Beyond Giving: Shipco Jamaica’s visit that redefined International Women’s Day
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Rachel Matthews, Shipco Transport’s regional manager for the Caribbean, feeds one of the residents while at the Jacob’s Well residential care facility for women.
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Shipco Transport’s team that visited the Jacob’s Well residential care facility to spend time with the women for International Women’s Day 2026.
What began as a simple act of outreach became a moment of reflection for the team at Shipco Jamaica following a recent visit to Jacob’s Well, a residential care facility for women living with mental and physical disabilities.
In observance of International Women’s Day, the team stepped away from the pace of port operations to spend time with the residents, bringing care packages filled with personal essentials such as toiletries and sanitary items. While the donations were welcomed, it was the human connection that ultimately defined the experience.
From the moment they arrived, the Shipco team was met with warmth. Some residents greeted them with quiet curiosity, others with open laughter. As the hours passed, the room filled with conversation, shared humour, and unstructured moments of presence. There was no formal programme, just people engaging with each other in a meaningful way.
What stood out most was not the residents’ circumstances, but their outlook. Despite the challenges many of them face, there was a clear sense of joy expressed through genuine smiles and light-hearted interactions which left a strong impression on the Shipco team.
The experience challenged a common assumption that happiness is tied to material comfort or achievement. Instead, the women of Jacob’s Well offered a different perspective rooted in connection, simplicity, and presence.
For the Shipco Jamaica team, the visit extended beyond corporate social responsibility. It became a point of reflection and recalibration, offering space to reconsider what value looks like in both personal and professional contexts.
As the visit came to a close, there were embraces, photographs, and a shared intention to return. While the donated items addressed practical needs, the time spent together carried deeper significance.
In a business environment often defined by speed and output, experiences like this serve an important role. They humanise, ground, and remind. International Women’s Day is often marked by gestures of recognition. In this case, it became something more enduring, a reminder that impact is not always measured by scale, but by presence and genuine connection.