(MISOPLWHA'S STATEMENT ON THE PASSING OF OECS MEDIA INITIATIVE ON HIVAIDS CO-FOUNDER AND GBN PRODUCER, JENNIFER JONES)
THE Grenada and OECS media fraternity have lost a young hero of the modern press.
Miss Jennifer Jones, Co-Founder of the OECS Media Initiative on HIVAIDS and a producer with the Grenada Broadcasting Network has died.
Though a very young and rapidly rising media star owing to her very impressive well structured and effectively executed television documentaries, Jones had gained national recognition within Grenada as a well respected and trusted producer.
The young lady's passion for journalism was evident and this saw Jones going the length and breath of her native Grenada to garner human interest stories and features that other media colleagues did not noticed or were too laid back in garnering. Her investigative reporting skills and passion to see the eradication of Stigma and Discrimination was evident when along with Rawle Nelson and a number of other media colleagues from St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, Montserrat, Dominica and Nevis they established the OECS Media Initiative on HIVAIDS.
While Jones's name is etched in the annals of Grenada and the OECS media history for being instrumental in creating an awareness and interest in the approach taken by the media to the issue of HIVAIDS more in particular on stigma and discrimination.
She will more latterly be remembered for her active role when a few years ago she had made a passionate plea for the implementation of Heath Reporting training programmes for media workers within the OECS so as to assist them in becoming better at their craft.
Lately she played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Edward Greene Recognition Award and the PAHO/WHO Eastern Caribbean Response to HIVAIDS award. Jones did not see the execution of these two awards despite being instrumental in the section of the inaugural winners and also playing a key role in some of the ground work implementation after the initiative was taken readily on board by the OECS islands representatives.
Jones like many other persons on the committee felt that too many times people were being honored when they are too old and dead thus calling on national and regional institutions and organizations to recognize those that needed to be as she was of the opinion that recognition to a dead person or an individual that is very old would have lost its true meaning which should be recognition and motivation for the enormous work he or she would have made.
She had pointed out also that they were a number of persons within our society who was giving of their best but was not being recognized for their sterling contributions thus she saw the two new awards as a means to pay tribute and homage top some of those individuals.
However, due to unforeseen circumstance the two awards ceremony presentation which was slated for Saturday March 7th on St Maarten was postponed. While there were doubts that Jones would have attended the ceremony due to an unexpected cut in sponsorship budget for the event many persons were speechless and shocked to have learnt that Jennifer J as she was familiarly known in the HIVAIDS circle has died suddenly from a suspected massive heart attack while visiting her sister in England due to the illness of a close relative.
Though Jones was working for a privately owned media house she played a significant role in demonstrating to her other media colleagues the importance of not stigmatizing and discriminating against persons living and or affected by HIVAIDS. This fight was one that she fought vigorously and with the support and assistance of MISOPLWHA (Media in Support of People Living With HIVAIDS) Jones continued the fight until her sudden and unexpected passing.
For Jones and all those who stood by her side in her battle to eradicate stigma and discrimination of people living and or affected by HIVAIDS, she was of the firm belief that the region must move ahead in ensuring that education and understanding of the disease is widespread so as to inculcate a behavioral change.
She however felt that this must first begin with the media who she said should be blamed for failing to educate its readers, listeners and viewers through lack of education thus setting precedent for other OECS countries to follow.
Our heartfelt condolences to Jones's mother, sisters, relatives, the Board of Directors and staff of the Grenada Broadcasting Network, Executives and members of the OECS Media Initiative on HIVAIDS, and her friends in the Grenada, OECS and wider Caribbean media fraternity especially Kishawn Thomas.
We are confident that her sterling and passionate contribution to the media landscape especially in the area of HIV/AIDs will be long cherished and perpetuated by her competent team of colleagues in moving ahead the still young OECS media Initiative on HIVAIDS.
In mourning her sudden loss, we must sustain the torch-light of eradicating stigma and discrimination thus ensuring that people living and or affected by HIVAIDS can continue to live normal life with the full support of family and friends and not be placed into a corner so as to be stigmatized and discriminated because of their situation as a society that is sensitized, informed and educated about HIVAIDS is what Ms Jennifer Jones had fought for.