Following we are introducing to you where the donations go to in the current situation of the hurricane aftermath.
St. Elizabeth is currently one of the regions of the island most severely affected by Hurricane ‘Melissa’. Our goal is therefore to provide local children and young people with direct institutional support and educationally valuable day care. To ensure this as quickly and reliably as possible, we are supporting the reopening of the Great Start Academy.
Our current efforts include various learning and support services: By employing additional therapeutic professionals, the school provides pastoral care and initial psychological support. This is for the initial treatment of trauma and for the mental and emotional stabilization of the children. A daily lunch also ensures basic care, which is still not given in many places!
In addition, with our support, the school will hire additional teachers who will open the school on Saturdays to young people from the nearby communities who do not attend the school and offer them free CXC preparation courses for upcoming exams. As the region currently lacks a reliable electricity supply, generators will be installed in the school building. These will not only ensure that the school can operate but will also offer the local population the opportunity to charge their smartphones and power banks.
Plant A Seed! – Urban farming as a sustainable learning principle!
A special focus is placed on the “Plant A Seed” initiative we implementing at the ‘Great Start Academy’ school. Melissa almost completely destroyed the region’s cultivated fields and crops. The project therefore combines two fundamental learning objectives: involving and supporting farmers, who enable students to learn essential basic techniques of food cultivation. At the same time, the project contributes to secure the local food supply and actively involves young people in addressing this challenge. In this way, Help Jamaica! not only creates a short-term improvement in the food situation but also fosters new and participatory future prospects, enhancing career opportunities!
