January 2009 Newsletter

As we begin the New Year, I am filled with anticipation – we are beginning the transition of the Neonatal Resuscitation Project to each of the four Health Authority Regions in Jamaica, and we will begin work on the Tafari Youth Club in Cave Valley District, Hanover Parish.

Tafari Youth – completing the Club House.

Nurse Camile Henry, along with dedicated craftsmen from Cave Valley, have a vision – they intend to help the youth in this area better themselves and feel proud of their community. To do this, they have established Tafari Youth – a club dedicated to providing mentoring, education and fun activities for the area’s disadvantaged youth.

Nurse Henry has worked very hard to begin construction of the building. She and her team of volunteers have already built the shell of the structure. They already hold meetings in the unfinished building. FOJ will now help them finish the Club House.

The Colours for Children Christmas Giveaway – thanks to Artist and FOJ supporter Leslie Rubio – kicked off the fundraising drive for Tafari Youth. Leslie came up with the idea and generously donated 4 prints and an original Watercolor painting for the weekly and grand prizes. Our webmaster, Glenn, created the web page and helped with the details. FOJ supporters entered the weekly drawings and contributed $285 in the weeks leading up to Christmas. An anonymous donor then stepped forward to help with costs.

During the week of Christmas, the donor and I visited the Club House and assisted the crew in planning the next steps of construction – reinforcing the structure, adding windows, a door and grill work for security. Wiring the building for electricity will also be done. The donor is offering his construction expertise and will be bringing additional tools to help complete the job.

I am very impressed with the dedication of the team and Nurse Henry to get this Club finished. They all have great plans for the Club House – it will be a centerpiece of the community - teaching the youth skills such as sewing and cooking - so they can become productive members of their community. If you would like to become an active participant in this project, please email me to find out how you can help.

Once the Club House is finished – it will need to be furnished. Please make a donation today to help make a difference in the lives of these kids.

Nurse Henry and her volunteer builders L-R: Sheldon Steel, Paul Woodley, Nurse Henry, Shane McCalla, Wayne Barwise. (I won’t tell you what I had to say to them to get them to smile for the picture!)

I saw this outside my “neighbor’s” hotel room door at Negril Tree House Christmas morning. It brought a smile to my face and I hope it brings one to yours.

Happy Hearts Basic School, Negril

The week of Christmas also brought a visit to Happy Hearts Basic School with a caring family from Canada. Please enjoy this “trip report” - their first hand account of how FOJ supporters, working together, can make a difference.

My family and I spent our Christmas holidays in Negril, Jamaica. As a Christmas present to me my husband decided that he would try to find a school we could visit and maybe give the kids a Christmas gift. When he told me about this he had already spoken to a lady from Friends of Jamaica. Her name is Marcia. Marcia got him in contact with a school named Happy Hearts. Gord told me that this schools water had been cut off, due to the company charging an unreasonable amount of money for water a month. When Gord told me that this was the case and the children, ages 3-6, didn't have running water and that it was only about $300.00 Canadian to buy a water tank, I had a great idea. I decided that I couldn't afford to buy the kids what I wanted and purchase the water tank that was greatly needed, so I thought I would take up a collection from the ladies I work with. When I told Gord what I had done, he decided to do the same at his place of work. In all we collected about $200.00 Canadian. I was so happy. We could chip in the other $100.00 out of our own pocket. That was doable. It felt so good to give them the gift of fresh water.

I also went to the dollar store in my home town and bought a bunch of books and small toys and such to give to the kids and to the school. I am so glad I did. The principal, Helen, and her meager staff of two other ladies, do everything they can for the school, there just isn't enough money for stuff like this. They are more interested in building cement walls so they can rip down the wooden walls that are currently infested with termites, by the way these three women are going to do the labor themselves, and when they are done building the cement walls, then they will tear down the wooden walls. They are doing it this way as not to disrupt classes, as not only are they caregivers, teachers, but these women find the time and money to make sure every student, all 63 of them receive one hot meal a day. Usually the only hot meal they do receive. These women are some of the best human beings I have ever met.

Gord, my husband, decided to go to Wal-Mart and purchase some soccer balls for the kids as well as a small pump to inflate them. What a hit!!! These little babies didn't even have balls to play with outside! Speaking of outside... These kids go to school everyday and their school is surrounded by a chain link fence. What got to me, is that on top of the chain link fence there is barbed wire. Like a jail. What's even more the school backs onto a police station. When I mentioned this to Helen, she said if they don't have the barbed wire in place then some of the locals come in and take what ever is nailed down, including the fruit off of the tree they have in the school yard. They need the fruit for the kids.

All in all, this was the best thing my husband could have done for not just me and the kids at the school, but for our children as well. Our daughter is 16 years old and our son is 13 years old. They learned a good lesson about the difference between wants and needs. I haven't heard a complaint about us saying no to anything they want since we visited Happy Hearts School.

I will be returning in the near future to Negril and when I go, I will do this again. I will be Fed Exing some more books and stuff, as the ones they currently have are not in the best of shape and are well worn. One of the 5 year olds picked up Snow White, a book I had brought, and read it to me word for word. I couldn't believe the reading level of the little girl and when I mentioned it to Helen she told me that all the kids have to read well or they can't move on to the next level of schools. This little girl was reading at an 8 year olds level.

To the women of Happy Hearts School, my hats off to you for continuing to do such wonderful work. However the work that still needs to be done is great. The wonderful women of Happy Hearts School can't do it all on their own. If you are going there or know of anyone who is, please show them this letter, please help if you can!!

Thank you!!!
The Fiessel family

The Fiessel’s with Miss Helen Clarke, principal, of Happy Hearts Basic School and 2 students.

Director, Marcia Burke, presents a check to Miss Clarke.

Principal Miss Helen Clarke

Two other FOJ supporters and previous donors to Happy Hearts, Scott Silverman and Ann Murphy made donations to help build the base for the tank and add grill work for security. FOJ donated the additional money needed to complete the work.

A big thank you goes to Mr. Kirlew of Kirlew’s Hardware store in Negril. A US check takes weeks to clear in Jamaica, but with the cash from the Fiessel’s as a down payment, Mr. Kirlew agreed to deliver the materials before the check cleared. In addition, he donated the reinforcing steel for the cement base, gave Miss Clarke a 10% discount and waived the delivery charge. Respect, Mr. Kirlew, for your continued commitment to helping Jamaica’s children.

Together, we ARE making a difference.

Marcia Burke, Director

TOGETHER WE WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

[ November 2008 ]