77-year-old gives praise for renovated home

The sense of peace of having a good roof over one's head is something that every individual dreams of in life. This helps to understand the joy felt by 77-year-old widow Cassinia Smith, as she witnessed the work done by volunteers on her two-bedroom house in Clarkes Town, Manchester, on Friday.

"These persons are sent by God," exclaimed Smith. "It is a wonderful feeling and I appreciate what is being done for me. It all comes from the Lord."

Smith, who described herself as a born Anglican who has lived in Manchester since 1965, said her roof was badly damaged by Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and that she has struggled since then.

She added: "I just want to thank God for sending these persons to assist me."

The project was a joint undertaking of Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA-Jamaica) and ProjectsAbroad Jamaica, a United Kingdom-based group which operates out of Mandeville, Jamaica.

"The house should have been just a roof repair, but when we came, it was so bad that we had to do more than the roof," said Pastor Wenford Henry, ADRA Jamaica director. "We have done the roof so that it can withstand any hurricane and we have also replaced the doors, rendered the walls and working with ProjectsAbroad to do the painting and facelift so that at the end, it will look like a brand-new house."

This house project is part of an initiative of ADRA-Jamaica, in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity, and involves the construction of 10 one- and two-bedroom houses and the repairs of more than 35 roofs in St Elizabeth, Manchester and Portland. It is done as part of a hurricane-mitigation programme. It is funded to the tune of approximately US$100,000.

"The idea is to strengthen and repair roofs and replacement of roof before the hurricane season to lessen the severe impact on vulnerable individuals and families in these parishes," Henry further stated.

specific tasks

"Every third Friday in each month, we have a mini labour day called 'Dirty Day', where we pull all our volunteers from their different placement to do specific task," said Dr Bridgette Barrett-Williams, country director, ProjectsAbroad Jamaica. "Our work today with this project is to do the renovation work of painting and clean up so that Mrs Smith can live a little more comfortably."

The group of 29 volunteers from ProjectsAbroad is drawn from nationalities, including Italy, Holland, Switzerland, Australia, Germany, Canada and the United States. They are mainly university students falling between the age group of 18 and 25. Local volunteers to the programme assist ADRA-Jamaica in various projects.

"I am glad that I can be part of something that is helping someone to be a better person," said 18-year-old Laura Nooteboom of Holland. "I really like it here in Jamaica: the culture, the people and the various places that I have been to since arriving here."

ProjectsAbroad's work in Jamaica also includes teaching in schools, health care, sports, farming and building projects.

"It is done on a rotating basis from a schedule that goes all the way to December," added Barrett-Williams. "We try to rotate the various projects and so, for example, we go to a care one month and then to teaching and so it is time for building for this month and that's why we are here."