This Spring break Yale’s Afro-American Cultural Center will help sponsor a group of 16 Yale students to travel to Kingston, Jamaica to lend their skills to the Saint Andrew Settlement with the support of Reach Out Yale and United Way. The Saint Andrew Settlement is a charitable outreach project of the Saint Andrew Parish Church founded in 1965 and is situated within theMajesty Gardens community, which was established in 1951 after the Government of Jamaica built temporary housing units to shelter persons affected by the passage of Hurricane Charlie. Despite the promising beginnings, the Community has been affected by social and physical deterioration (in the form of high unemployment, poor infrastructure and inadequate housing) for decades.
The group of 16 Yalies will be volunteering for 12 days to help refurbish parts of the community and motivate the youth of the settlement. They will achieve this through the renovation of the Majesty Gardens Basic school, to provide a friendlier and more conducive place for learning and teaching. In addition, they will meet with youth in the area to inspire them to hold on to their dreams, encourage self-confidence and communicate to them the power of staying in school and earning an education. By the end of their time in Jamaica, the Yale students hope to not only positively influence their mentees, but also learn what it means to be young in Kingston, Jamaica today.
For more information please contact Yetunde Meroe: [email protected].
