UWI student grateful for mother’s sacrifice, scholarship

Every dollar that Deleen Brown earns as a domestic helper goes towards keeping her 20-year-old daughter Janoya Robinson in school. Now, after years of enduring severe financial hardship, Robinson is beating the odds at The University of the West Indies, where she is pursuing a double major in economics and banking and finance. While Robinson works towards changing their future,  her beloved mother is still working to keep their present together. And one day this summer, her mother’s simple wish left Robinson heartbroken. “A wonder a when mi a guh get fi buy some stuff fi miself?” her mother asked aloud. Robinson asked her what she wanted. “Just some drinks to put in my body,” was the simple answer. Brown has carried the financial burden for years, with little left over for herself. Robinson shared that her mother comes home tired and in pain, and it is heartbreaking to watch. “My mom is 64 years old, and so my goal has always been to finish school as soon as possible, so she can stop working.” Born in south Manchester, she moved to Clarendon when she was seven after her mother got a job as a domestic helper. taking care of her uncle’s wife.  However, financial difficulties shaped her childhood. While attending Mocho Primary, there were weeks when her mother ran out of lunch money, and she would have to borrow from her uncle. “And when she got her pay on the weekend, the following Monday she would repay my uncle,” Robinson recalled. Growing up, she  did not have textbooks for school, but Robinson was determined and learnt to take notes properly and teach herself the work. That determination paid off. At her primary school graduation, Robinson was the top female student, one of the valedictorians and the top mathematics student. She went on to Glenmuir High School, where she excelled academically, making the merit list every year and eventually ending on the honour roll. But the financial struggle never disappeared, and when graduation came, she was marked absent. She also did not advance to upper sixth. Instead, after completing lower sixth, she worked for eight months to save enough money to begin university. Those funds covered her miscellaneous and commitment fees and helped her through her first semester. “I had to take out a student loan. I started UWI as a part-time student and part-time students don’t, or hardly ever, get scholarships.”  Travelling from Mocho, she carefully arranged her classes so she could limit the number of days she had to travel to university. “For my entire first year, I was only attending school two days a week. I spent roughly $3,000 in my first year for fare per trip.” Robinson subsequently switched to full-time studies and began applying for scholarships. She applied for the Rita Marley Scholarship but was not shortlisted. She also tried to apply for a Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission grant, but difficulties obtaining the required documents caused her to abandon the application.

Then came the Milburn Corie Co-operative Tertiary Scholarship, which offers up to $500,000 towards tuition and books. “I thought I didn’t get shortlisted, but [later] I got a call saying that they weren’t seeing my transcript and that I should resend them. Shortly after that, I received the email that I was shortlisted.” “I went on the interview and I just told the truth. I did not pretty up anything.”She received the scholarship. “I am so happy and grateful. My mom was excited as well. Getting the scholarship means I have less student loan to repay, so when I finish university and I start working, I can quickly pay off the first year and just take care of my mommy.” Robinson said her own experience is one of the reasons she chose economics. She wants to understand poverty and eventually use what she learns to help Jamaica. And, she has one message for other young people struggling to find their way. “Do not let your situation break you. It’s not where you come from, but it’s where you go.”