Hi, my name is Tali Dunkley. I was born in Spring Park District, Black River, St. Elizabeth, Jamaica (I know it’s a mouthful). I’ve established this GFM seeking $1 million USD to be managed by Spring Park Development Association (SPDA) in its efforts to create a better today for the residents of Spring Park and instill hope for the youths. SPDA is a community-based organization established June 2021 to combat many of the challenges faced by residents of Spring Park (illiteracy, unemployment, education, homelessness, mental health support, poverty, and more). As an organization, we were able to establish a summer literacy program, community clean up initiative, feed the community campaigns, provide emergency aid to families in need, and spread information regarding covid-19 & vaccination efforts.

Funding will be used to: establish community base WIFI, provide electronic devices to families in need, address the need for community-based social emotional learning, community-based mental health awareness, educational support, adult education, increase job readiness, and to build a community center serving the youths of Spring Park & the surrounding communities.

In May 2021 I returned home to Jamaica. It’d been 6 years since I’d been back. Normally, my trip to Jamaica looks like time spent on the beach, parties, alcohol, women, and having a good time. This time it was different.

On this trip I was reintroduced to 10 years old Wingy, the daughter of a family friend. I had met Wingy when she was a baby on my prior trips, but I was sure she didn’t remember me. One month prior to my arrival on the island, Wingy’s grandmother to whom she was closest in this world passed away. She wore sadness of her face like it was a uniform, yet nobody saw that this little girl was depressed. I began to do daily check ins on Wingy, sometimes multiple times per day. As we interacted more, I began to realize Wingy, my new BFF, this innocent 10-year-old, the salt of the earth, the hope for tomorrow COULDN’T READ. This caused me to engage more with the community, only to find out that it was not only Wingy who couldn’t read, but an estimated 40% of the reading age children, and also 40% + of adult males in the community couldn’t read or struggles with reading.

The Covid-19 pandemic has hit the world hard, but it seems to have hit the disenfranchised community I once called home & where Wingy now calls home a little harder. The youths were forced to start schooling online, which for many meant by the time I returned in 2021, there had been over 1 year of no learning. Many of the over 110 youths in the community were already behind in school due to limited financial resources, and a host of other issues.

THANK YOU for taking the time to read, and for your donation. Your contribution is making an impact!!