Help Educate Jamaica

HELP Jamaica! Centre 

'Cassava Piece, Kingston 8
is located in uptown Kingston, not far from Constant Spring. Cassava Piece is what some people call an uptown ghetto: a poor neighbourhood with zinc fences, shacks, stony and tiny roads, many children and few opportunities – located left and right hand side of the Constant Spring Gully.'

http://www.helpjamaica.org

  


On the search for contacts out in Kingston, I had a lucky stumble upon Help Jamaica on facebook. I got a quick reply by email, saying they had a massive wall that they would want us to paint. I got overwhelmed by the size of it, and was worried that we couldn’t even fill it. Unfortunately, if we had stayed on a couple of more weeks we could have timed it for the Help Jamaica anniversary.
When we arrived at the centre at Cassava Piece, Hille was there to meet us. What he had in mind was to have an open spot in the middle for their movie projector. So we didn’t have to worry about the space, and just neatly positioned our characters on each side of this space.

Before starting we had to track around Kingston to find some additional pots of paint. Due to this we didn’t arrive as early as we wanted, but it didn’t take us too long in the end with these pieces. I was a bit worried I wouldn’t finish that day as the sun started setting, as I let myself get distracted by the kids running around, I guess I find it hard to ignore them. In the end there was a nice little crowd watching the last layers go on the walls, and it felt good finishing off and seeing their appreciation of the work.

To check out more what they are up to, you can follow their updates and photos on facebook

 

 

Check out Masais' Baboon and some more on our Help paint.

Please have a closer look, or become part of their growing international network, spread the word, donate, link up on their websites, networks and blogs :Help Jamaica! Centre'

Educate the people, and let's have some fun doing it!

 

Treasure Beach Boys

 
On the way from Gayle we stopped by Kingston again to check out what walls we can paint at Tuff Gong studio. We rushed off again now towards Treasure Beach, in the southwest coast of Jamaica. It wasn’t too bad trekking along with a couple of heavy bags on your shoulders, but when it comes to timing the journey you might have to pace yourself. Soon come, is the best way to explain their perspective on time, you just need to chill out and follow the flow.

We managed to arrive quite fast and easy to Spanish Town, but there we hit a stand still, stuck in a bus(van) in the heat. I guess since we were heading in a less used direction, it took hours before the bus was filled. Taking transport across the island the local way is quite an experience not to be missed. Stuck and squeezed tight as possible, probably to fill it up to reassure they meet their target for a days earning.

At first you almost get rundown on your way as they all want you in their bus. In Kingston, our bus and another had pretty much a race down towards the centre, they basically started fighting over people, which just ended up scaring them away. Quite hilarious seeing them battling out trying to catch the next person, but also can’t say it seemed too safe either.

 

 You got to know where you are going, what stops are inbetween, and roughly how much you’ll get charged.  Listening to what the locals pay do help, else you will “happily” pay double or more. An hour stuck with 4-5 people in a row, you’ll start feeling uncomfortable and loosing feelings in your legs. But you can easily forget this when you get caught up observing the beautiful landscape, the colourful and halfway built houses, a vide diversity of food stands by the road, the sellers running after the cars and some goats roaming around.

We were finally a full bus and on the move, but it was closer to five in the evening, and it would be dark soon. When we came to Mandeville, up in the higher plateaus, we found an easy and dirt cheap guesthouse up a hillside. I was blown away by the clear moonlight and stars shinning back at us, haven’t seen it as bright and present before, even in Norway. It didn’t take long before we figured the guesthouse might be a ‘drop in’ for young lovers and such. Very charming.

The next day we had an early start, it gave us perfect timing to enjoy the best of the funshine, and it resulted in a fine first sunburn. This little distant corner of Jamaica, with its steady flow of people arriving, and I guess a lot  of them stay on for longer periods there. It definitely has a more relaxed atmosphere than for example Port Antonio that's crowded with tourists.

Masai found at first this little orange dinner, but halfway got sent away by the owner of the whole shop complex. Eventhough he'd talked over the phone with the owner of the dinner saying it all be alright. After explaining this to one of the guys that provides boat trips, bike rides and such for tourist, he found us a spot pretty quick. It was on his friends little beach shop thats waiting to open. The younger people gave us a much more positive feedback to our work. Masai got the nice sunny side, where he painted a jumping/dancing lemur. It is chasing a jamaican kite, which my little beach boy with an attitude is holding.

Check Masais' Lemur

Next up is HELP Jamaica 

(Help Establish Library Projects)