Dear Editor,

In the wake of Hurricane Melissa, as communities across Jamaica grapple with loss, damage, and the slow journey towards recovery, an important conversation has emerged about how relief should be distributed. Many are calling for equal assistance for all, but what our country truly needs in this moment is equity.

I once saw an image online that captures this idea clearly. In the image three individuals of different heights are trying to watch a game behind a high wooden fence. On the left side, labelled “Equality”, each person receives the same single box to stand on. The tallest person sees the game effortlessly, the medium-height person can just see over the fence, but the shortest individual still cannot see at all. Although the support was equal, the outcome was not.

On the right side, labelled “Equity”, the boxes are distributed based on need. The tallest person receives none, the medium-height person receives one, and the shortest person receives two. Now everyone can see the game. The support is different, but the outcome is fair.

This is exactly the approach Jamaica must adopt as we distribute Hurricane Melissa relief and recovery assistance. Not all communities were affected in the same way, and not all families have the same resources to rebound. Some lost roofs; some lost homes; some lost everything. To give everyone the same level of help would be to ignore the realities on the ground.

Equity ensures that the hardest-hit households receive the most support, vulnerable groups are prioritised, and every Jamaican gets a fair chance to rebuild, no matter his or her starting point. True fairness is not about giving the same to all, but about giving according to need.

As we move forward, may our relief and recovery strategy reflect compassion, wisdom, and justice. Let us commit to rebuilding not only structures, but lives, with equity at the centre.

Pastor Jermaine Johnson

Moneague District of Seventh-day Adventist Churches

jermainefjohnson@gmail.com