Hurricane Melissa survivors in south Trelawny get counselling

The JN Group, working with local and corporate partners, recently stepped in to provide urgently needed psychosocial support to residents in Southern Trelawny still reeling from the impact of Hurricane Melissa.

Counselling sessions, led by Reverend Kevin Page from the JN Group Chaplaincy Unit, were held at Albert Town High School in Trelawny as part of a broader humanitarian mission to the area that included partners and volunteers from the JN Group, St John Ambulance Jamaica, Hyundai Jamaica, FYI Consultancy Group, Pure Water and Purity Bakery.

The counselling sessions were in addition to medical, pharmaceutical and food relief efforts, allowing residents to receive emotional support and essential aid during the same visit.

Residents met with the JN chaplain in the school’s reading room, with some conversations kept brief and others extending into quiet, steady exchanges. For some it was the first time since Hurricane Melissa that they had spoken to anyone about how the past weeks had affected them internally.

“Him is the right one because there is so much going on,” said Marcella Powell, one of the individuals who sought out the reverend to talk through the trauma of the hurricane. Like many others seeking support, she shared feelings of distress and emotional strain since her life was upended by the Category 5 storm.

“Sometimes you have to tell people your problem so you feel a little lighter,” she said while noting that, “they’re not looking out for the older, poorer people. Sometimes the soldiers pass by and give a small bag of food or so but that’s it.”

Powell, who also visited the doctor for several health concerns, said she lost her roof in the storm and appealed for help in obtaining zinc, as she is currently using an old tarpaulin to cover her home.

For Reverend Page, providing counselling in Trelawny was a crucial opportunity, highlighting that emotional recovery moves on a different timeline than physical rebuilding.

“These individuals are facing significant challenges after experiencing such a traumatic hurricane. Some of the people I spoke with lost family members, so they really needed someone to listen,” said Page. “I provided counselling and strategies to help them manage whatever they are struggling with. This kind of support is crucial for their social and emotional stability and what JN is facilitating is an important part of that process.”

He said the recent mission was critical, as the conversations provided something many did not realise they needed until it was offered – a space to process their feelings amid the ongoing stress of displacement.

Page noted that the need for such support in areas affected by the Hurricane remains urgent, as many are still struggling to make sense of the storm, experiencing sadness, fear and a sense of brokenness, all at once. He said although the attention, care and practical assistance being received from volunteers and aid groups does help to ease the burden, “at the same time you have the pain and those are being amassed and held.”

He said even small events now, like rainfall, can trigger distress, reminding those affected of the damage and disruption they continue to face.

“I really feel that we should continue this kind of support,” he said. “It is important to listen to people, provide ways for them to cope and create an environment where they can manage the stress of life that they are facing. The church has also worked through these areas before, so the church is critical for this- for the recovery of our island and for our people in general,” he said.

Paula Pinnock, managing director of FYI Consultancy Group, was among the aid partners to welcome the addition of counselling services to the relief efforts by the JN Group, noting that Reverend Page’s presence brought an important dimension of support to those who were impacted by the storm.

“I think people often underestimate this need,” she said, noting that every mission they’ve participated in since the hurricane has shown how residents have been affected in different ways and have varying needs.

In addition to the counselling support, the relief mission to south Trelawny saw over 100 persons being treated by the medical team from St John Ambulance and receiving relief packages, including ready-to-eat meals donated by Jamaicans overseas and JN employees, at Albert Town High School.

The JN Group also provided residents of Albert Town with hours of electricity via a generator and Wi-Fi internet via Starlink modem during the relief mission. 200 additional relief packages were also distributed in collaboration with the other partners to seniors and other vulnerable groups, including pregnant women, in several adjoining communities including Wilson Valley, New Road, Warsop and Troy, as well in the neighbouring Manchester communities of Chudleigh and Craighead.