Members of the URC and ecumenical colleagues have teamed up for an epic journey across Jamaica to review the response to Hurricane Melissa and strengthen church partnerships.
The Revd Dr Kevin Snyman, Head of World Justice for the United Reformed Church (URC), and Karen Campbell, URC Head of Global and Intercultural Church, travelled to the Caribbean with David Thomson, CEO of All We Can, and Sandra Lopez, the Methodist Church in Great Britain’s Partnership Co-ordinator for the Caribbean and Americas.
The team is also working with partners on the ground to explore what reparations might look like in light of the churches’ role in the transatlantic slave trade.
Here, Kevin shares his reflections and conversations from the journey so far:
“The roof caved in, knocking me out and pinning my legs. As the waves crashed through the window and broken door, it lifted the roof and woke me up. My car was sucked out into the ocean, and I was pushed around the manse. I prayed to God and he saved me.”
— A Hurricane Melissa survivor
I wasn’t sure what to expect, just under four months after Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica. Yes, the clean-up is well underway. Blue government-issued tarpaulins patch the roofs of many homes, businesses and churches. But the devastation is difficult to describe.
The people are resilient, but the trauma is barely below the surface. Parents are struggling. Some children panic and cry at the first sign of rain.
Everywhere I go, people say the government help has been slow. Many are frustrated by the pace and scale of support.
“I was picking out roof nails from the rubble,” said Carla. “We can’t afford new ones, so we make do with what we find.”
Skilled builders are scarce and in high demand. Help is not evenly spread. While towns and cities have seen more support, many rural communities remain largely unsupported and can do little without sustained assistance.
“I worry about our people in the worst-hit rural areas,” said Methodist Bishop Christine Gooden Benguche. “We are grateful for the help, but so much more is needed.”
My All We Can colleague David Thomson and I met the team from Water Mission. This incredible NGO has set up a water purification system at a spring on an old plantation. Water trucks are constantly arriving to take treated water to the worst hit areas. It is not enough. “Do you have water for me?” was a question we were asked more than once.
The delegation will soon meet colleagues from the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands (UCJCI), which is working to repair more than 50 damaged churches while responding to community needs. During the visit, a cheque representing funds raised through the URC’s Jamaica appeal will be presented.