Update: December 4, 2025 - Thank you to everyone who has already donated! Your generosity is greatly appreciated and will go a long way for people in the Maroon Town community. I'd like to provide an update regarding a shift in the focus of this fundraiser. The fundraising efforts will now be focused on the Maroon Town Basic School only because local restrictions prevent the health center from taking non-government aid at this time. Thanks again for your support!

My name is Shannon Edwards and I was born in Jamaica but currently live in the US. I still have family and friends living in Jamaica and the week after Hurricane Melissa was filled with anxiety as I waited to confirm that everyone in the western side of the island was ok. My grandmother and other relatives live in a rural area called Maroon Town. Maroon Town is located roughly 15 miles southwest of Montego Bay in the lush hills of the parish of St. James. St. James was one of the parishes that bore the brunt of Melissa's fury.

While I was relieved to finally connect with my family and confirm that they were ok, it became clear that there was lots of work to be done to get their area functioning well again. The path to recovery in rural parts of western Jamaica will be extremely tough due to the extensive damage to local infrastructure. Power lines are down, roads have washed away, and access to running water is limited. Places that serve many in the community such as the Maroon Town Basic School and the Maroon Town Health Center have been severely damaged. The Maroon Town Basic School is a community-operated school that provides early education and care to 25 students ages 3-6. The school is partially funded by the government, but mainly relies on donations to fund its operations. I started this fundraiser to raise funds to help rebuild the Maroon Town Basic School so it can continue to serve those in the area. The care provided by the basic school will be even more vital to the community in the coming months as care in neighboring towns remains difficult to access.

I will be collecting the funds raised for the Maroon Town Basic School rebuilding efforts because Gofundme is not currently set up in Jamaica. Once the funds are released to me, I will send them to my mother, Dr. Juliet Smith-Edwards, who is working with he principal of the basic school, Carmen Campbell, to distribute the funds that will cover cleanup, materials, labor and other costs associated with the restoration.

Any financial contributions you can make to support the rebuilding efforts are greatly appreciated. While the road to recovery will be long, your help will kickstart the effort to get these important institutions operational again. Every little bit helps or as they say in Jamaica every mikkle mek a mukkle!