Florida, August 11, 2017– The Jamaica 55 Diaspora Conference held in Kingston on July 23-26, 2017 was the launching pad for the Jamaica Diaspora and Friends Excellence Award (JDAFEA). The JDAFEA will be the first global Diaspora peer award to recognize the initiatives of Diaspora members and friends of Jamaica that support the growth of Jamaica’s Economy, People, Culture and Communities.

The JDAFEA Foundation; comprised of Diaspora members from the USA, UK and Canada, saw the need to create this unprecedented peer award.  “We want to celebrate the achievements of the Jamaican Diaspora and Friends of Jamaica in each award category which initially includes; Health, Education, Agriculture, Business, Ambassadorship and Goodwill” remarked Keisha Tingling, Chairman of the Foundation. Equally important is the Foundation’s need to recognize and reward excellence in the various projects, as well as to provide a platform for networking and partnerships. The award will be accompanied by a monetary grant to further philanthropic projects along with a prestigious trophy. Thus, Diaspora members are encouraged and invited to support by taking part in upcoming fundraiser events in the different regions.

The Foundation will begin receiving applications on Jamaica Diaspora day, June 16, 2018 and the first award ceremony is slated to coincide with the 8th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference. For further information visit the JDAFEA website, www.jdafea.org.