One Month Later

The temperature in NYC has dropped.

School is in full session.

We have been home for over a month.

Our experiences in Jamaica have helped both Everton and I transition into our new positions. Having spent three weeks in Kingtson has given me a taste of Jamaican culture, history and Jamaican children. Everton and I now both teach at new schools with a mostly Caribbean population. The three weeks in Jamaica has also made the transition more difficult in some ways.

The children here are different. The children here do not have to worry about not having money for school shoes, text books, and their parents do not have to pay for the school's utilities.

I see so many opportunities here that the children in Kingston do not have. I saw so much hope in Kingston that the children here do not have, or do not think they need to have.

In the last month, Everton and I have kept in touch with the happenings with Youth Crime Watch Jamaica, the Burgher Progressive Youths, and the McIntyre Villa Community Center.

Since we have been gone, this is a bit of what has happened in Kingston.

The Burgher Progessive Youths had their pageant. We were there on the night that the idea was proposed to the Youths, and it was put on hold for further discussion. The original date was to be the first week of September, but because many of the Youth leaders are in school, they decided to have it the week after. Everton wanted to get involved and sent US$100.00 to help the cause.

Within weeks, a beauty pageant was born!

The event was held on Sunday, September 12 2010 at the Eastern Peace Center,

The goal of the event was to change the image of Burgher, a community that experienced much violence three years ago. The leaders of the Burgher Progressive Youth Group wanted to change the perception of their community, the goal is to show unity in the community and to display the beauty and talents in and around the Burgher community.

In a couple of weeks, this is what was organized!

Minister Paulwell attended and was the event's main sponsor.

A former Miss Jamaica served as one of the guest judges.

Knife was the guest speaker.

LA Lewis and his crew provided entertainment along with the Burgher Progressive Dancers.

I received an email the day after the event, and could feel the pride and joy of Randi, the President of Burgher Progressive. They felt that it was a mission accomplished. They had fun, they entertained, were entertain and saw how the Burgher community gathered in peace.

In the first week of school, I was able to fundraise with some of my friends to send some funds to the children at the McIntyre Villa Community Center. The US$300.00 helped to pay for school supplies, books and school shoes.

From reading the Jamaican Observer, we see that Knife is Knife. Knife is giving lectures, meeting and connecting people, and inspiring us here in NYC.

Here is an article that he was recently featured in.

]http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/business/Entrepreneur-offers-guidance-on-starting-a-business-in-Ja_7946031

Next steps for us:

We are in the process of working on our resumes, and personal statements and goals for next summer. We have gathered a group of interested teachers to go to Jamaica with next summer. We hope to 1. train teachers and social workers in the area of alternative education and 2. volunteer our time to the various community centers in Kingston.

We hope to raise some funds for this effort.

Little by little, penny by penny, we are trying to raise monies. At my school, we are collecting cans and bottles to redeem for cash, and this cash will go to Kingston to help pay for school supplies. So little can do so much in Jamaica, and we want to do as much as possible.