Telethon to help rebuild schools in Jamaica
Published:Wednesday | January 28, 2026 | 12:05 AMNeil Armstrong/Gleaner Writer
The Ontario-based Alliance of Jamaican Alumni Associations (AJAA) has organised a telethon to raise CDN$50,000 to help schools in Jamaica that have been most impacted by Hurricane Melissa.
The association said it believes that learning should not stop when disaster strikes, while noting that the hurricane has disrupted the lives of thousands of students and educators.
Schools have been damaged, classrooms have been lost, and learning materials have been destroyed. For many children, school is more than a place to learn – it’s a safe space, a source of hope, and a foundation for a brighter future, said the AJAA.
Rhona Dunwell, vice president and Hurricane Melissa fundraising coordinator, said that since 1988 the association and its members have been involved in fundraising efforts to support education in Jamaica.
“At this time of critical need, we continue to do so and hope that the community, near and far, will join us by supporting this telethon on Saturday, January 31.”
The AJAA said it was committed to doing its part to ensure that every student affected by Hurricane Melissa can return to learning as quickly as possible.
“By supporting our Education Recovery Fund, you help rebuild schools, supply essential materials, and empower teachers and students to continue their educational journey,” noted the organisation.
On January 23, Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon, minister of education, skills, youth and information, announced that all schools resumed full operation as of January 14.
In a ministerial statement to the Senate, she provided an update on recovery in the education sector, noting that within 90 days of the hurricane “all schools resumed operations and all schools resumed teaching and learning”.
Morris Dixon said her ministry has been deploying resources to the schools most in need and that, in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 92 heavy-duty, classroom-sized tents were donated to schools in western Jamaica.
According the minister, UNICEF will also be distributing approximately 300 learning kits and some schools have already been able to use them.
KITS INTEGRAL IN LEARNING PROCESS
She noted that the kits have all of the learning devices that would be needed and that the development of learning kits is integral to sustaining student engagement, even when the children are not physically present at school on a given day.
Morris Dixon said all schools are operational but not all of them have been repaired, and so some schools are on a shift system.
“You have students coming in some days and not others, and so these learning kits are absolutely important for them to take home.”
She outlined that 4,552 modified curriculum guides, approximately 34,000 literacy and numeracy preparatory materials, and more than 43,000 learning workbooks are being distributed to students and teachers.
The senator said key transition years and examination cohorts are being targeted so that students can consolidate foundational skills and stay on track despite the disruption.
Providing an update, she said 447 schools in Westmoreland, Hanover, St James, Trelawny, St Ann, and St Elizabeth, were severely impacted by the hurricane. As a result, approximately 8,000 teachers and more than 152,000 students experienced “unprecedented operational disruption”.
In its initial assessment in early November, the Government reported that more than 600 educational institutions were damaged. These included infant schools, primary schools, secondary schools as well as eight tertiary schools.
The ministry has conducted assessments and Morris Dixon said it would prioritise students who are doing Primary Exit Profile, Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations.
The ‘Hurricane Melissa Relief Telethon’, held under the theme ‘Rebuilding Education Stronger Together’, will be streamed on YouTube from 1 p.m.-4 p.m. at Sts Peter and Paul Banquet Hall in Toronto where there will be live entertainment and food on sale. Donations can be made at www.ajaacanada.com, donors can call in at 1-888-495-8080, and the charity number is 09946225-21.
The AJAA, a registered charitable organisation in Canada, is the umbrella organisation for more than 40 alumni associations that have roots in Jamaica’s education system.