The nation is mourning the loss of founder of Hear The Children’s Cry and prominent advocate for the nation’s children, Betty Ann Blaine.

Mrs. Blaine passed away this morning in Georgia, in the United States, surrounded by her family.

A statement from her family said the 75 year old died after a long illness, during which she worked tirelessly over WhatsApp to continue her advocacy. 

Mrs.Blaine was a leading advocate and activist for the welfare of children for over 30 years. 

She was the founder of two national organizations: Youth Opportunities Unlimited, founded in 1992, and Hear The Children’s Cry, founded in 2002.

Mrs. Blaine served as the pioneering holistic child development coordinator at the Caribbean Graduate School of Theology in Kingston, and hosted two radio talk shows. 

She also served as a university lecturer in Southern African and Black American history, and was a leading spokesperson in the Jamaican anti- apartheid movement.

Her colleague and friend of over 40 years, Public Relations Specialist Sandy McIntosh, says she met Mrs. Blaine in 1984 and worked with  her on many projects over the years.

Another of Mrs Blaine’s colleagues, Marva Duncanson, fondly remembers the contributions that she made to City and Guilds, noting she was integral in the adoption of the certifications offered by the agency in Jamaican schools.