JetBlue African Diaspora Experience coming to Guyana to join mental health efforts, offer career guidance
JetBlue has been plying the Guyana route since December 2020 and with Georgetown now one of its ‘Blue Cities’ the airline is looking to give back.
A new project will see the issue of mental health being addressed in conjunction with efforts employed by the Government of Guyana and the United States embassy in Georgetown.
And so, JetBlue is embarking on a charitable service mission to Guyana from September 26 through 30t, 2023; they intend to make a meaningful and lasting impact on the lives of many Guyanese.
The JetBlue African Diaspora Experience (JADE), a Crewmember Resource Group founded in 2017, is spearheading the project.
They run one of the airline’s signature programs, conducting service trips in support of Blue Cities.
Launched last year in Jamaica, the airline was keen on selecting Guyana for its 2023 location.
The News Room recently spoke with Jevon Squires, a Guyanese who works as a Logistics Coordinator with JetBlue. He proposed the project last year and it was accepted by management.
“When I wrote this proposal, I wanted to create a series of programs that would benefit Guyanese youths and citizens at large while allowing JetBlue to honor its social responsibility in giving back and promoting one of its Core values; Caring, both in the air and on the ground,” he said.
The first event is a wellness expo with a focus on mental health at the University of Guyana on September 29 beginning at 10hrs.
The JetBlue team has acknowledged that the Government of Guyana has been doing impactful work on mental health and said the aim of the Expo is to bring heightened awareness to the resources the country already provides through the Ministry of Health and other organizations.
JetBlue will also be introducing additional tools in helping to create change while normalizing conversations about mental health and overall well-being.
“The expo promises to add a different approach in dealing with many mental health-related issues, bringing engagements through interaction, incorporating wellness activities, healthy food vendors, a mural affirmation activity, games, and fun incentives,” Squires explained.
Guests can take advantage of free health screening, see on-site counselors and engage in a Q&A session with an expert panelist.
The Mental Wellness Expo was planned in conjunction with the University’s 60th Anniversary.
The team will also be conducting a mobile fair in Region 10 on the morning of September 29 at the New SilverCity Secondary School, with several other local high schools invited.
Students will have a chance to hear from a panel of JetBlue Crewmembers who span various work groups (pilots and flight attendants, technical operations, engineering, IT/data, legal etc.) and learn about their career journey within aviation.
The United States Embassy will also be joining the discussion on Education USA – a network that promotes U.S. higher education to students around the world by offering accurate, comprehensive, and current information about opportunities to study at accredited postsecondary institutions in the United States.
The trip concludes with a friendly cricket match between JetBlue crew members and a local team (Malteeno Cricket Club) sponsored by JetBlue JADE on Saturday, September 30 at 10 am. This event is open to the public with spectators having the opportunity to win some tickets to a JetBlue destination.
“JetBlue has this slogan that says, inspiring humanity, and I took it a little further and added to it: Inspiring Humanity across the seas.
“I love my Country and JetBlue has such an influential presence in the Guyanese market and it is truly amazing to see a company that I work for give back to a place not just me but that many of its crewmembers still call home,” Squires added.
