Please watch this short video to see the work taking place on the ground and the communities being supported.

https://youtu.be/LTyprAJBb5c

Greetings my name is Kandake Makonnen.

Following Hurricane Melissa, I travelled to Jamaica to be with my father. I am the founder of Instrumental Health, a UK-based health and wellness practice, and through my work I have supported individuals and communities in holistic health for many years.

While my side of the island was not affected, I could not be there and not support communities that had been severely impacted.

With the support of my community in the UK, funds were quickly raised, and I began working alongside local organisations to assist residents on the ground.

Over the past months, I have made several trips into affected areas including St Ann, St Elizabeth and Westmoreland, working alongside local partners and community members to support recovery efforts.

Trip 1 involved distributing care packages with essential items such as food, toiletries, sanitary products and basic supplies to families in need.

Trip 2 focused on supporting community morale and early rebuilding efforts — packing school supplies for children, participating in community activities, and working alongside farmers beginning to replant crops lost during the storm.

Trip 3 involved a medical mission where health consultations, blood pressure checks and scans were carried out, and herbal tinctures were distributed to support residents during this recovery period. Residents also shared openly about the emotional toll of the hurricane, including loss, hardship and ongoing uncertainty.

During this visit, when asked who needed the most help, community members selflessly identified others who were in greater need than themselves.

Trip 4 took me further into Westmoreland, where I witnessed first-hand the continued impact of the storm. Roads were severely damaged, and access to some communities was extremely difficult. Despite this, residents showed remarkable resilience, even assisting us late into the night when we experienced difficulties on the journey.

In these communities, many are still living without reliable shelter, water or electricity. Some residents are sleeping in damaged homes or temporary conditions, and farmers are working to rebuild with very limited resources.

Thank you

Kandake Makonnen

Instrumental Health