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Day 12

CW: Shooting/School Lockdown

This morning was difficult to say the least, not only was it our last day but we had an incident in Augustown. While we were out that day we heard gunshots coming from the community. The school was immediately put on lockdown. All 300 children were placed in two classrooms and there was a lot of chaos during that time. Our placement students tried to run sessions (as I described previously) and do quiet activities with the kids to help relieve some stress from the morning’s events.

In the afternoon, for our final placement visit we went to JNCH (Jamaica National Children’s Home) where our students were hosting a Fun Day. This included painting, games, face paint, and a pizza lunch. There was also a group of individuals in another ward of the agency with severe developmental challenges, who we spent time reading and finger painting with them as an activity.

After we finished at JNCH we went back to Papine for our final time to spend with the Mona and Mackenzie communities. We played a ton of games and said our goodbyes.

After we were finished our community leaders came back with us to residence to debrief about our last two weeks in Kingston and how they felt the group was and how the partnership went.

Day 11

Thursday, February 28, 2019

Today I went back to Augustown and our project there was to run sessions with the students at the primary school.

CW: Traumatic content with description of murder.

Augustown has, in the last two years, been hit with a serious wave of gun violence. Since we arrived last week there have been eight people in the community murdered. When I spoke with the principal to inquire about the recent increase in shootings, he had explained that he believes the influx is due to contract killings. Meaning there are members of the community who are getting paid to murder someone over a feud, basically a hit man.

The primary school and students have been severely traumatized by the shootings and a few students we are working with have lost fathers and uncles to the events in the area. One of the kids recalled coming home and before entering their gate finding a dead body. Students have described seeing people shot in the head. The school is working on enhanced protocol for Lockdowns when there are shootings in the area and also interventions for students. The guidance counsellor had explained there have been incidents of students vomiting and wetting themselves during school Lockdowns.

We have been running 45min sessions with the classes during our time here where we discuss identifying emotions and support systems in and out of school for the students to help cope with trauma they are facing.

After our day practicum we went back to the residence to set up for our annual Fun Day event at Hope Gardens for the youth and children in the community. This involves snack prep, organizing games and activities such as water balloon fights, skipping rope contests, football matches, colouring stations, water/bubble activities, and card games.

Day 10

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Today I went to Bellevue Hospital (the largest mental health hospital in the Caribbean) and Open Arms (men's shelter).

At Bellevue our students have been working on a database for the hospital to keep track of patients as well as an information session for a support-group. The support-group session is meant to facilitate activities for the individuals who have family or friends at the hospital that are in the process of being discharged to go back to living at home with family or a caregiver. This group helps the guardians and parents connect and prepare for bringing their loved ones back home.

Open Arms is an 80-bed shelter for men run by one woman, her son, and a very small staff. By far this is one of the most amazing placements we have in our program. It is an Non-Government Organization which aims to play an integral role in the eradication of homelessness in Jamaica. The facility offers training for trades including electrical, plumbing, harvesting/agriculture, and textiles/sewing. Here is some more information about the organization:

After we finished at the placements we went back to Papine and had our usual recreation time with the community followed by dinner and then a class with the students.

Day 9

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Today I went to Tarrant High School and Drewsland.

At Tarrant High School the projects that are being worked on is a mural outline or the after-school program space, as well as peer-support groups. The guidance counsellor felt that the room they use for programs they run was dull and needed to be re-done so it was a better environment. They discussed making it similar to a youth drop-in center, so that it would have a less institutionalized feel. They want to paint it, add furniture, a punching bag, reading space, desks for work, and more. Our group is working on painting the outline of a mural in the room that the students can spend time finishing (colouring in) when they may be demonstrating behaviours and need an activity to release some stress. During the peer group sessions we work on conflict resolution by having the students run skits based off events they identify as being difficult to navigate in their every day lives in school and out of it. Most of these situations involve bullying, and peer pressure with sex and drug use.

Something our placement students have had to deal with at the High School is the influx of students who share stories of domestic and sexual abuse. The reason this happens is because, due to our group being strangers, they feel like they can open up and share things they can’t tell their teachers, peers, or guidance counsellor about. There is a sense of security behind disclosing a traumatic experience with a stranger who does not know you and won’t judge you. It is at times a struggle to find the right response when these situations come up. This is something that happened today, unfortunately.

There has been some disconnect between the students placed at Drewsland and we have been struggling with keeping half of the group focused on the project. We have had issues with professionalism from specific individuals so today we mainly went to keep an eye on things. Since this is a new placement for our students we want to ensure the first impression of our group working in the community is a positive one.

After we got back we went into the community for our usual recreation time with the Mona and Mackenzie communities. We wrapped it up early and went back to residence for dinner before going to the Mona Baptist Church to host our annual adult games night.

We plan a lot of programs and activities for the youth and children in the community but we have found the games night to be essential in building rapport with the adults in the community. It provides a time to connect with them and focus on giving them a night off and to have fun. It's always an amazing turn out and a fun night. I finally learned how to play dominoes and won my first game.

Day 8

Monday, February 25, 2019

Today we were set to go to the Hope Institute Hospital (Oncology & Palliative care hospital) and the School of Hope (School for individuals with developmental disabilities).

At the hospital we checked in with our students on their various projects for the hospital. They were currently working on name plates for the out-care patient's beds to bring some individuality to their space while they stay there. Another project that is in progress for the hospital is infographics for "Cancer(s) of the month" bulletins the hospital wants to send out monthly to increase awareness and knowledge of different cancers. The bulletins include signs/symptoms, various relevant statistics, screening measures/precautions, and so much more.

At the school, our students are in the process of working on a social skills protocol manual for students. They put together a portfolio of games and facilitated activities that they ran while at the school so that teachers and support staff can continue to use these methods after the students are done their placement. We also stopped into the Chupse shop where the school hires former graduates of the school to train them in making jewelry. All proceeds from the sales go towards paying them for their work. This is an amazing opportunity for graduates of the school and the group of individuals who work there are extremely passionate and talented.

After we were finished at the placements we went to the community for recreational time with the Mona and Mackenzie groups. Business as usual here. From there we went home to have dinner before a small group of us were invited to Drewsland to attend a premiere league football game with our community leaders there.

The game was amazing and we had the opportunity to spend more time with the Drewsland community and building that relationship. Since it's our first year having a placement in the community, it is important that we have a consistent presence and attending events we are invited to is essential.

Day 7

Sunday, February 24, 2019

Today was the annual River Day with the kids from the Mackenzie and Mona Commons community. We organized a group trip to Hope River in Gordon Town (Penfield) where we take the kids to play games, swim, and have a fun outing with each other.

Though we always have an amazing turnout, something that has been a struggle in previous years is getting the kids to go in the water. About two years ago a child from the community had drowned in the river (not with our program). Slowly but surely the kids have become more comfortable swimming again.

Another struggle is that there is a disconnect between the Mackenzie and Mona Commons communities. There are many years of history behind this feud but some of it relates to the difference between the communities in terms of socio-economic standing. That being the Mackenzies own their own properties and pay rent, while Mona Commons is a captured-land community.

One huge benefit of this river day is that we can have both communities together on neutral ground. They are so distracted by the time spent with the Seneca College group that we don’t often have any issues between the communities come up. Over the years, bringing them together in this way has helped narrow the divide between them.

Day 6

Saturday February 23, 2019

Today we had a day off. I decided to go to Hellshire (In Portmore) with a few of our students and one of the community members. We get to go to a public beach and spend time with the locals from the area. It’s also one of the best places to get Fish and Festival and you get to pick your own fish that is caught fresh the same day.

Day 5

Friday, February 22, 2019

Today I went to Augustown. This is the community that had experienced a recent and ongoing serious rise in gang violence. They have just recently been in the process of implementing their version of a "Code Red" for when shootings happen in the area. We were told that there have been incidents of students being so anxious and scared that they have vomited and urinated or defecated during lockdown procedures. We were also informed that they have had families move out of the community and move away due to threats or have had a loss in their families as a result of the violence. There is a rise in police officers in the community during specific hours. The school has an annual sports day and they are in the process of trying to find a way to use the field outside the school in a way that is safe to take the children. We were told there will be guards at the event but also they will be trying to get a fence put in.

We went from class to class introducing ourselves to the faculty and students, because this is our first time at this school and we are building a new relationship with them. We eventually settled in with a grade one class and spent time doing some art therapy with them and building rapport by spending time with them.

After our day was over we had a debrief with the guidance counsellor and the plan is to engage in some informal counselling with the students to gather information on how they are coping with the recent trauma the community has faced. We will be going into classes next week running 45min sessions for students on conflict management, anger management, anti-bullying and offering supports to them. Unfortunately with the amount of violence in the area the students are having difficulty with engaging with each other in class. They are very aggressive and at times violent toward one another.

Finally, same as always, after work we went to the community and had our normal rec time with the kids. We discussed our trip to the waterfall and asked them what activities they want to do while we are there.

Once we got back to residence we didn't have a class, instead after dinner we got together with other students and played cards.

(1:17am)

Day 4

Thursday, February 21, 2019

Today I went to Drewsland and spent time between the primary school and community. For the morning period the guidance counsellor had us sit in on a grade two class and observe two specific students who have behavioural deficits and got in trouble for stealing. We were meant to only observe and report our findings.

During the afternoon we went to the Drewsland Community and spent time with our liaisons there Kenrick and Troy. They brought us around the community to show us around and share the history behind the town and issues they tackle every day. One major concern is the gully under the bridge connecting them to another community is filled with garbage. Due to poor management of the community with the government turning a blind eye, the residents of that community have to resort to throwing garbage in the gully (meant to be a defence against heavy rain or hurricanes) and it eventually gets to the ocean. Another issue is the only medical centre between two feuding communities is located in Drewsland. They are the only ones using it and both communities are deeply in need. After we were finished going through the community and meeting the various leaders, our liaisons took us to play a game of pool. It was really great to get to meet them in a more informal setting and build rapport that way.

Once we were done placement we decided not to go back to residence and go straight to the Mona and Mackenzie community to do recreational time with the kids. Once we got back we had dinner, then had a late class since many important topics came up with the students. (I'll elaborate more in a future post)

Day 3

Wednesday, February 20th, 2019

Alright, it's 2:18am and I'm finally in bed to post. Another very long day as all of them will be. First thing we did was go to the market to get groceries. We needed fruits, veggies, eggs, boxed milk and almond milk. This group of students goes through food extremely fast so it looks like we are going to be making trips basically every other day.

After running some errands in the morning we went with a small group to the community to do some recreational time with the kids. When that was over we had to go back to residence to have a quick dinner and then head back to the community to meet with one of our liaisons (Ms. Junie) for an introduction night. We play ice breakers and discuss what has been going on in the community and with the surrounding areas. This event is very important for our group because we meet some of the older community leaders as well as some youth that are working toward a leadership role. We also collaborate and discuss dates and logistics for our River Day, Games Night, and Fun Day events that we hold with the Mona and Mackenzie communities.

To close off the night we didn't have class but I debriefed with a lot of the students about their placements and work. I also helped a few groups of students with placement projects they were getting involved with.

Sorry for the short post!

(15,511 steps today - 11.5km)

(2:35am)

Day 2

Tuesday, February, 19th, 2019

Today was extremely busy and hectic to say the least. I just got to bed (1:15am) and I’m sitting at 19,756 steps (over 15km) and that doesn't count any steps between (6:30-10:00pm).

We brought the students to their placements, made sure they got settled, and spoke with the supervisors about their expectations. When we got to Tarrant High School the guidance counsellor had asked that I come in for a few after-school sessions to work with specific students who are believed to have "fallen through the cracks”. The teachers feel that there are some students who have not been diagnosed with learning disorders. From what I’m told, these students are seriously struggling with academics and are believed to (by the teachers) have ADHD, dyslexia, or other similar disorders.

After that I returned to our residence with my partner (the second mentor on the trip) and we headed out to the market in the community to buy some groceries for the group. While we were out we ran into some community members from previous years and spoke to them about various things going on in Kingston. One thing that came up often was the violence going on in Augustown. They were telling us about a shooting that happened last night and that they hadn’t heard from one of their siblings in a while.

When everyone was back from their placements we ended up going out to the community and finding a spot for us to meet with the kids and get some recreation time in. When we got back to the residence, had dinner, and did a debrief with the class.

(1:28am Wednesday)

Day 1

Monday, February 18, 2019

Currently running on 40+ hours of no sleep, so bare with me on this post. It’s going to be a mess. Our flight was delayed two hours because there was ice on the wing of the plane. Customs was no problem, we flew through same as usual. The issue came with our bus ride to Papine. Our bus broke down twice on the side of the highway. What should have been a 45min trip turned into two hours. When we arrived we met with our community liaisons for dinner and discussed our plans for work tomorrow. I will going to the School of Hope, Hope Institute Hospital, and Tarrent High School to introduce the students to their work supervisors and showing them their route to work in the morning.

One thing that has come up as a concern is our accommodations. Usually we are in a retreat centre right between the Mackenzie and Mona Commons community, which are the two main communities we work with. The center provided us an indoor space to set up games nights for adults and the youth, and an outdoor space with ample room for the kids in the community to come to after they get off school to do recreation with us.

This year the retreat centre was turned into a home for young single mothers, which is really amazing and a much needed support in the area. Due to this change, now we are on campus at the University of West Indies (UWI) and staying in their dorms. This gives us no indoor space and no neutral outdoor space for us to do activities with the community. We went from being neighbours with them to being a 25min walk away. Either way we will make it work and sort it out. Another thing is we like to buy our produce and food locally (not on the university campus) so that will take a lot more effort to organize since we have moved. Before we were able to walk 5mins around the corner to grab some fruit, now we need to plan entire shopping trips.

That’s all for today!

(11:23pm)

Post coming soon. Had a lot of delays today but finally got to our residence.

Jamaica Partnership 2019

Monday, February 11th, 2019.

As some of you know I’ll be returning to Jamaica soon to go on a community development project with Seneca College. I went previously in 2017 as a student and worked at the Hope Institute Hospital. This year I will be returning as a mentor to support the students and faculty on the trip.

Over the last few months I’ve attended the project retreat to meet the students and faculty I’ll be supporting as well as helping to facilitate during their weekly classes and answer questions for this year’s students attending the trip.

Leading up to the trip, we prepare the students with ethics-based lessons on appropriate conduct while on an international project as well as discussing social issues going on in the communities and placements we will be supporting.

Agency Partnerships:

Hope Institute Hospital - Residential hospital for patients seeking cancer treatment or requiring palliative care.

School of Hope - Public school for students with intellectual, developmental and/or physical disabilities.

Jamaican National Children’s Home (JNCH) - Residential program/orphanage for children 0 – 18 who are in child protective custody.

Tarrant High School - Working with the guidance department at the high school.

Family Unification and ReIntegration (FURI) - Drop in program for deportees.

Mona Baptist Church - The church is very community-minded and active. The run numerous programs that benefit economically disadvantaged community members.

Bellevue Mental Health Hospital - Residential hospital for patients with mental health challenges.

Open Arms - Shelter for homeless men and women.

Child Development Agency (CDA) - The CDA is a national organization that operates with a similar mandate to our Children’s Aid Society.

Community Partnerships

Mona Commons & Mackenzie Community - Captured-land community (a community with no legal rights to the land they inhabit) of approximately 2000+ families existing with little infrastructure support (water and hydro) but great strength and passion.

Past projects include: workshops with potential community leaders; healthy relationship groups with teens and pre-teens; co-facilitating annual Fun Day with community leaders; creation of leadership development opportunities.

Drewsland Community - This is a new opportunity for our project. Drew’s Landing is a community of about 2200+ people located approximately 45 minutes from Papine. In 2017, faculty and mentors from our project met with community leaders who had heard of our work with Mona Commons and had an interest in pursuing a similar partnership. Last year we spent a few days meeting community members and ran focus groups that assisted in identifying areas of future partnership. We have communicated with them throughout the year and are very excited to begin a formal and full partnership for our 2019 Project.

Augustown - Last year through a community connection, faculty met with the principal and teachers of Augustown Basic School, who have requested that we pursue a possible partnership with them. Our hope for 2019 is we begin to formally work with Augustown Basic School and start the process of community engagement.

As a mentor I will be splitting my time between going to the various organizations to check in with the students and support them, as well as working in Drewsland and Augustown on our new developments. There is a current issue with gun violence in the community and we will be doing some work with trauma management.

New year, new team!

Jamaica Project 2019 here we come!

Day 12

Thursday, March 2nd, 2017

First thing this morning we met with the women in our out-patient program since the radiation machine at the hospital they go to is being serviced. We got to work on the “Tree of Self” activities with them. We also had a chance to visit with the men and one of the women in palliative care. It was an early day at the hospital because our team was hosting a “Fun Day” at Hope Gardens for the kids. We did activities like dodge ball, 100m sprint, football, and had a colouring station. There was also the word’s shortest water balloon fight, which lasted all of 30 seconds. We had an amazing turnout of kids and young leaders who came out from the community. It was a pleasure to see the youth from the community act as leaders and take charge of the activities and show the kids a good time! It is an honour to have been able to work with such active and engaging community members. We walked the kids back and the goodbye was very long, they knew we are leaving soon and you could tell it's finally setting in for them that our time here is coming to an end. I think it’s finally setting in for me also. After our goodbyes, we had some dinner and then the rest of the night was free for us to relax.

Day 11

Wednesday, March 1st, 2017

Today was fun day! We began with showing our patients artwork that was donated from the patients at Bellevue Hospital. Everyone was allowed to choose one to hang over their beds for decoration. The rest we hung in the palliative care ward to add some colour and decoration to the walls. We took the ladies into our conference room to do some art therapy and legacy work. We also added to the “Hands for Hope” wall in the front entrance of the Hospital. After a quick lunch break, we finished off the day playing bingo with the patients and facilitating activities for them. We walked back home and, business as usual, the kids and community members were waiting to do some outdoor recreation with us. We wrapped it up early so we can have an early dinner and host the adult games night for the community. Once we started it was really a beautiful sort of chaos. I did not expect the turnout we got. Having the community leaders around without the young children left a lot more room for more formal conversations. This night was so important for the adults and young leaders in the community because, for one part, we do a lot of activities for the children and not anything specific for the adults. Also, usually we do not get to meet the teen girls from the community because they are usually acting as caregivers, and also have other responsibilities at home. The night was a complete success!

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