MONTEGO BAY, St James — Mundia Williams found that inadequate resources and the crushing weight of expectation from people seeking support were among the most challenging demands of being a shelter manager at Bounty Hall Primary School in Trelawny during Hurricane Melissa.

“The thing I experienced that I would not like for others to experience is that you’re in a capacity that everyone is expecting things of you, everybody is expecting you to figure things out,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

“You don’t have the resources to help them. That is what I found very disheartening, to know that you want to help and you don’t have the resources because you weren’t given the resources to help these persons,” she lamented.

Williams recalled not having the first-aid skills needed to help individuals who showed up with injuries.

Head of programmes for the International Organization (IOM) for Migration in Jamaica, Andrea Dabizzi, addressing participants during a three-day workshop the IOM hosted in Montego Bay last week, starting Wednesday.

“Throughout the storm…we had persons who fell, who got cut by zinc and flying debris coming in the shelter. They would have experienced some form of injury during that period. So I realised that first aid plays a great role, but sometimes we are not well-equipped to manage,” she explained.

Williams was one of the participants in a three-day workshop hosted in Montego Bay by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

She and other shelter managers provided frank assessments of their experiences, particularly in the aftermath of last October’s Category 5 storm. The workshop, which began last Wednesday, offered guidance on how to maximise emergency shelters and the personnel who work in them.

“The target is community centres that could actually be used as shelters in the time of emergency for humanitarian response and a temporary base. Besides the repairing and equipping of the premises, the scope is also to strengthen the capacity of the managers of the centres,” head of programmes for the IOM in Jamaica Andrea Dabizzi told the Sunday
Observer.

This support is crucial for shelter managers like Williams who said during Melissa she balanced worrying about her children — who she had sent to stay with relatives so she could volunteer to help those in need — with taking care of sometimes unruly shelter occupants.

“It takes a lot of patience because we have persons within the shelters who [are] going to disrespect you because they do not want to abide by certain rules and regulations. But we have to put rules and regulations in place in the shelters to protect children, to protect women,” the guidance counsellor insisted.

Despite the challenges she said remains committed to her role as a shelter manager.

“I get to help and at the end of the day I feel a sense of fulfilment. There is no reward for helping, no monetary reward, [it’s just] the feeling that you get,” said Williams.

On the first day of the training sessions, she was already pleased with what was on offer from IOM.

“I think it will improve on what I have already learned. I will unlearn and relearn; because there is going to be some stuff that I am going to learn ‘this is how it should be done’,” Williams stated.

Althia Palmer, who had her child with her while she managed the emergency shelter at Sudbury Primary School in St James after Melissa, was also pleased with the lessons provided during the workshops. Among the challenges she has faced, is how to keep everyone safe. She places emphasis on looking out for young girls, the elderly and the disabled.

“You have parents with young girls who come to the shelter; there is fear and there is uncertainty so you have to deal with all of that,” said Palmer.

She recalled the challenges when a blind man sought shelter at the facility she manages.

“We are not properly equipped and prepared to deal with disabilities in the shelter… There was nobody there to support him, look after his meals, the toilet everything. You have to be mindful of those situations that are happening,” she disclosed.

“My concern as well is that some persons, because of age, they are not able to access the staircase and our shelter was upstairs,” she added.

However, like Williams, Palmer remains undaunted by the challenges.

“I always tell people that my mission is just to help persons. Being a shelter manager gives you the experience to empathise with persons and just to facilitate them,” she said.

“Emotionally they are disoriented so you have to offer counselling to them, emotional support; everything you have to give them and you have to be aware of their basic needs,” Palmer added.