Meet Francine Melonie Staple, manager for security and safety at Kingston Container Terminal (KCT) based at Port Bustamante in Kingston, Jamaica. Her story shows how hopelessness can turn into hope and success.
Staple had a rough life growing up in Jamaica. At age two, she was neglected by her mother, then raised by a woman in her community. At age 14 she was a ward of the Jamaican government. Four years later at the age of 18, Staple became pregnant.
Her story could have ended like many young girls in Jamaica who came before and after her. But fortunately it didn’t. Staple became motivated. She attended Excelsior High School and even though she was a singe parent, she went on to complete her studies at Elatho’s Business College, the University of the West Indies’ School of Continuing Studies and the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom.
Today Francine Melonie Staple is a confident, strong and tough woman with the big responsibility to protect Jamaica’s largest port; not an easy job for the average person
Watch the interview below and I am sure you will be inspired.
In a recent interview with the Jamaica Gleaner, Staple said “I would like persons to know, especially those in (state) homes and pregnant teens, that they should not allow their present circumstances to dictate their plans for the future,”
“These girls in need of care and protection should set short-, medium- and long-term goals, and constantly plan their lives and dream big,”
Read the full story here
