A new brand of exercise books was launched recently. It’s called I Can!, and its creators – Altano Morgan and Tamara Morgan – hope that it will help to inspire change among children, through its inspirational messages and pictures that are aimed at changing the behaviour of young people.
After viewing exercise books with foreign secular artistes on the covers in a local book store, it struck Altano Morgan that local gospel personalities would make excellent role models for Jamaicans, and that their pictures could accompany positive words of inspiration.
Thus, Morgan met with members of the gospel music fraternity – including Prodigal Son, DJ Nicholas, Jason Mighty, Goddy Goddy, Ryan Mark, Kevin Downswell, Teena Tamara and Nadine Blair – and they agreed to be featured on the new brand of exercise books that he planned to produce. Thus, the I Can! brand of exercise books, notepads and other writing material, featuring well known gospel artistes and personalities, was born.
The brand was launched recently in Kingston, and Morgan noted that the faces of the gospel artistes on the books is simply a puller to bring the message which they would like to deliver to young people today. At the footer of each page of the books, are messages such as “this subject is not hard because my potential is greater. If I study hard and apply the knowledge well, great success will be my reward. Yes, I (space left for child’s name) can!” Patois (Jamaican language) is also used for some of the messages, for example with “mi nah give up” being used instead of “I will not give up”.
Kudos to Altano and Tamara Morgan for their effort to use purely indigenous means to try to inspire and motivate Jamaican children.
- Elements derived from an article that was originally featured in the Jamaica Observer newspaper
February 19th, 2012 at 11:07 pm
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Morgan:
Congratulations on trying to make your business work. Saw you on the Innovators.
Stay with your dream, but do some of the things that Gary pointed you to: If people need printing, you can do it at night or evenings, or somewhere in the day when the machines are slow.
Also, go see Leacham Semaj, and call Minister Thwaites Ministry of Education, he should buy some of those books.
Show this wonderful concept to the people who will use it. This is not for everyone. It’s for the very special! You are special!
Don’t be afraid to explore the Caribbean too.
Make sure your costs are okay.
God Bless you.
I am Rosemarie Greene, Spanish Town Citizens Against Gun Violence.
There are book stores in Spanish Town too who could use the motivation.
Shadeed, Sangsters, Kingston Bookstore.
You can also get free help from the schools, they have a program where they send stuents for a three week spin, I think, and that’s good training for them. Get them involved in the book too.
My website is: spanishtownjamaica.com
Peace,
Rosemarie
403-2007