Wonders of Jamaica

Photo Challenge of the Week: Comfort

My comfort is realizing that I am free to make my own chooses in life, therefore I chose to change lives. I chose to make the world a better place. 

It is fascinating to look back and think how this all came to be, I needed to be inspired, fighting to find out what ‘life is all about’. Without going into too much detail, my struggle for air took me through a time of transformation that resulted into something beautiful, Jamaica Deaf Education Project Inc. (JDEP), simply because I had the intent. I’ve felt this intent since I was a little girl, but did not act upon it, because I was blinded by all the distractions the world had to offer since birth. I was blinded by my mom, my dad, my teachers, and my pastor; good folks with misguided views, who told me how to behave and speak. They also told me what to eat and wear. Well, a child must always respect their parents and elders, so I did although I knew at that time I was different. I was not going to play by their rules, no way! I knew there was more to life than what they were trying to shove down by throat. So I waited, bided my time until it was time to become a rebel with a cause. 

To make a long story short, the lesson I learned about myself is I am a giver. I love to give. I look back in my life and see myself always giving and sharing. I even meditated on how I felt when I give to someone. I am at my most happiest. I love watching their reactions to getting something they really needed. I loved seeing the smiles on their faces. It gives me comfort. However giving became a burden, because I started giving to the wrong people. Now I am giving to the people who have a NEED. I am the founder of Jamaica Deaf Education Project Inc., a non-profit organization, designed to educate deaf children living in Jamaica, and was blessed to have my husband’s support. We started with one boy and now we have three boys attending the Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf (CCCD). This Project started on October 29, 2010 which happens to by my birthday. Could this be a rebirth? Could this mean the transformation of one life to another…from just a fruitless guinep tree to a tree loaded with guinep? I believe so. 

So here we are in Jamaica, in the parish of Manchester to be exact. We are heading up to the Caribbean Christian Center for the Deaf to donate over one hundred and fifty pounds of clothing, shoes, school supplies, and reading books. These items were donated to our non-profit organization by other giving folks. The CCCD breaks for mid-term so we are also having our mid-term program for the boys. Getting involved with the deaf community has been a blessing in my life. It is my comfort. My comfort comes from knowing these three boys are finally able to attend school without worrying.