Hi my name is Rebekah, I am a Jamaican/British dual national and my family roots run deep in the beautiful parish of Portland, more specifically in the farming communities of Comfort Castle and Millbank, which is also where my partner lives.

These communities are situated along the Rio Grande, lying nestled in a valley between The Blue Mountains and The John Crow Mountains. While this setting is idyllic, it creates a microclimate that is often colder and wetter than the rest of the parish, making them vulnerable. Served by only one road and surrounded by rainforest, these areas can face isolation during periods of bad weather when the road becomes damaged by landslides, falling rock, or flooding.

I am raising money to help these communities recover after the destruction left behind by Hurricane Melissa. Melissa ranks as one of the strongest storms in the Atlantic this century. Although the hurricane made its full landfall on the western side of the island, Comfort Castle and Millbank, located on the eastern side, suffered greatly, enduring days of relentless rain and fierce winds before the storm even made landfall. Getting in contact with those within the community has been particularly difficult as there has been limited electricity and phone connectivity since 25th October, making it challenging for us abroad to fully grasp the scope of the damage in Portland.

My partner, Joshua has lived in Comfort Castle his whole life and, like most of his neighbours, he is a farmer. The hurricane was ruthless, wiping out all his crops, meaning not only has he lost his sole source of income but also a key source of food for himself and the community. Furthermore, the harsh winds have caused destruction as he lost the roof to his house, bathroom outbuilding and had his windows smashed by flying debris as the storm tore through.

The funds raised will be dedicated to:

All sourced supplies will be sent in barrel(s) to the Comfort Castle/Millbank communities for fair distribution amongst those who are most in need.

Whatever you can give to support will be greatly appreciated and will go a long way into restoring not just Joshua's home, but also supporting others affected within the community. As we say in Jamaica, “one one coco full basket” - meaning every small effort, can achieve a mighty goal.