we are in 2025.

Hurricane Melissa has hit, and from all reports I have received on the ground, there are no more German gingerbread cottages within the village. These amazing cultural anomalies in Jamaica have been decimated. Some of these homes, standing for close to 150 years, are gone, collapsed into ruin. I have not been able to put eyes on the ground myself as I am working on a medical mission in the Middle East and have no means to travel back to Jamaica at this point.

Still, all reports say nearly the entire village has been leveled and almost nothing stands. Infrastructure has been rendered useless, and numerous roads have been blocked. People have no power, and most businesses have been destroyed. This village is primarily a farming community, and most of the crops and livestock have been lost, according to what I have been told.

There are reports of fatalities and missing persons. Photos and footage I am seeing released show the level of utter, nearly complete devastation to this community. The one structure of German design that still stands Is the church and the cemetery attached? Though significantly damaged, the stone catholic church of Seaford town still stands.

I do not know what the future holds for Seaford Town, or whether there is any hope of restoring the German-built structures. Frankly, I don't know whether the original designs should be restored, as Jamaica desperately needs to update its infrastructure for future generations. As the rebuild begins, some measures are taken to honor the past German cultural remnants, but the buildings that can survive a crisis like this are the focus at this point. I am aware.

The heritage and cultural roots of Seaford Town do not reside solely in buildings and artifacts; they live in people —through their minds and hearts, and in their blood. The word nation does not mean a border on a map or a chunk of land; it means from its Latin derivation natal. Natal means a people. The word race has been a politically hot topic since I was a child.

Many people assert that race is a "social construct," but the word race derives from its Latin roots. We all have nations at both the macro and micro levels. We all have roots, both on a macro level and a micro level, and I encourage the people of Seaford Town to embrace and preserve their roots. I encourage all Jamaicans to do the same.

I hope Jamaica's history can be preserved and protected, carried forward, but this depends greatly on the will of its people. What are the things they respect, value, and cherish? I am currently looking to former Seaford Town residents on the ground and their families abroad who are working to rebuild, and I am listing their fundraising programs on my social media. I encourage everyone who can lend a hand to do so in any way they can for the Jamaican people.

Numerous other villages and regions are suffering, and all efforts should be made to help all communities within Jamaica. But Seaford Town is a microcosm I have focused on over the years, and I am one man who will do what I can. I do not wish to make this article political or finger-pointing, so rather than blame political parties, individuals, or wealthy institutions. I feel so much more should have been done to preserve and protect Jamaica's historic monuments, but here we are, and many are gone, and we may never see them again.

I encourage the Jamaican people to rebuild and invest in your future, but while investing in your future, invest in your past. As it was said by Marcus Garvey, "A people without knowledge of their history, origin, and culture is like a tree without roots." If that applies to African heritage, it should apply to European heritage.

If you would like to help Seaford Town, visit this Go Fund Me link: https://gofund.me/2fc4be32a

                                                            Written by David Ritter

                                      Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GermanTownJamaica/

ritter.david.david@gmail.com

www.GermanTownJamaica.com

How to monetize your social media

 

If you are a savvy business person, social media platforms can be used for more than scrolling. The truth of the matter is that more people are using social media platforms more than websites. In this era, social media is not a fad. One joins them for community or information to what is the current trend. For example, what is socially acceptable in certain work spaces? Where people are in abundance, products and services can be offered for monetization. For that reason, here are some examples you can use on social media to get the bag:

Partnerships:

Brands will pay you to highlight their product or service on your platform.

Affiliates:

Place the brands link on your platform and if your audience use that link to purchase the item, you get a commission.

Merchandise:

Your niche audience can support you by purchasing your hats, t-shirts, mugs etc..

Events:

Host a meet and greet. You can arrange for a meet up in a select city or country. i.e. The Jamaican Diaspora group has biannual conventions in Jamaica.

Side Hustle 2.0

 

You can never have too little money. Many would like to have a part time job but what to do? In the generation we live, consider doing something online. Here are some ideas:

1.     Drop shipping

2.     White labeling

3.     Manufacturing you own line, which can be done local or international

4.     Teach your unique talent on You Tube i.e. cooking, knitting