Dear Editor,

Two days after Hurricane Melissa my team stopped by what used to be Black River Preparatory School. We wanted to set up a base there for relief distribution, but there was nothing to stand on — just rubble. A school that once held laughter, backpacks, and morning devotions was reduced to fragments of concrete and nothingness. The scene was dreadful; the building was gone and the sense of safety and order that children depend on was gone too.

Across St Elizabeth South Western, that scene repeats itself: homes flattened, classrooms lost, and small lives suddenly without structure. Adults speak of rebuilding in terms of roads, roofs, and power lines. But for children, the damage runs deeper and quieter. It’s the fear that rises every time the wind picks up. It’s missing friends who’ve moved away. It’s the loss of the simple things that make up a normal day: uniforms, lunches, lessons, and bedtime stories.

At The Summit at 16 Chelsea Avenue in Kingston, where the South West St Elizabeth Relief Command operates, we have seen everything come through our doors: food, clothes, mattresses, and medical supplies. But one evening a donor dropped off three footballs. It caught me off guard. In the rush to meet physical needs I realised we had not thought enough about emotional ones. Those footballs reminded us that children do not just need shelter and food, they need joy, play, and learning. From that moment we began collecting books, toys, and art supplies alongside tarpaulins and toiletries, because recovery must include laughter too.

In our relief work I’ve seen children sitting on church floors doing makeshift schoolwork and others wandering near debris because there’s nowhere else to go. Parents are trying, holding together what little they can, but many are drained, both emotionally and financially. Teachers, even those who’ve lost everything themselves, are some of the first to show up to clear debris, check on students, and start again with whatever remains.

We now need a national focus on children’s recovery; one that prioritises psychosocial support, educational continuity, and safety. To this end, the South West St Elizabeth Relief Command has partnered with the National Parenting Support Commission (NPSC) to begin structured support sessions, counselling, and recreational activities to help children process their experiences and reconnect with a sense of normality. So far the NPSC has successfully reached and provided assistance to approximately 63 households across the communities of Brompton, Fyffes Pen, Shrewsbury, and Selington in St Elizabeth. Families have received psychosocial support, as well as practical tips on coping with trauma, including what to look out for in terms of changes in children’s behaviour and how to respond. Each visit also included prayer and messages of hope, reminding parents and children alike that healing takes time, but help is here.

Hurricane Melissa stripped us bare, but it also revealed the heart of Jamaica: neighbours helping neighbours and strangers becoming family. As we rebuild, let us ensure that no child is left behind in the silence of what used to be. The true measure of recovery will not only be in how many houses we repair, but in how well we restore childhood.

Kenneisha Campbell

Advisor to Minister of Agriculture Floyd Green

Coordinator, South West St Elizabeth Relief Command