GraceKennedy Jamaican Birthright Programme lauded for strengthening diaspora ties
Key Points(5)
- The GraceKennedy Jamaican Birthright Programme has once again been praised for its vital role in fostering cultural connection and professional development among young members of the Jamaican Diaspora.
- The five-week cultural and professional internship is tailored for second- and third-generation Jamaican university students from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
- The 2025 edition officially wrapped up on Friday, July 25, with a closing ceremony held at GraceKennedy’s corporate office in downtown Kingston.
- Participants spent the summer gaining hands-on experience at GraceKennedy subsidiaries matched to their academic interests, while also engaging in heritage tours, cultural activities, and mentorship sessions that immersed them in Jamaican life.
- Speaking at the ceremony, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon.
The GraceKennedy Jamaican Birthright Programme has once again been praised for its vital role in fostering cultural connection and professional development among young members of the Jamaican Diaspora.
The five-week cultural and professional internship is tailored for second- and third-generation Jamaican university students from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The 2025 edition officially wrapped up on Friday, July 25, with a closing ceremony held at GraceKennedy’s corporate office in downtown Kingston.
Participants spent the summer gaining hands-on experience at GraceKennedy subsidiaries matched to their academic interests, while also engaging in heritage tours, cultural activities, and mentorship sessions that immersed them in Jamaican life.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, lauded the initiative for bridging the gap between Jamaica and its Diaspora youth.
“Across generations and across leaderships, it has remained a critical pillar. For that, we celebrate, given its unquestioned strengthening of affinity between our Jamaican community, particularly… second- and third-generation Jamaicans, and Jamaica,” the Minister said.
She emphasized that meaningful Diaspora engagement remains central to Jamaica’s foreign policy strategy. “Our Diaspora—including our young people like our Birthright interns—possesses so much knowledge, skills, perspective, passion, drive, and other quintessential ingredients that make us so special as a people,” she said.
The GraceKennedy brand has long enjoyed strong support and loyalty from the Diaspora, many of whom see the company as a trusted symbol of home and heritage.
Four students were selected for the 2025 cohort, which began on June 23—two from the U.S., one from Canada, and one from the U.K. Their time in Jamaica was marked by both professional growth and cultural reconnection, underscoring the programme’s broader aim of strengthening global ties within the Jamaican family.
