Jamaica Community Development Programme – June 2022 & 2023
In 2022, I decided to embark on a community development volunteer programme in Jamaica because I wanted to explore and reconnect with my ancestrial roots in a meaningful way as the grandddaughter of Jamaican immigrants who settled in England.
With funds raised, I designed and painted a vibrant mural at the Women’s Resource and Outreach Centre (WROC), in Kingston, which was received to rave reviews by the locals. Thus, the trip proved to be worthwhile and transformative experience. I not only gave back but also regained my passion for art, after being inspired by the positive impact that my artwork had made in Jamaica. Having made my mark, I decided to return a second time in 2023 to create a captivating mural at a kindergarten in Manning’s Hill, Kingston.
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June 2022 – the Women’s Resource and Outreach Centre (WROC) in Kingston, Jamaica.
The WROC works in vulnerable communities and aims to “create and sustain an environment which promotes gender equality and empowerment of women and girls and supports boys and men through personal, social and economic development programmes”.
The WROC, with the support of volunteers, run workshops and knowledge and skills programmes for women in three areas: Health & Wellness, Community Capacity Building and Advocacy on Gender Equality.
The WROC also runs after school programs for local children. The children come from different backgrounds and enjoy playing outside the centre before their classes begin. They were very excited about the mural, and it has transformed the space outside the building into a more fun environment.
Painting the Mural:
The wall needed to be rendered before I could begin painting and so a local labourer was hired using some of the funds that were raised. I purchased cement and sand as well as the painting supplies using the funds. The money also paid for the mason’s lunch as it was hard and thirsty work in the 30 degree heat! The mural took a few days to complete, after the wall had been rendered and primed, but it was well worth the effort.
I am proud to hear that the mural has received rave reviews from the locals and that passers by and people visiting the centre are impressed whenever they see it.
Soup Kitchens:
The second part of this trip took me out of the city and into a hilltop community where I volunteered at two soup kitchens:
The first kitchen was run by the Seventh Day Adventist Church where I cooked brown stew for lunch with the staff. The cooked food was put into tupperware boxes and handed out to the local people waiting outside who could not afford to eat.
The second soup kitchen was at the Church of God of Prophecy where I donated supplies that I had brought with me to make care packages to take to the elderly and vulnerable in the community. The care packages, which I helped to deliver, are delivered once a month. We used the volunteer mini van on this occasion but usually the deliveries are mostly done on foot by the staff as they have no vehicle. This kitchen, which was set up to provide food in November 2020 for the elderly, vulnerable persons, and children during the pandemic, makes soup and soft food every day to be delivered to the elderly. Many people in the community are lonely and isolated and their lives have been seriously affected by the pandemic. It felt great to brighten these people’s day by paying them a visit and having a quick chat. The soup kitchens do a wonderful job in the community and rely on funding through donations. My left-over funds were donated to both soup kitchens.
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June 2023 – Evans Basic School, Mannings Hill
This trip took me out of the heart of Kingston and into a village community on the outskirts of the capital where I painted a mural at a kindergarten. In fact, the school was next door to the soup kitchen that I visited last year, and very close to the second kitchen I also visited, and so I stopped by to say “hello” and give the kitchen coordinators some resources to distribute to the community. They really appreciated the support.
At the school, I was warmly welcomed and greeted cheerfully every day by the staff, children, and parents. I was referred to as “painter” by people in the community every time someone saw me or passed by. I was kindly invited to partake in lunch daily as the school had cooking facilities. I felt that this trip was even more educational than the last, as I immersed myself even more into the beautiful surroundings, observing Jamaica’s melting pot of cultures, how people live on a caribbean island, and how school and the education system in Jamaica works.
Stray animals are a common sight in Jamaica. I wanted to try to help some of the animals on this trip, and so a small amount of the funds that I had raised was used to buy cat and dog food to help feed some hungry strays that were by the school. However, it became apparent that the only real solution to the island’s strays is to get them spayed and educate people through outreach about animal welfare.
Reminders of the positive impact that volunteers have had on this village community were everywhere: from the less obvious internal renovation projects and walkways to the donated school climbing frame and now, of course, my mural.
I was joined on the programme by a young family: an American social worker and her children (aged 7 and 9) who had decided that Jamaica was where she wanted to give back, and so the family were placed at a home/detention centre for teenage girls from troubled backgrounds. This woman believed that she had the skills and strategies to help these girls and did a great job supporting them through counselling, fitness therapy classes and practicing mindfulness.
The family and I were kindly invited one evening to celebrate the 10th anniversary of a local care home for girls, ‘Annie Dawson Home for Children’, in Kingston. Local partners and board members gave thanks to the founder and care givers at the home who continue to do their very best for the girls. It was a pleasure to be part of the celebrations.
The family were great volunteer buddies, and the children helped me paint some of the mural, take photos, and change the water one morning. The programme was a wonderful experience for the family.
Before painting, the wall was rendered by a mason who was paid using some of the funds. I also gave an unemployed local, who was outside the school, an opportunity to earn some money by sanding the wall, helping me pour paint, and cleaning the tray and paint brushes. He was a big help whilst I worked away in the near 40-degree heat with the distracting sounds of children and cars around me.
I was able to support the local community by stopping for an ice-cold drink at some of the nearby shops in the plaza. People were curious about an international visitor coming to the village to paint and I became a familiar face to the local vendors and chatted to them about the work I was doing at the school. People seemed impressed by my efforts and a nearby fruit and vegetable vendor awarded me with a bag of mangoes for brightening up the wall next to his stall.
The highlight of the trip was when the mural was completed, and the children thanked me and told me how beautiful their school now looked. It felt good seeing their happy smiling faces admiring the transformation to the school wall, and that the mural and its positive impact will be around for years to come.
Kind words from school principal upon my departure:
“On behalf of the staff and students of Evans Basic School I truly appreciate your kind gesture of making the entrance of the school so welcoming. Thank you so much.”
I would say to anyone thinking about doing voluntary work in Jamaica, or anywhere else overseas, to just go for it. Whatever your background or personal circumstances, taking time out to give back to those who are less fortunate is a really worthwhile experience and can even change your life!
To anyone hesistant about visiting Jamaica – don’t be!
Jamaica is such a wonderful place; a melting pot of cultures. The people are so welcoming, warm and friendly. You will have a truly unforgettable experience.
Video: “Thank you for making our school beautiful”.