The nurturing Karen Fitz Ritson

She is known in the business world for her ability to whip aspiring executives into financial wizards; but perhaps only a few would know that teaching three to five year-olds in Kingston's inner-city communities is just as fulfilling for Karen Fitz Ritson.

Karen Fitz Ritson

As the director of Fitz Ritson and Associates, the financial analyst has more than enough to occupy her time. Still, most mornings find her with her colleagues preparing a pot of porridge or other common Jamaican breakfast staples for children from dysfunctional or poverty-stricken homes in Kingston.

For the past 12 years, Fitz Ritson has been visiting Majesty Gardens, where she tries to inject love and attention into the community, which has been pegged as among the poorest in the island by the authorities.

At first, she would go along with her church to assist the basic school there, but having been exposed to the destitution which characterised the area, she was compelled to play an even bigger role.

"I made it my project to go down there and see what the needs were; and every year for the past 12 years, we go down there and assist the 90-something children between the ages of three and five," she told All Woman.

The project was a success from the start. While she wasn't able to change the mindset of the young mothers in the community, whose average ages range from 16-19 years old, she was able impact the youngsters positively.

This is an excerpt of an article published in the Jamaica Observer on Monday August 15, 2011. You can read the entire article at the Observer website.