Meet Tamar McKenzie, ‘Blakka’ Ellis and a new idea called NASPA Who is Tamar McKenzie? Tamar McKenzie is an entrepreneurial prodigy. At 15 years old, she demonstrated exemplary business acumen and passion as an educator by starting her New Approach School on her mother’s verandah in Portmore while she was still a student at Campion College. Initially created out of need, the initiative which saw her tutoring children from her church on Saturdays, assisted significantly with funding her own secondary education.
Over a two month period, the group outgrew the small verandah and she relocated to the gazebos of Hope Gardens with a group of ten students. As she worked with the students to prepare for their GSAT exams it was clear that one day a week was not enough and during the rainy periods, the gazebos became uncomfortable. As a result, she approached her then Principal, Mr Radley Reid, who allowed her to use a classroom at Campion. She was now a student and teacher at the same school, and the challenges grew with both her teachers and her peers. Within six months of being at Campion, however, she saved enough funds from the business and started renting a shop at the Liguanea Post Mall.
Shortly after completing 6th form, Tamar received a partial scholarship to the Georgetown University to study Law, but she returned home after three months and resolved to invest in New Approach. New Approach became a registered business in June 2010 and produced earnings which funded her university education at the University of the West Indies, where she completed a BSc in Human Resource Management.
Referrals and heartfelt testimonials from satisfied parents and happy children, combined with her excellent reputation for success as a tutor for the children of prominent politicians, other noted public officials and private sector leaders, have contributed to the continued growth of the New Approach brand.
Writer, educator and performing artist, Owen Blakka Ellis is the boy from First Street who went to Trench Town Primary barefooted in the late 60s and returned there driving an SUV in the 90s as Chairman of the Board of Directors. He is one of the principals involved in the success of Ellis International Limited – a Jamaican company which produces a range of theatrical, stand-up comedy and television projects including the annual Christmas Comedy Cook-up, and the popular Ity and Fancy Cat Show.
Known more for his very visible work in entertainment, Mr Ellis also has decades of working experience in the areas of gender, community development and education. He has conducted workshops and training seminars for youths and communities, development workers, cultural agents, Peace Corps volunteers, diplomats, teachers and performers locally and internationally, including working in Canada, England, Germany, South Africa and Zimbabwe. He is one of the co-founders of the Jamaican inner-city Arts-in-Education project, Area Youth Foundation.
He taught Drama, English and Literature in the Jamaican secondary school system, lectured at colleges in Canada and Jamaica and served for nine years as Chairman of the Board of Directors for Trench Town Primary School.
Ellis also published two books of poetry. His writing also appears in major anthologies including ‘So Much Things to Say: 100 Poets from the first Ten Years of Calabash’ and ‘In this Breadfruit Kingdom’ edited by Professor Mervyn Morris.
He studied Theatre Arts and Drama Education at Edna Manley College, and Social Work at the University of the West Indies. He has a Master in Environmental Studies (MES) from York University in Toronto and is currently doing research and study towards a PhD in Cultural Studies at UWI.
To Read More: Purchase your copy of Volume 9 #4– September-October 2017