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Past Projects
". . . After awhile these few patient ones come to the conclusion that this white guy’s lost it and they too begin throwing newspaper and scream, hit, pinch, and run around. A voice deep inside me begins to push its way up into my brain, as I look in terror at the scene around me and cries, “I don’t want to be here!"
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| Jamaica St. Monica's Home for the elderly is a home for the aged, many of whom have leprosy. It is located along Spanish Town road in an area known as Suffering Hills. TWA brought with them medical supplies and a group of students chose this as their work placement. It was of course the first exposure to this particular disease for both students and teachers which proved a difficult challenge for some. We have visited and worked at St. Monica's on a regular basis since the 1992 trip. When first visited the home had very little medical support but has since received regular support from a variety of organizations. Mona Common Basic School is an elementary school across from the University of the West Indies in Kingston we visited in 1996. The original school was destroyed by Hurricane Andrew which tore it from the ground. The Principal has rebuilt it but you can still see the old cement foundation. We repainted the exterior of the school and built a swing set and teeter totter out in the play area. A young man came by and saw us and enthusiastically grabbed a brush and joined our effort. He was a father who had a daughter attending the school and was very happy that we were there painting the school.
click to enlarge Operation Restoration is a school facility in Trench Town we found in 1998. It was started by a woman named Lorna Stanley who built it on a piece of land known as 'no man's land'. This is where the army used to make camp in the 'wicked days' as they were called, when the violence was at its worst. There is a basic school on the same plot of land. Over the years that we visited ('98 - '02) we have repainted the basic school and Operation Restoration, donated funds for the building of more class room space and donated funds for the building of a small basketball court. Several volunteers also made this their regular placement to assist in teaching classes or one on one. TWA through its volunteers has also arranged scholarships for some of the community members. Many of the young men who attend the school are either former gunmen or trying to avoid involvement with the gangs.
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Nicaragua The work in Nicaragua primarily concerned the assistance of orphanages. The students formed teams and were assigned to a "House Mother" and carried out whatever work was required.
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