BY SIMONE J. SMITH

She was pronounced dead at birth. The umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck three times. A missionary out of the hospital prayed for her to live, and the little girl began to breathe. That missionary’s name was Brenda, so the parents decided to name the beautiful girl after the woman who brought her back to life.

Her first name Adoch means leg first, and from her entrance into the world, our Woman Empowered has had to face incredible odds.

When you first encounter Adoch, you can’t help but to be first blown away by her physical beauty. She exudes an undeniable aura of elegance and grace. Her stature, towering with confidence, commands attention and admiration in any room she enters. Her skin, a rich and radiant shade of ebony, glows with a natural beauty that seems to capture the essence of the night sky itself.

Her eyes, deep and expressive, hold a captivating blend of strength and warmth. They glisten with intelligence and resilience, revealing a lifetime of experiences and wisdom. Long, dark eyelashes frame her eyes, drawing you in with every gaze.

Her smile, radiant and infectious, lights up her face and the entire space around her. Her lips, full and inviting, curve gently to reveal a set of pearly white teeth. When she laughs, it’s as if the world becomes a brighter and more joyful place.

She has a strong sense of connection to a higher power, a divine presence. She seeks inner peace and strives to maintain a sense of calm and balance in her life. She demonstrates compassion and empathy towards others, and she is motivated by a desire to help those in need and make the world a better place. She remains on her journey of self-discovery and personal growth, and as she explores her inner self, confronts her fears, and works to overcome personal challenges, she becomes more aware of the interconnectedness of the mind, body, and spirit.

I first met Adoch Brenda Acemah at the Face of African Fashion Week competition in March. Upon seeing her, I was truly blown away. There was just something about her. We continued to run into each other at events, and finally we ended up connecting. Once we got talking, I knew that I wanted to be the one to tell her story.

“I was born and raised in Uganda, Kampala (East Africa), and I have lived through four wars. My family fled when the current president came into power, and we stayed in Kenya for one year waiting to get our papers.

I was 10 years old when I came to Canada. I had to adjust to the cold weather, and I remember being bullied in school, because I was African and dark skinned. I was called names like tar baby, and I was very chubby as a child. I think it was in grade seven and eight, I went from being chubby to tall and thin. My memories are of me eating lunch in the bathroom because I was so shy.”

She never truly felt comfortable in her skin, and this only changed when she moved to Markham.

“I was going into grade 10 when I moved to Markham. My cousins went to the school, so they took care of me.

After high school, I didn’t feel like I had a voice. In order for me to deal with my pain, I became a workaholic. In 2006 I was working four jobs at the same time, just so I wouldn’t have to feel. At the age of 26 I had a stroke. I call it the stroke of life. It was a miserable time for me. I was bedridden for two years, and this allowed me to feel, and brought me the relationship that I have with God. I had been asking for a special relationship, to feel connected, but I never gave myself time to do that.

They wanted to diagnose me with multiple sclerosis, because I had lesions in my brain. I had a friend who told me to get a second opinion, and the next set of doctors told me the same thing. They told me they would have to do a biopsy.”

She decided for her birthday that year, she wanted to feel alive. So, in 2007, she booked a plane to Miami, and she sat on a beach, meditated and prayed for 10 days.

“I came back to Canada, released all of my stuff, and moved to Miami in 2008. I went trusting God.

The time in Miami was challenging. It was the hardest decision that I made, but I had to leave Canada; I needed that change. When it got to the point where I couldn’t handle it anymore, I met three people, who did not know each other who told me about this lady who had Bible study in her house. The meeting was called “Thankful Thursday.” In her words it was “Church for the unchurched, and church for the unusual.” A space was created where we could share our challenges, and our success. After going there for six months, this woman adopted me as her God daughter. This woman was pure love.

There was a lot going on, I actually got evicted from my house, and this same woman (my adopted Godmother) took me in. She helped me get back into school. She was an artist, and she was the one who encouraged my creative side. She got me back into modeling. It was such a powerful experience. It was because of her that I started going by the name Adoch. When I lived in Canada, I had gone by my middle name Brenda, but my godmother told me to use Adoch for my modeling. ‘That’s your power.’ I started using it in 2010.”

Their relationship hit a speedbump, and Adoch ended up moving to New York.

“I was miserable in New York; it was definitely not Miami, but it is when life took another turn for me. It was where I started my head wrapping business.

I used to visit a fabric store and I remember that I would just lay on the fabric. I started using pieces to wrap my hair, and people used to compliment me all the time. This drove sales up for the store, and the owner gave me some fabric and said, ‘Go start a head wrapping business,’ so I did. There I was vending in Harlem.

My creative side is genetic. Everyone in my family is creative in their own way. I have a cousin in England who is a model, an uncle who is a singer, a cousin who is a seamstress, it is in the blood. It made sense that my creative side eventually started to shine through.

I ended up going back to Florida, and while I was still modeling, I remember meeting three different people again who told me that I should write, but I couldn’t quiet my mind to journal. They suggested I write three things that I was grateful for each day. This changed my life. When you are not focusing on the negative, things look different.”

This became the foundation of her journals. Churches and schools started to approach her about speaking, and her 3, 3, 3, 1 writing technique. Each day she empowers people to write and execute:

• 3 things for yourself (self-love)
• 3 things for other people (community) (check on a friend, gift a notebook)
• 3 things for your passion (business)
• 1 miscellaneous

“It helps the three major areas of your life. I am very intentional about my day, so I use the 3,3,3,1 technique. This is how “The Soulful Thought Collection” came to life. I tell people to give a journal to a friend, or young person, and hold them accountable. “Let’s be intentional” and “Let’s Wrap” are courses that I offer that plant seeds of healing in people’s lives. I want to share tools that have helped me throughout my challenges.”

Beyond her physical attributes, what truly makes Adoch beautiful is her spirit. She radiates strength, resilience, and a sense of purpose. She embodies a deep sense of self-love and self-assuredness that inspires those around her. Her intelligence, kindness, and authenticity shine through, making her not only a stunning presence but also a beautiful soul. So happy that I met you in this lifetime.

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

“I am calling companies, reviewing the Jamaica Stock Exchange, keeping an eye on what is happening throughout the day, rushing to get the story so that I keep the community up to date. You have to be on top of things.”

I am always excited to hear stories from young journalists. It’s a field that is wide open, with many avenues and opportunities for careers in print journalism, broadcasting, and online journalism. These young people are interested in telling stories about people and the problems they are in, sometimes-complex stories that society is not ready to hear about.

While there may be a lack of Black Caribbean female journalists in some media outlets, it is important to acknowledge that there are indeed talented and accomplished individuals in this field. Representation is an ongoing issue in many industries, including journalism, and this is why it is important to amplify their voices and advocate for greater diversity and representation in the media industry.

From Yamiche Alcindor to Soledad O’Brien there are undoubtedly talented Black Caribbean female journalists who are making significant contributions to the field, and I am elated to be at the genesis of another journalistic powerhouse.

I had the opportunity to work alongside our Woman Empowered just a couple weeks ago at the 53^rd Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Caribbean Development Bank in St. Lucia. She was brought to the island to collect and analyse information concerning newsworthy events within the world of finance and commerce. Her day typically involved digging up and deciphering key documents and data. Her ultimate responsibility is to provide accurate, actionable advice for readers in Jamaica.

Kellaray Miles was born in St. Catherine, Jamaica. The parish of St. Catherine is located on the south coast between the parishes of St. Andrew to the east, Clarendon to the west, and St. Ann and St. Mary to the north.  

“It is a rural community, very picturesque,” Kellaray shares with me. “I grew up in an extended family, and I am the only child for my mom. Even though I was an only child, I didn’t feel like it, and my mom made sure of that. I had the presence of my cousins; we shared everything and did everything together. I have to admit, I was a spoiled child; my mom gave me everything.”

Kellaray’s early childhood education began at Sligoville Basic School, and she went to complete primary school at Dunrobin Primary.

“It was in Primary school that I noticed my talents; I realized right away that I didn’t like numbers, I preferred words. I loved to write stories and I really enjoyed comprehension and composition.

Teachers were always giving me the chance to use my imagination; my mom noticed that I had a talent. She was always impressed with the marks that I received in English, and teachers had a lot to say about my writing.”

She attended Wolmer’s High School for girls (2002 – 2009), and received a CXC Associate Degree in Humanities. Kellaray then went onto University of the West Indies (2009 – 2014), where she graduated with a MSc. in Government (Public Sector Management/Comparative Politics), and a BSc. in Political Science (Major) with a Minor, with Honours in International Relations.

“I think another aspect of my upbringing that made my writing skills so strong was that I always had a lot of books. Nancy Drew was one of my favourite series. I always wanted to be in the know so I was always reading, reading, reading.

My writing was on a linear path; I was convinced that I was going to be an attorney, so I kept reading and writing. I didn’t really journal, but I enjoyed writing.”

Plans are great because they help you make decisions about what to do, or not do, in order to help achieve your goals. Like any plan, though, unexpected changes can occur that either help or hinder your life goal achievement. So was the case with Kellaray.

“Journalism wasn’t really by choice, I just ended up here. I was doing really well in school, and my marks were good enough to get me into law school. When the time came for me to accept, I had to come to a tough realization; the finances were way too much, so I decided to get more so in political science.

One of my friends in high school was working at the Jamaica Observer at that time. In Jamaica, if you don’t have connections it can be difficult to land a job, especially when you get out of school. She was working there as a proof-reader, and she was always commenting on my brightness. She asked if I was interested in coming to work there. Ummm, Yes!”

In the early 90’s Jamaica had developed the dubious reputation as a cemetery for failed newspapers. Up and coming newspapers had failed to adapt to changing reader preferences, and struggled to retain and attract new audiences. Producing and distributing a print newspaper involves significant costs, such as printing, paper, and distribution expenses. If revenues declined and operating costs remained high, newspapers would find it challenging to sustain their operations and make a profit.

It was against that intimidating, foreboding background that Butch Stewart teamed up with banker Delroy Lindsay and Trinidadian media mogul Ken Gordon in 1992 to establish the Jamaica Observer, which hit the streets on March 7^th, 1993.

For Butch, Jamaica was too sophisticated and dynamic to be a “one-newspaper society”. To him, the Observer was a gift to Jamaica. It was about producing a different type of journalism that was focused on mirroring the best of Jamaicans to themselves and to celebrate the daily heroism of the ordinary people. Their success is due to the production of high-quality and reliable journalism. This includes: accurate reporting, in-depth research, thorough fact checking, and maintaining high ethical standards. They consistently deliver trustworthy news, which has gained them credibility and has attracted a loyal readership. Now, Kellaray was about to become a part of this legacy.

“When I went in for the interview, the interviewer loved me. As a test, he gave me a financial reporter on a resort, and he asked me to write a small story. I wrote something, and he was like, ‘Good, Good!

Like that it started for me. I was told that there was a financial writer position opening up, and I seized the opportunity. It takes a certain skill set to be an effective financial journalist; skills that can be developed in journalism and/or business school, while gaining work experience, or through independent learning. I didn’t necessarily come into this position with all the skills needed, but I have worked on it, and challenging myself has made me a more proficient writer.”

Kellaray shared the lessons she has learned as a financial journalist. “You have to make numbers your friend: It’s important to get a good sense of the scale of numbers. You also have to understand the relationships between numbers: It’s vital for financial journalists to understand what growth rates are, what inflation rates are, and how financial data is measured.

I have become proficient at spotting trends versus random fluctuations: Good financial journalists can tell the difference between a legitimate pattern, and random fluctuations in financial data, and I pay attention to details: When looking at the reports of big, complex companies, I now have the ability to read the accounts in more detail to find out what’s really going. I also had to learn how to use proper terminology: as a financial journalist I have to be aware of what emotion could be attached to a particular word.

I think it was God’s plan for me not to get into law. I force myself to remember that my start does not determine my finish. If I could share a message with young women, I would say when you get an opportunity, go after it because you never really know what will happen. Even though I am a financial journalist, I have the opportunity and freedom to write what I need.

The inspiration that journalists and their work can give to others can help to change the world, and I am happy to be a part of that.” 

By Sydnee Walcott

While killing two birds with one stone is challenging for some, one woman is defying those odds. 

Karen Samuels moved to Canada from Jamaica at the age of three. At a young age, it wouldn’t have been easy for her to describe the transition from one country to another. However, as an adult, she now views the transition as confusing.

Samuels had these feelings, because she felt she was losing her two central male role models present in her life. These two role models were her father and her late grandfather. Although she moved to Canada with her grandmother, she moved in with her mother, who had left her when she was six months old. This change made her feel like she was losing her grandmother as well.

Samuels describes she felt pushed towards having a relationship with a woman who was supposed to be a mother to her. Unfortunately, Samuels’s mother was never a mother to her. She never felt any love from her, and the love disappeared the moment she met her.

Samuels became a victim of colorism and featurism at the hands of her mother, and it played a role in her struggles with mental health. She knew there was a mental health issue when she was eight. However, she didn’t fully realize it until she turned 46.

Anxiety was the first mental health issue Samuels experienced. She would forget where she was and what she was doing. From there, it led to confusion because she didn’t talk about her issues with anger, lack of self-love, wanting to be someone else, and thinking she wasn’t worthy enough – all of this because of the lack of a mother’s love.

Years of professional therapy and understanding that it’s normal to find help is how Samuels overcame her struggles with mental health. She also uses her passions to help deal with her mental health struggles: staying physically active, maintaining an organized space, and music are some of her passions, and the ability to self-reflect has become a life changer for her. Cleaning helps her declutter the negative thoughts she has in her head. Going to the gym helps her release feelings. The most important one will be for her to acknowledge a problem and what she can do to overcome it.

The biggest thing she has done as a mental health advocate was to put herself on a platform and showcase relatability. Through this, Samuels has shown that not everyone who suffers from mental issues has an addiction or is incapable of moving past it.

She did not have any advocacy for mental health when growing up, so Samuels advocates for individuals who are dealing with mental health challenges; something that she wished would have been done for her when she was growing up.

“I had a lot of misconceptions on what anything mental meant,” said Samuels. She said there would be a lot of negative labels and stigmas she did not want to be associated with, and upon realization that these misconceptions were false, Samuels put herself out there for others to be able to see that anything was possible, it just took working on yourself. 

“We can get through this together,” she said.

Within the Black community, there is a stigma surrounding mental health. Samuels’ advice is for people to acknowledge that if something does not feel right, to deal with the feelings that come with it. Acknowledging a problem shows courage and strength. The weakness is when one hides it and doesn’t get help.

As a mental health advocate, she enjoys giving someone the courage to share their story and relate to them. Samuels would like to do more public speaking on mental health in any setting for people of all ages. She is also in the process of piecing together her story to share with the community.

As someone who grew up in the Jane and Finch area, Samuels likes to give back and prove not everyone in the neighborhood is a criminal. Her fondest memory of being in the area was feeling a sense of community. Samuels misses how everyone knew each other and looked out for one another.

“The whole community was a family,” said Samuels, “It is not something that you witness anymore.”

Samuels would like to see the Jane and Finch community revert to how it was when she was a child.

She wants more recreational options for kids besides basketball and track and field for example: horseback riding, gymnastics, and skating. “Just something different from the norm for that neighborhood,” she said.

Samuels shared with me about the time that she lost everything and ended up at a woman’s shelter. There she met other women who experienced the same issues. They were in a situation where all they needed was some help. Despite the challenges, Samuels overcame her homelessness by accepting the help she needed. Her time in a women’s shelter is what inspired her to want to give back.

The first giveback happened in December 2021 at the Driftwood Community Centre. She raised $7,500 for: gift cards, food, and clothing. Last year’s giveback happened at the Jane and Finch Mall and raised over $12,000. Samuels also volunteers with: Seva Food Bank, Young Bosses in Business, and Peel and Toronto Police.

It is important that we as a community recognize the work of someone like Karen Samuels; it is heroines like her that keep our community together.