MEGHAN Swaby’s burning desire for a new home has long been delayed by financial constraints, unemployment, and very little support.

However, Meghan’s dream became a reality when Desnoes and Geddes (D&G) Foundation and Food For the Poor Jamaica (FFPJ) stepped in to extend much-needed assistance by sponsoring, constructing, and donating a newly built house along with food items and other essential home items.

Construction took place in Cross Keys, Manchester, on November 15.

A few months after being gifted land by her elderly church brethren, Swaby, 53, got a call from FFPJ to prepare the ground for house building. Overwhelmed with gratitude, she started working to prepare the land for construction. “The land is rocky, so it needed proper preparation. I started working with my pickaxe to level the land but when the land was being assessed they said to me, ‘But it still nuh level, Miss Swaby,’ so I got some help to complete preparation – and I’m so grateful.”

Swaby works as a domestic helper for a single employer, a service she has provided for almost 30 years. She explained, “My job isn’t the most reliable. Given the nature of it, I might be told I’m not needed this week or the next, so achieving the gift of a home and appliances is a blessing.”

Reflecting on her unfavourable living conditions, Swaby said that she’s grateful for the gift of a more comfortable home. Though she’s still disappointed with her small income, she is still motivated to meet additional goals for the future.

“I’m still a little frustrated that I don’t have a proper job but I’m looking to get a better one. I’ve always wanted to start raising chickens so I want to save for that, open a tuck shop, or buy and sell small items. I am grateful for the help I’ve gotten so far and I hope you all continue to be blessed so that you can continue helping others.”

With Swaby’s successful construction the team is preparing to extend efforts to benefit the four remaining recipients.

“We are extremely grateful to be in a position where we can give to those in need, further enriching the foundation’s Growing With Communities Programme. It brought us great joy that the FFPJ team has allowed us an opportunity to make an impact in such a substantial way. We’re happy we could all work alongside colleagues on the project from start to completion, and we look forward to doing this again,” said D&G Foundation Director Dianne Ashton-Smith.

“We applaud our internal team and FFPJ for their consistent efforts to give back in meaningful ways and contribute tremendously to national development,” she continued.

D&G Foundation’s partnership with FFPJ began in 2017 with a donation towards joint Labour Day initiatives. That contribution assisted with the construction of 10 new housing solutions for those in need, within communities where the Project Grow Cassava Farm operates.

In July of this year the foundation donated more than $3.8 million to create five additional houses, the first recipient of which is Swaby.