JAMAICANS will always have reason to celebrate their own resilience and the support of the wider world in the recovery from Hurricane Melissa’s devastating rampage in late October last year.

Central to the gigantic, ongoing effort are innovative partnerships — big and small — which have provided not only immediate material improvement for individual and community life but long-lasting life lessons, such as the recycling of post-Melissa trash in western Jamaica communities which was reported on by this newspaper this week.

As we understand it, the recycling project was made possible with the clearing of nearly 2,000 tonnes of debris in Petersfield and Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland; Sawyers in Trelawny; and Salt Spring in St James — benefiting more than 19,000 people.

Supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the Caricom Development Fund, the clean-up was coordinated by Project STAR, Project ICE Jamaica Limited, Sawyers Forest Management Benevolent Society, and Petersfield Galloway Benevolent Society, under UNDP’s Jamaica Resilient Recovery Initiative (JARRI).

Then came the recycling phase with residents partnering with the creative Jamaican non-profit company, 360 Recycling Manufacturing, in turning seemingly useless material into furniture, garbage bins, and related items under a cash-for-work emergency employment scheme.

We are told that in Petersfield, damaged furniture, fallen trees, and discarded roofing were transformed into community garbage bins, picnic tables, and benches for Petersfield High School.

Likewise, in Sawyers, fallen trees have been converted into picnic facilities for community recreational spots. Lumber and Melissa-blown roofing are also being repurposed for housing in both communities.

We are at one with UNDP Assistant Resident Representative Lesley Ann Ennevor that the project demonstrated what’s possible when communities, local organisations, donors, and development partners work together on a shared vision.

And Ms Kisha Delisa Cole, administrative director and co-owner of 360 Recycling Manufacturing, says what we all already know to be true if only we pause to give it thought: “Once you have an idea, you can use any material to create [something new]… All you need is will and a desire and that is a circular economy right there.”

An enthused Mr Rohan Green, principal of Petersfield High School, tells us that since completed furniture and garbage bins arrived “…students have been using them daily in-between classes and lunch breaks”.

And, according to him, the recycled assets have helped facilitate group work while providing alternative learning spaces outside the classroom.

Hopefully, too, the entire recycling experience is serving as teaching and learning opportunities for staff and students. That latter aspect clearly resonated big time with Petersfield meat shop owner Mr Steve Terrelonge.

Said he: “We have learnt so much from this programme about recycling. A lot of stuff that we would have burned — because we wouldn’t know what to do with it — we learnt we can recycle, reuse and repurpose.”

All that said, it seems to us that community leaders and representatives at all levels and all those involved in this uplifting project should be constantly reaffirming in word and practice for posterity.

Lessons learnt mustn’t only be for the communities involved in this initial project. Word and example should be spread far and wide for the benefit of all Jamaica.