We just woke up from our first night at Great Huts to the
sound of birds chirping. Our first night was quite the experience, there was a
rain storm during the night that was loud enough to wake some of us up. This
was the first time that I had to sleep under a bug net and it was pretty exciting.
I also had my first outdoor shower which was amazing but a little bit strange.
Our breakfast was eggs made the way we wanted, some of the best coffee and
orange juice that I have ever had, and fresh fruit.
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| The Portland Rehabilitative Management Shelter team working on their training program. |
After breakfast we discussed what we were going to do at the
Portland Rehabilitative Management Shelter. The plan was to take a short taxi
ride to the shelter, experience the sensitivity training that the manager,
Andrea Parsons, is currently using, and then receive feedback on the training
program that we have created.
The taxi ride was absolutely terrifying. The driving in Jamaica is much different than what we are used to in Canada, and the roads are much more narrow. Our driver would pass on a bend or when there was a car coming straight for us. It also felt that we were going to side swipe the cars coming from the other direction.
After arriving at the shelter we were given a tour of the gardens; this is where they grow vegetables, and where the chickens roam. we were then shown the female living quarters, and the dining/lounge area. The shelter surpassed my expectations in terms of cleanliness and space.
We were then greeted by Andrea and she began her training that she would normally give to volunteers. This way we could see what type of discussion and activities would work and what would not. We also learned a lot about Jamaican perceptions about mental illness, homelessness, and gender gaps. It was a very eye opening experience. After we experienced the training, we made some changes to our training program to match the goals that Andrea had expressed to us.
We finished our day at the shelter and were waiting outside for the cabs when one of the residents approached us. She saw that we had taken a picture and wanted to be in a picture with her. She was very sweet. When the cabs arrived we got a different driver who was listening to Whitney Houston and began serenading us. We started to sing along with him: "AND I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU". It was really fun.
Once our cab driver dropped us off at Great Huts we took some time to relax and we sat by the ocean before dinner. We ate dinner, which was amazing. I was able to enjoy a local delicacy; garlic shrimp. Now we are working on our presentation for tomorrow where we will be taking Andrea through the training program that we have created. So far this whole experience has been incredible and humbling. I cannot explain how excited I am that I am here and get to hopefully make a difference at the shelter.
Breanna Lemieux
The taxi ride was absolutely terrifying. The driving in Jamaica is much different than what we are used to in Canada, and the roads are much more narrow. Our driver would pass on a bend or when there was a car coming straight for us. It also felt that we were going to side swipe the cars coming from the other direction.
After arriving at the shelter we were given a tour of the gardens; this is where they grow vegetables, and where the chickens roam. we were then shown the female living quarters, and the dining/lounge area. The shelter surpassed my expectations in terms of cleanliness and space.
We were then greeted by Andrea and she began her training that she would normally give to volunteers. This way we could see what type of discussion and activities would work and what would not. We also learned a lot about Jamaican perceptions about mental illness, homelessness, and gender gaps. It was a very eye opening experience. After we experienced the training, we made some changes to our training program to match the goals that Andrea had expressed to us.
We finished our day at the shelter and were waiting outside for the cabs when one of the residents approached us. She saw that we had taken a picture and wanted to be in a picture with her. She was very sweet. When the cabs arrived we got a different driver who was listening to Whitney Houston and began serenading us. We started to sing along with him: "AND I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU". It was really fun.
 |
| Members of the iLEAD Team taking a photo with one of the Portland Rehabilitative Management Shelter's Residents |
Once our cab driver dropped us off at Great Huts we took some time to relax and we sat by the ocean before dinner. We ate dinner, which was amazing. I was able to enjoy a local delicacy; garlic shrimp. Now we are working on our presentation for tomorrow where we will be taking Andrea through the training program that we have created. So far this whole experience has been incredible and humbling. I cannot explain how excited I am that I am here and get to hopefully make a difference at the shelter.
Breanna Lemieux
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