Country-reggae singer Wesrok visited parishes ravaged by Hurricane Melissa on November 8, distributing over 600 packages of non-perishable food and toiletries to people in St Elizabeth, Westmoreland and Hanover.

That region, located in southern and western Jamaica, suffered extensive damage from the Category 5 hurricane which hit the island on October 28.

Wesrok told Observer Online that seeing the desperate situation up front is different from watching it on television.

“When I see the picture of the devastation, I couldn’t continue to live peacefully if I didn’t reach out to these people. I had to dig deep in my pocket with help from close friends. Our effort was entirely love, we sacrificed food for ourselves to give to the needy,” he said.

Clad in a dark suit, topped by what has become his trademark cowboy hat, Wesrok led a team from his Wesrok Downtown Youth Foundation which has been active for over 10 years.

St Elizabeth, Jamaica’s main agricultural source for many years, was hardest hit by Hurricane Melissa. Santa Cruz and Black River, its leading commercial centres, were wrecked while farms, homes, roads and businesses were damaged.

Several of the 32 deaths the government reports were caused by Melissa occurred in St Elizabeth and Westmoreland.

A former police officer, Wesrok launched his recording career five years ago. His song, Ride Cowboy Ride, was named in the provisional list for Best Country Solo Performance at the 2026 Grammy Awards.
– Howard Campbell