By NAN ET EDITOR
Information Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Tues. Nov. 11, 2025: Within the wake of Hurricane Melissa’s devastating influence throughout Jamaica – leaving at the very least 32 lifeless and an estimated US$7 billion in damages – among the greatest Jamaican artists are stepping as much as assist.
From worldwide hitmakers to reggae icons, members of Jamaica’s music fraternity have launched coordinated efforts to lift funds and ship important provides to hard-hit communities.
Grammy-winning entertainer Shaggyhas activated his Make a Difference Foundation to gather and ship assist to Jamaica in partnership with Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) and 25 United Disaster Relief. Provides might be dropped off or despatched via GEM’s South Florida warehouses, the place logistics groups are coordinating shipments on to affected parishes.
“Now could be the time for us all to tug collectively for Jamaica,” Shaggy stated in a put up. “Each merchandise counts. Let’s rebuild stronger.”
In the meantime, Sean Paul and his Sean Paul Foundation have joined forces with Food For The Poor Jamaica to lift US$100,000 towards restoration efforts. The initiative has already surpassed US$70,000, with Sean Paul pledging to match as much as US$50,000 in donations personally.
“Jamaica wants us proper now,” the dancehall famous person stated in a social media attraction. “Each greenback goes on to households and communities attempting to rebuild their lives.”
Reggae legend Buju Banton has teamed up with the nonprofit Experience Aviation to again humanitarian flights piloted by Captain Barrington Irving. The airlift goals to ship over 100,000 kilos of restoration provides, together with medical tools, turbines, meals, and clear water to distant areas minimize off by flooding and landslides.
“That is about motion, not speak,” Buju stated. “Captain Irving and his staff are doing extraordinary work, and we’re proud to assist that mission.”
Dancehall star Vybz Kartel, via his Adidja Palmer Basis, visited the Westhaven Kids’s Residence in Copse, Hanover, final week – persevering with his basis’s humanitarian work within the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.
The highly effective Class 5 storm left widespread devastation throughout western Jamaica, severely damaging the kids’s residence, which cares for bodily and mentally disabled kids.
“Once we went to the kids’s residence, that was a tragic event for me. Coronary heart-wrenching to say the least,” Kartel instructed The Sunday Gleaner throughout an interview on the Montego Bay Conference Centre. “The roof was gone, and the children have been mainly rammed into one room. A room for like 20 youngsters now holds like 40 or 50. That was very touching for me.” Kartel stated the main focus of his basis’s outreach is kids and the aged — two of essentially the most weak teams in catastrophe restoration.
“It’s not only one establishment we plan to undertake,” he defined. “We plan to additionally undertake a fundamental college. We selected this particular kids’s residence as a result of the children are disabled — bodily, mentally, and in some circumstances each. Dem want additional assist, additional consideration, additional sources.”
Rebuilding Hope After Hurricane Melissa The Westhaven Kids’s Residence, perched on a hill overlooking Copse, nonetheless bears the seen scars of Hurricane Melissa – broken roofs, uprooted timber, cracked partitions, and restricted provides. But, amid the wreckage, there was laughter.
Kids smiled extensively as they met Kartel, some holding his palms and proudly displaying off their art work. One ward even carried out a brief dance to carry spirits in the course of the go to.
Kartel emphasised that this was not a one-time gesture however a part of a long-term reduction and improvement plan below the Adidja Palmer Basis.
“We’re in it for the long term. We nuh in it only for hurricane reduction,” he stated. “This restoration will take years — at the very least a decade — and it’ll want unity from all sections of society, not simply entertainers however everyone.” The Adidja Palmer Basis, launched by Kartel to assist youth empowerment and group welfare, has been increasing its scope to incorporate catastrophe response and training. The artist says his aim is to make use of his affect to mobilize sustained help for weak communities throughout Jamaica.
As restoration efforts proceed, the muse plans to supply rebuilding supplies, instructional provides, and long-term institutional assist for the kids’s residence and different affected colleges within the area.
“The work by no means stops,” Kartel stated. “Mi only a begin give again in a much bigger approach – trigger di folks dem want we proper now.”
On the island, reggae crooner Beres Hammond has opened his Harmony House headquarters, situated at 67 Dumbarton Avenue, Kingston 10, as an area donation drop-off level. The middle is open Tuesday via Saturday, from 12 to six p.m., and is at present accepting non-perishable meals, bottled water, hygiene merchandise, and clothes.
Dancehall stars Spice and Christopher Martin have additionally mobilized via their respective charities – the Grace Hamilton Foundation and the Christopher Martin Foundation – each of which have accomplished rounds of care-package distribution to displaced households in St. Elizabeth and St. James.
“We cyah watch our folks endure and do nothing,” Spice stated. “Each hand, each coronary heart, each little bit counts.”
Followers and diaspora supporters can contribute immediately to those ongoing efforts via the official donation pages:
As reduction flights proceed and artists mobilize sources, Jamaica’s inventive group is as soon as once more proving that its rhythm of resilience extends far past the stage.
Source link
