Immigration | Jamaica is calling – all hands on deck

Dear brothers and sisters, at home and abroad,

In this column I usually offer practical immigration guidance for those dreaming of new beginnings abroad. This week my words flow from a deeper well, from the heart of home and the ache of belonging.

Having seen the devastation left by Hurricane Melissa, the flooded towns, cracked roads, damaged hospitals, schools, and families sweeping mud from treasured memories, I cannot, in good conscience write about leaving. Today, I must write about returning.

Jamaica is calling. All hands on deck.

Doctors, nurses, engineers, carpenters, welders, mechanics: where I once said Canada is calling, come! Today I say Jamaica is calling. Come home, or stay home, and lend a hand.

When I say, “come home,” I mean it in every sense: emotionally, physically, spiritually and financially. If you cannot be here in person, let your heart, your skills, and your resources bridge the distance. Support verified relief efforts. Send barrels filled with hope, tools, and roofing tin. Share your expertise and equipment. Mentor a young Jamaican starting over.

We each have a role to play in our nation’s recovery. Sympathy alone is not enough. We need strategy, integrity, and coordinated action to rebuild stronger, smarter, and more resilient than before.

We need to see a plan of action.

Step 1: Restore – Clear the debris, reopen roads, and reconnect essential power and water supplies.

Step 2: Rebuild – Repair homes, hospitals, schools, and the infrastructure that sustains daily life.

Step 3: Renew – Invest in livelihoods, mental-health supports, and climate-resilient systems that safeguard our future.

Our people are resilient. We have faced darkness before and found rhythm again. But resilience must be guided by direction. Let us move from tears to tools, from prayers to purposeful plans.

Let the next images we share show not be of ruin but of purpose and rebirth: neighbours lifting neighbours, hands joined across parishes and oceans.

Jamaica is not lost. She is waiting for her children, all of us, to come home, stay home, and help her rise anew.

Let us stand shoulder to shoulder, one people rebuilding one nation.

All hands on deck.

Written in witness and love after Hurricane Melissa, 2025.ZDeidre S. Powell is a Jamaican-Canadian lawyer, mediator and author who writes frequently for The Gleaner on immigration and diaspora affairs. You can find her on Facebook or tel. WhatsApp 613-695-8777