The devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa has weighed heavily on many Jamaicans. But for Spice, the pictures of destruction were particularly heart-rending.

The dancehall queen, who was once left homeless due to a fire, said she was moved to tears as footage of wrecked homes began to surface. The all-too-familiar feeling of immense loss came flooding back, and that’s when the entertainer knew her relief efforts needed to focus on rebuilding.

“When I first saw the devastation of Hurricane Melissa I think I was just broken into a million pieces. I was completely shattered, and I think that mostly came from me once being homeless,” she told the
Jamaica Observer. “Remembering how my mother cried and how that caused so much pain for me, the stain of that memory never left me. We lost everything when my house burned down. So just thinking of so many thousands of mothers crying and the pain they were feeling, that alone devastated me.”

The God A Bless Me singer said she immediately started arranging relief supplies and was eager to return to her homeland to help her countrymen.

She said her first stop once she landed was to secure starter packs for needy families. She then loaded several trucks with steel, cement, lumber, and zinc to distribute in some of the most affected areas.

“[D]onating the building supplies was a super priority because I know what it feels like to have nowhere to live. Food supplies and everything else are needed, and there were so many people doing that, which made me so proud to see,” she said. “I know we can all come together in building back Jamaica one house at a time.”

Spice, who was overseas when the Category 5 hurricane made landfall in western Jamaica, shared that she’s always homesick whenever she travels.

“I’m always missing Jamaica… But this is the first time I was so eager to come home. I couldn’t wait,” she shared. “Mi feel like I coulda cancel even some of the contractual obligations and stuff I had. I started arranging relief efforts immediately and worked even faster when I was seeing videos of people needing water and food because I have been there.”

As one of several dancehall artistes who have launched giveback initiatives in support of hurricane victims, Spice says she has been left overwhelmed by the love and support her fellow artistes have been pouring into Jamaica. Pointing out that Jamaica has made her who she is, Spice said she will continue to stand in solidarity with its people.

“I’m very elated to see all the dancehall artistes rallying around the country and giving back, because together we’re stronger and it warms my heart,” she said. “At the end of the day, Jamaica put us where we are, so big up everybody who took the time out to give back to Jamaica, land we love.”

Having poured her own resources into the first phase of relief efforts, Spice says she’ll be unlocking a new level, which includes partnership with several organisations through her Grace Hamilton Foundation.

“A lot of people have been reaching out, and so now I’m going to open up my foundation so people can join forces with me in providing building materials. If we all join forces most of the people now homeless can get a home,” she said. “One of the experiences I had was when one of the mothers who had her baby in her hand broke down in tears, and I had to hug her… She just kept saying, ‘Thank you, Jesus.’ I’m doing this by the grace of God and all praises to him. He took me from that so I could be here and be able to give back to someone in the situation I was in a few years ago.”

— Shereita Grizzle

In addition to building materials, Spice also donated bags of other necessary relief supplies Contributed