Where to begin… It’s difficult to say how this project began, as it just seemed to start with some observations and ideas and then evolved over several months. The root of it is a group of couples who go to Grand Lido Braco every April. On the trips to and from the airport to the resort we have all seen the school children in their uniforms. We were all curious about the educational system in Jamaica and several of our group are (or were) teachers. Our curiosity led to many discussions with the resort staff and others as to the conditions and quality of the schools overall. And, our conclusions were also quick to congeal. Kids are the future of Jamaica. Education is a table stake. They need help.
What could we do that would be meaningful and that would give something back to this country that we have grown to love? That was a difficult question. The idea that we landed on was to identify school supplies, books, and teaching aids that the school needed but could not afford or maybe could not get due to the conditions in the country. We would bring these items in on our next trip to Braco and find a way to get them to the school. We were pessimistic about simply turning over the materials to others with the hope that they would find their way to the school.
After much thought and e-mail ideas, we contacted SuperClubs management and, much to our joy, found that Grand Lido Braco was already working with two nearby schools – Rio Bueno primary and Rio Bueno all-age schools. And, yes, the Braco management would be happy to work with us to bring in items that the school badly needed. We made contact with Charmaine Bailey (Braco resident manager) and she contacted the schools for a list of their needs. The list was long, but surprisingly full of what we think of as basic items. Pencils, paper, crayons, paper clips, notebooks, and books such as simple readers and dictionaries were needed. You can see our working list at The GLB School Supply Project Wish List . We all set off to start gathering items as part of our preparation to return in April 2001. Dollar Stores, WalMart, K-Mart, clearance specials, coupon deals, donations from various vendors and advertisers, and a very generous library book salesman neighbor of ours were all sources of the items. We spent varying amounts of money but, believe me; the money we spent was insignificant compared to the good that it will do. The return on our investment will be seen in the coming years with the kids, we hope and pray.
As mentioned above, we were concerned that the items we gathered would actually get to the schools and not somehow be diverted to someone else for their personal gain. We also wanted to get a closer look at the schools, get a better understanding of their true needs, see where we could actually make a difference, and have the opportunity to interact with the teachers and especially the children. We asked Ms. Bailey if she could arrange a visit to the school during our April stay at Braco and she readily agreed to set it up for us. It was only later that we discovered that our week at Braco was actually a school vacation time. Not to worry! Ms. Bailey set up an event with the school, offered to bring in music and lunch, a clown, and other enticements for the kids so that we could visit that week anyway. If you are getting the feeling that Charmaine Bailey, and the entire Braco staff, are real gems, you are sharing in our thoughts exactly.
The day of our visit arrived and we gathered up all of the items that each couple had brought in with them buried in luggage, duffle bags, and various other clever nooks and crannies. We managed to sort it all into 6 large cardboard boxes and 2 backpacks and called for the porter to get it up to the front of the resort. With a lot of anticipation we departed for the school (a very short trip of about 2-3 miles to the East of Braco) and got into the spirit of being with the kids for some fun.
Nobody had prepared us for what we would see. The pictures tell the story pretty well without a lot of words. What the pictures can’t tell you is about the spirit of the school, the behavior of the kids, and how everyone works with what they have. We met Ms. Johnson, the school principal, and chatted with her for a few minutes. The children started arriving and the fun began. All together, about 82 kids of the 122 in the school came back for the party. Many parents and siblings came too. The total was about 100 people. Since it was a school holiday, the children were not wearing their uniforms.
Ms. Johnson got the kids warmed up for us by leading them in song. The songs were a mix of familiar childhood favorites and also some that we didn’t recognize.
Religion is still a part of the schools in Jamaica too – out in the open and mixed in with the lessons. It took about 10 minutes to get the kids cranked up and then it was really exciting. She also coaxed many of them to come up front and recite poems about various things. Many of the poems were self-esteem based and one was a pure Jamaican patois poem about potatoes. That one was funny to the Jamaicans but we had a real hard time understanding what was going on. (We all laughed anyway). One of our group, a sixth grade math teacher, led the kids in a new song/exercise game that they seemed to enjoy. Her rendition of "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean" was something new for them, for sure. The giggles from the kids (and us too) were genuine.
.We all remarked later that these children were so well behaved, clean, polite, and respectful of not only us, but of their teachers, parents and each other. Can you say that about your school?
After the kids were all warmed up for us, we had a little question and answer session where the kids asked us about our lives.
They didn’t have too many questions so we moved on to one of their favorite activities – LUNCH.
Ms. Bailey had arranged for food to be brought from Braco to the school and that was very well received. She had brought enough food for 120 people, or so she thought. Our group served fried chicken, French fries, and fruit punch to each of the kids and they proved themselves to be remarkable eating machines. They went through those plates of food in record time and without a lot of noise. Once again, they impressed us with how they looked out for the younger ones among them and how they were patient as we delivered plates of food, one-by-one, throughout the classroom.
We all skipped lunch in favor of making sure that the kids got their fill. Looking at the pictures, you can see that they needed the food a lot more than we did anyway.
After lunch, Ms. Johnson orchestrated a dance contest. The Braco DJ, DJ Garfield, provided the music and the kids showed us their favorite dance steps. It is amazing just how well those little kids can ‘shake it up’. They had moves that some of the more talented show biz dancers could benefit from by copying. The school crowd went wild with the music and the dancing. The parents, and the other kids, were cheering them on, encouraging the shy ones, and we were all laughing until our stomachs hurt. It was a real hoot!
We made our presentation of the supplies to Ms. Johnson and then mingled with the kids and parents some more.
We did an unstructured tour around the school facility, observing and talking with the kids. The kids are truly very well behaved, polite, charming, and inquisitive.
The kids, for the most part, had never seen digital cameras before and were fascinated when we took their picture and then showed it to them on the LCD view screens on the cameras. That activity quickly became very popular and we were mobbed with requests, which we happily took care of.
There were some budding actors in the group too. They hammed it up for us and mugged for the camera with a skill that they must have been born with.
However, one little girl was very different. I took her picture and then showed it to her. I don’t think she had ever seen herself before, as she didn’t recognize her own photo. Once she realized that it was herself in the picture, she was all smiles and fascinated by the idea.
I mentioned that a clown was brought in to entertain the kids too. He was apparently delayed in traffic and was just arriving as we were leaving to return to Braco.
Some overall comments and observations are in order:
Where do we go from here? And, how can you help? SuperClubs management has agreed to continue as a collection point for materials that guests want to bring in to donate to the schools. The Braco staff also donates their time and energies to things like painting and cleaning up the schools. They are doing what they can to help too!
While we were privileged to visit the schools this one time to help kick off this effort, we do not think it appropriate that this activity become a regular part of guest activities. However, if you are interested in finding out more about the schools in Jamaica, we would encourage you to ask us and/or talk with the Braco staff and any other of the locals you happen to meet. The people of Jamaica are very proud of their schools and place a tremendous value on a good education. What everyone would like to avoid is the perception that the kids are a tourist attraction. We hope you would agree that we should not let that happen.
However, knowing that there are several people who would like to help, what we have worked out with Ms. Bailey, and some of her staff, is to keep the want list updated and communicated to us. We will keep the list on Martha’s Grand Lido Visitors Hangout ( The Grand Lido Visitors Hangout ) links. Part of our continuing commitment is that we will handle any questions that anyone has about the project. Guests may drop off donations of supplies and books at the front desk at Braco and Ms. Bailey will arrange for the delivery to the schools.
All of us were profoundly touched by the experience of the visit to the school. The short ride back to Braco after the visit was kind of quiet as we all reflected on what we saw. The pride and self-esteem of the Jamaican people was shown to us in a way that we can’t describe. If you come to know the people, as we think we have just begun to do, you will see it for yourself. Spend some time talking to the staff about their families. We were impressed with how well the teachers and kids do with what little they have in the school.
You can make a difference too. Give a little of yourself for kids who can use the help in so many ways. Use a little bit of your luggage space or fill another small backpack with items that they need. Take some storybooks, basic textbooks, world news magazines, pictures, craft supplies – use your imagination – it will be put to use and greatly appreciated. The cost to you will be tiny compared to the good that will result.
Respect,
The Champagne Gang 2001 (a.k.a. Cork Poppers)
Bob & Jan (e-mail Bracobob@yahoo.com)
Bob & Kay (e-mail rmc8_99@hotmail.com)
Jim & Rita (e-mail bracoman@yahoo.com)
Steve & Karen (e-mail citizenspw@yahoo.com)
Scott & Barb (e-mail MorganNorge@aol.com)
Chip& Kathy
Our deepest appreciation goes to Charmaine Bailey, Mechelle Laporte, and the entire staff of Grand Lido Braco for helping us with this project and the extra efforts they made to make it enjoyable for the children of Rio Bueno schools.
Click on the link below to view a sample letter you can use to request help with this project (in .rtf format - requires ADOBE ACROBAT).
School Supply Project Sample Request Letter