After braving the lashings of Hurricane Beryl in 2024, Ms Nation and her family believed that the worse had passed, but in the quiet aftermath, a flicker from a single candle changed everything, the place that they once called home was reduced to ashes.

Shortly after, Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, during a trip to the community, visited Ms Nation and stood in the outline of where the structure once was, there, he pledged to support the family through the Ministry’s Indigent Housing Programme.

While speaking at the handing over and groundbreaking ceremony, the Minister reminisced on the moment he broke ground for the construction of Ms Nation’s house.

“The last time I came here, we broke grounds for the construction of this unit that you see here to my left. When I came, it was a sad and unfortunate occasion and what I saw was touching, [I]saw a family in grief, saw a family wondering what’s next for us? where will we go?” the Minister recalled.

“Right there I made a commitment, that the government would respond and we started the process… and I am here this morning, not just to find out what is happening but to see exactly what is on the inside…Manchester is very privileged because we have built a number of indigent houses in Manchester,” he added.

“The Ministry of Local Government, we continue to construct indigent housing, that is our commitment… it is the responsibility of Poor Relief to provide housing for the persons who qualify under the Poor Relief Act,” he said as he emphasized on the importance of recognizing the needs of the people.

Meanwhile Minister of State in the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Delroy Williams reinforced the government’s commitment to providing housing assistance to citizens who need it most.

“As a country…we always have to develop, design and implement programmes that address issues among vulnerable groups in our country. Housing is a major part of this,” he said.

“More and more people like yourself Ms Evette Nation will benefit as the programme is improved,” he added.

For his part, Councillor Mario Mitchell, who represented the Mayor of Mandeville, Councillor Donovan Mitchell spoke to the quality of the construction and commended the team at the Manchester Municipal Corporation who worked alongside the contractor.

“I want to recognise the persons from the Municipal Corporation for this house… this is an improvement. When I came a while ago, I ask if it’s a five-bedroom house this, because we have some houses already, top top quality, when we build a house in Mandeville it is well built,” Councillor Mitchell added.

After the handover, the team moved to an area adjacent to the house, where they broke ground to signal readiness for the construction of a 2-bedroom unit for the brother, Mr Robert Nation and his family.  Ms Nation is the recipient of the first 3-bedroom dwelling under the Ministry’s Indigent Housing programme, which previously only constructed Studio, 1- and 2-bedroom units.

In his Address at the official handing over ceremony, held at the Middle Quarters New Testament Church, Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie expressed the importance of recognizing and providing support to churches during their time of need and recalling that the foundation of local government emerged through the church.

“Every parish has a parish church, and the significance of the church in the capital, that was where government started, local government started in the churches so the councillors and those who occupy those roles, were once deeply entrenched in the Christian fellowship and that is why local government is as close as it has been and continue to be when it comes on to working with the churches and the involvement of activities that stirs community involvement,” he said.

“The commitment of the government of Dr Andrew Holness, is to serve all the people of Jamaica when the need arises and the church found themselves in that position,” he continued.

The minister also reflected on the many churches that were damaged during the hurricane and added that despite these adversities, churches were still willing to extend help to residents who were displaced.

“I started to count…the amount of churches that sustained damage, I had to stop count because I couldn’t keep up with some of these churches that were damaged. And aside from some of these churches being damaged, we have churches that have been totally destroyed that will have to be rebuild out of the dust and the ashes… despite the difficulties that the churches have experienced over the period, they have not closed their doors in saving souls and preaching the gospel… they’re not complaining, and the church must be commended because they are experiencing  what many other Jamaicans are experiencing… the church caters to the needs of many Jamaicans, the church represents what Jamaica is all about… despite the challenges, the church has responded,” Minister McKenzie stated.

To that end, he also shared that the government is now considering partnering with the churches to avail their facilities to accommodate shelterees in the face of another disaster.

Meanwhile, Hon Delroy Williams, Minister of State in the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development spoke to the impact of the churches on the country’s journey as a democracy citing that most of our nation’s values were built on the churches’ ideologies.

“The church is not just an actor in our society… but what is not often said, is that we owe our very way of life to the church and Christianity. The way we live as Jamaicans, we owe that to the church… I stand here very grateful to the church and the role it has played in making us who we are as a society… our very constitution, we owe to the church, and its principles,” he said.

For his part, Executive Director of the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), Audley Gordon highlighted the importance of providing support to the churches in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa while reflecting on the role of the institutions within the country.

“The church therefore is an integral part of the modern society. In a time when our society has seen the moral decline that it is, we have to embrace the church in its fullness… and for a great percentage of our people that’s where they turn for hope, especially in desperate times. So, the invaluable service that the church has provided is fully embraced by our Minister and the team around him, which is why we’re here this morning, to give that hand of support,” he said.

“For us at the National Solid Waste Management Authority, we have no option but to work with a broad network of people like the church in Jamaica, we want an even better partnership with the church,” Gordon continued.

The remaining 300 churches in the worse affected parishes will receive their grants within the coming weeks.

While delivering his remarks, Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Honourable Desmond McKenzie, expressed concerns about the number of markets across the island that were leased to private operators, thus preventing vendors from utilizing the facilities for their intended purpose.

“Today I am here to honour a commitment that was made by the government… Right across Jamaica, there are number of markets in Westmoreland, Manchester, all over, and we have started to reclaim these markets and to put them back into the hands of the Municipalities and to allow vending to take place in an orderly and a decent fashion,” he said.

His comments came after the Yallahs markets was previously bound by contract to a privately operated auto mechanic shop.

Minister McKenzie also spoke to the fact that many of the market structures across the country are more than a century-old being inherited from past colonial rulers.

“There are over 38 market across Jamaica and 96% of those markets is more than 100 years old…since 2016, while we continue to renovate markets, we are building new markets. Just a couple weeks ago, I broke ground in Alexandria in St Ann for construction of a brand-new market. Couple months ago, I opened a brand-new market in Buff Bay in Portland, [earlier], we built a brand-new market in Port Maria and at present we are reviewing a new design for the Morant Bay Market here in St Thomas,” he said as he highlighted the government’s commitment to revitalizing the markets islandwide in an effort to drive economic growth.

Over the last few years, the government has taken the decision to build or rehabilitate markets by adapting a more modern and sustainable design which promotes proper ventilation, fire prevention, more suitable market stalls, clean and reliable sanitary conveniences.

Most notably, the new design will allow individual vendors to apply for their own pre-paid electricity through the Jamaica Public Service, this will encourage an energy saving approach that will eventually ease the burden of high electricity bills on the Municipal Corporations. This move will also help to prevent the outbreak of fires caused by illegal connections.

According to the Minister, “9 out of every 10 fires in markets, can be attributed to electrical short circuit… we are in discussions with the Jamaica Public Service Company, where there is a need for the markets because administrative work must go on in the market but the same way you buy credit and put on your telephone, we have started in Buff Bay, the market in Buff Bay has a system where if the vendors want to be connected to get light, they go in and they make arrangements.”

Minister McKenzie urged the vendors and residents to comply with the guidelines set by Municipal Corporation for a smooth transition into the market.

The air at the St Ann Drop-in Centre and Night Shelter now carries a different kind of rhythm, one shaped by the gentle strum of strings and the familiar warmth of songs played by Mr. Allmond Belnavis, a resident of the facility who can now fill the space with music and melodies made possible by a brand-new guitar gifted to him by Hon. Desmond McKenzie on Tuesday (April 7, 2026).

It was during a visit to the centre earlier this year that the Minister first encountered Belnavis, seated quietly beneath a tree on the property. What began as a simple conversation soon unfolded into an impromptu performance, as Belnavis, cradling a worn and weathered guitar and delivered a heartfelt rendition of Bob Marley’s ‘Three Little Birds’. Moved by his talent, Minister McKenzie made a commitment to replace the battered instrument with a new one, but there was just one request in return: that Belnavis trade sleeping outside of the facility for the safety of the night shelter. He agreed.

“I am back today to present him with this guitar because this is not just a building, a structure that they sleep and they medical care, they get something to eat, this is all about allowing them to remain focus and to continue to do the things that they would normally do on a daily basis,” Minister McKenzie said.

The Minister, who also has a good ear and passion for music added, “The posture of the government is not just to give the facilities but to ensure that their stay is comfortable and that we are able to meet their demands… I can just imagine 20 years ago, he was a bad guitar player, probably [he] used to sing and play at some of the hotels but because of certain conditions he can no longer ply his trade, but we don’t want to take away that love from him”.

For her part, Chief Executive Officer of the St Ann Municipal Corporation, Mrs. Jennifer Brown Cunningham, supported the initiative affirming that the facility is more than just a building, but also an opportunity for users of the service to pursue their passions.

“The talent still remains with him, so these are the opportunities we will take to ensure that the users of the facilities get the opportunities to continue to be citizens who contribute and they too, in the being able to contribute will fulfil their own life,” she said.

Meanwhile, a visibly content Belnavis serenaded the team with several songs such as Bob Marley’s ‘One Love’ anda rendition of the  ‘Summertime and the living is easy’ by  Sam Cooke, while playing his new guitar, according to him, he has been playing the instrument since the age of 14.

The market was locked into a lease for several years and was not being used for its original purpose.

Speaking at the opening of the facility, Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, explained that the market “was used to sell motor-vehicle parts and to do other things”.

“The vendors had to sit outside at the gate and watch business taking place in the market outside of what the market was built for. I gave a commitment in 2018 that once the lease expired, we will not renew the lease and we’ll make efforts to get the market up and running,” he added.

The Minister pointed out that the opening of the market, signalled the completion of phase one of the reconstruction of the facility.

In this phase, structured vending spaces, improved lighting systems, new sanitary facilities and a new meat shop were created. Phase two will include the building out of the stalls outside of the main building and the facility being paved.

In her remarks, Vendor, Rose Carlyle Robinson, said: “I am glad to see that our patience is paying off. We are happy to finally have a more convenient and affordable market to sell and store our goods. It has been long in coming.

“You (Minister McKenzie) have been waiting long for that long lease to end so that you could repair and give us back our markets. Thank you and God bless you. This is a real turning point for those of us who rely on the market for our livelihood at this time,” she added.

She encouraged other vendors to “rope in” and to “use up the good, good market that our government has provided”.

“I encourage all my colleagues to take care of it, because this is our tax dollars at work,” Mrs. Robinson said.

Tanisha Reynolds is also a vendor at the facility.

She told JIS News, “I feel good so far. This is just the first phase but I feel good because when we were outside, we were encountering with dust, rain and other hazardous things so, therefore, this a great upliftment for Yallahs and St. Thomas in general.”

Another vendor, Winsome Johnson, who was observed selling pastries, porridge and other delights at the market, told JIS News, “I am elated! I am a chef professionally so I would like to expand on what I am doing. This market will be an excellent benefit for me.”

Meanwhile, Minister McKenzie expressed regret at the long wait endured by the vendors but pointed out that, “it’s better late than never because the Municipal Corporation was tied up in that lease”.

“We could have broken the lease but we didn’t want to get into any legal confrontation with anybody. So, we waited,” he stated.

The homeless, displaced or otherwise destitute persons in St. Thomas, now has a safe place to lay their heads and receive essential care, as the newly constructed St Thomas Night Shelter was officially opened on Friday (March 27).

While delivering his remarks, Minister of Local Government and Community Development Hon. Desmond McKenzie asserted that 13 of the 14 parishes across the island has a facility geared towards providing care for the homeless and needy.

“Drop-In Centres is a policy programme of the government… since 2016, almost every parish in Jamaica, except one, have had facilities like this one built.” he said.

He further added that the decision was taken to add a night shelter to the previously built Drop-In Centre in St Thomas based on the unfortunate increase in the homeless population within the parish.

“It is the responsibility of the government to take care of these people and we have been doing so, … this is a fully furnished facility, it has provisions for 28 individuals, it is fully furnished, well taken care of,” he said, while adding that an additional $12 million will be allocated for rehabilitative works to be carried out on the St Thomas Infirmary.

Further to that, the Minister announced that within a few weeks, the team will be breaking ground in Cheswick, St Thomas, for construction to begin on two Indigent Houses under the Ministry’s Indigent House Programme – another policy project that focuses on providing suitable and sustainable housing for registered poor.

“We have built about six indigent houses in this parish, and in couple weeks’ time, I will be going up to Cheswick to break grounds for the construction for two out of the eight indigent houses that was committed to that community about two years ago”, he said.

He also spoke to other plans that are in the pipeline to further meet the needs of those who rely on the state.

“Our Infirmaries are over a hundred years old… it is a legacy of our colonial past… we took a policy position in 2016, not just to repair Infirmaries alone, because a lot of them can’t be repaired any longer, this year, the government of Dr Andrew Holness, will be building two brand new Infirmaries in Jamaica, one in St Ann and the other one in Falmouth in Trelawny, and we are looking to ensure that all our Infirmaries meet world class standard” he affirmed.

Minister McKenzie spoke to the need for special amenities, such as the Therapeutic Parks that have been constructed at some of the island’s Infirmaries, stating that many of the clients of these state-run facilities have contributed greatly to the development of Jamaica and deserve to be treated with dignity.

He also added that the second phase of the Desmond McKenzie Transitional Centre is slated to be opened within a few weeks as the government continues its mission to reduce homelessness across the island.

For her part, Member of Parliament, Yvonne Rose Shaw, expressed gratitude for the night shelter and appealed to the homeless to make use of the facility.

“From a government perspective, they will do their part, and I am commending you for a marvellous job well done. To the homeless people, to the poor and unfortunate persons, this is your home, the street is really not your home,” she said.

Meanwhile, Mayor of Morant Bay, Councillor Louis Chin said that the night shelter is a symbol that no one will be left behind.

“The opening of the night shelter is a promise kept to our most vulnerable citizens, it is a modern compassionate space made to offer safety and restore human dignity… to the citizens of Morant Bay, let this building stand as a reminder that in this parish, no one is forgotten and everyone has a place to call home”, he said.

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie spoke to the growth of the Jamaica Fire Brigade following the injection of investments into the agency over the last few years and the future developments for the parish.

“We have provided, within the last eight and half years, more than thirty trucks to the brigade… substantial amount of equipment to withstand the challenges, that they face…” he said

“There are two outstanding issues here in the parish of St Mary that needs to be accomplished, this fire station [Port Maria Fire Station] was opened in 2022… I wouldn’t call it refurbished, it was a new built station in Annotto Bay in 2024… since 2016, this administration has done a number of things in St Mary, I am waiting now on the proposal for the upgrade for the Port Maria Market… we spoke about the Highgate Market; once the design has been examined, we are going to be  making arrangements in this new financial year to provide the funds to commence the rebuilt Highgate Market,” Minister McKenzie added.

He further addressed the request for a Fire Station in Gayle, St Mary, stating that he will be meeting with the Commissioner of Fire, Stewart Beckford, regarding the matter before adding that funding has already been provided for the purchasing of land to construct a fire station in Balaclava, St Elizabeth.

“The question of the Fire Station in Gayle, is very important, and Minister [Robert Montaque] and Mayor, I will engage the Commissioner… more communities have developed right across, and it makes the work of the brigade more challenging,” he said while acknowledging the need for quicker  accessibility to emergency services since the insurgence of residential growth in deep rural communities.

Meanwhile, Minister of State in the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Delroy Williams spoke to the critical role of the Jamaica Fire Brigade to the Local Government structure, emphasizing that the brigade not only put out fires, but shoulders disaster management in general.

“ The Jamaica Fire Brigade is integrated in the entire Local Government apparatus…in fact, the Jamaica Fire Brigade is deeply integrated in our disaster response and management apparatus… so the resource capability, resource build-up of the Fire Brigade is important, its important in their planning, managing and introducing measures to prevent, mitigate, respond to, prepare for, and recover from disasters and today we see the donation of these two buses as critical to the Jamaica Fire Brigade and its resource build up and building its capability,” Minister Williams said

For his part, Mayor of Port Maria, Councillor Fitzroy Wilson extended gratitude for the donation and underpinned the value of the collaboration between the public and private sectors.

“I am sure that the people of St Mary will feel much safer knowing that transportation is also available and not just the response to douse the fires… initiatives like this demonstrates what can be achieved when government and the private sector work together to the benefit of the communities”, he said.

“It represents investment in public safety, preparedness and wellbeing of the people of St Mary and the Jamaica Fire Brigade at large. We commend the Sandals Groups for its continued commitment to National Development and corporate responsibility” he continued.

The capacity of the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) to carry out its duties has been strengthened through the donation of two Foton buses from Sandals Resorts International, facilitated by the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development.

The buses were officially handed over during a ceremony at the Port Maria Fire Station in St. Mary on March 13 and will be retrofitted into ambulances to strengthen the country’s emergency medical response capacity.

The donation forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen Jamaica’s emergency response capabilities and enhance public safety nationwide.

Portfolio Minister, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, noted that the men and women of the JFB serve as first responders in accidents and medical emergencies, underscoring that the organisation’s role has expanded beyond firefighting.

“The presentation of these two units… [underscores] the importance of their role,” he stated.

Mr. McKenzie highlighted that road accidents remain a major concern, particularly in parishes such as St. Mary and St. Ann.

“If you look at the numbers of road accidents across the country, the parishes of St Mary and St Ann feature significantly. This [donation of buses] is putting the Brigade in a position where it will be able to significantly cover this section of the island by providing the kind of medical service that is required,” the Minister added.

Meanwhile, Mr. McKenzie commended the Sandals Group for its continued support of national initiatives.

“When you speak of commitment to country and love for country, Sandals is a prime example of what Jamaica is all about. Jamaica will see the benefit of these new vehicles that you are donating to help to preserve life, to improve the capacity of the Jamaica Fire Brigade to respond to the daily challenges,” he added.

Managing Director of Sandals Resorts in Jamaica, Jeremy Jones, stated that the donation reflects the private sector’s commitment to corporate social responsibility and its vital role in supporting national development.

“People will rely a lot on what is expected of Government and what is expected of municipal authorities, but where the private sector is able to collaborate with the public sector and provide an avenue and an opportunity to fill a gap… that is why we’re here,” he said.

Mr. Jones maintained that, “for small island developing states… it’s very important for the private sector to play an integral role in supporting important public initiatives”.

He added that the donation by Sandals Resorts was made primarily “in an effort to help save lives”.

Meanwhile, State Minister in the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Delroy Williams, underscored the critical role of the JFB within Jamaica’s disaster management framework.

“The Jamaica Fire Brigade is critical in our management of and preparation for disasters. So, the resource capability… resource buildup of the Fire Brigade is important,” he said.

Mr. Williams noted that strengthening the JFB’s resources enhances its ability to prevent, mitigate, respond to, prepare for, and recover from disasters.

“So, we see the donation of these two buses as critical to the Jamaica Fire Brigade and its resource buildup and building its capability,” he added.

Less than a month after Hon. Desmond McKenzie committed to leading a clean-up exercise at the St Ann Infirmary, the Minister and a team compromising staff of the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), the Social Development Commission (SDC) and volunteers returned Saturday February 28 to carry out well-needed debris removal from the property.

“We are out of recovery…we are just doing some important clean up that needs to be done. The National Solid Waste Management Authority is here in full flight. We have crane trucks, we have saw heads, we have whackers, we have frontend loaders, we have power saws, and we have a full complement from the National Solid Waste Management Authority who have been our partner right across the island since we started this exercise” Minister McKenzie said.

He used the opportunity to speak on the importance of the data collection exercise undertaken by the SDC, in the post-Melissa reconstruction phase, at the local level.

“The Social Development Commission which is also a critical player in the Ministry is present this morning, not only to lend support, but for the role that they have been playing in helping us to compile data, information, that is allowing the government, in the [rebuilding] of Jamaica…to be able to make decisions based on data which is available” he explained.

Minister with responsibility for Water, Environment, Climate Change, and the Blue & Green Economies and member of parliament for Northeast St Ann, Hon. Matthew Samuda, who was also present, expressed his gratitude to Minister McKenzie for his continued intervention in St Ann’s development.

“The measure of a society is how it treats it most vulnerable, so when Minister McKenzie has assessed that this is such a priority it tells you the spirit of the Ministry that he’s leading and I want to, on behalf of North East St Ann, and in deed the whole parish, because this facility serves more than just north east St Ann to extend sincere gratitude Minister for the support,” he said.

Minister Samuda also lauded the improvement of service delivery by local government facilities in the parish, highlighting the investments in the infirmary, markets, drains and cemeteries.

The day’s activities brought well-needed landscaping to the property, a storeroom that was severely damaged during the hurricane was also demolished, the Minister has committed to having it replaced with a prefabricated container.

Despite the extensive work carried out on the property, the Minister reaffirmed his commitment to relocating the St Ann Infirmary in the future, citing the proximity of the facility to the sea.

“We don’t want to do too much, because, this infirmary, once  we have concluded all the arrangements, the proper location of the lands, the drawing and the designs, once we have gone through that process, this facility will be relocated on lands which are safe and which is close to the hospital so that proper care can be given to the residents in the infirmary,” he explained.

In the past, residents of the infirmary had to be evacuated from the property whenever the country is threatened by a natural disaster such as a Hurricane. To mitigate this, plans are in the pipeline to build a new infirmary close to a hospital in the parish and away from the coastline.

The previous structure, which had overlooked the sea for several decades, was left in ruins following the passage of the hurricane.

During a visit to the construction site on Thursday (February 26), Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie and State Minister in the Ministry, Hon. Delroy Williams, commended the Technical Team at the Trelawny Municipal Corporation for the progress being made on the project.

Minister McKenzie expressed satisfaction with the pace of the work and praised the team involved in advancing the development.

“I am very happy, very comfortable because I am seeing the kind of progress that I anticipated, and I want to commend the team, the mayor, the technical team, the matron and especially the contractor. He gave the commitment of a particular deadline, and I must confess, I am seeing those deadlines,” he said.

The Minister noted that the project forms part of broader efforts to strengthen the poor relief system in the parish.

“The work that we are doing here is a part of the overall work that we are doing as it relates to the poor relief system here in Trelawny,” he added.

Minister McKenzie also indicated that plans are being finalised to identify an appropriate location to house the Trelawny Poor Relief Department, as its previous office was also destroyed during the hurricane.

He further disclosed that State Minister Williams, who has oversight responsibility for matters relating to local authorities, has been tasked with overseeing the completion of the Trelawny Infirmary project.

For his part, Minister Williams underscored the importance of strengthening the Poor Relief Department, noting that it remains a critical component of local governance.

“It is significant that we structure the Poor Relief Department; it is a critical component of local governance in this country, and it is something that we at the Ministry have been committed to in terms of improving our system of poor relief delivery across the country. This project is in line and is aligned to policy direction and to our programmes across the Ministry, and it will be spread across the country,” he said.

He also emphasised the need to swiftly identify a suitable location to accommodate the staff of the Poor Relief Department.

Meanwhile, Mayor of Falmouth, Councillor Collen Gager, welcomed the development and expressed appreciation for the new facility, noting that the location will reduce the need to relocate residents in the event of another hurricane.

“I am happy because this time the residents will be able to stay in one place. When a hurricane is coming, we won’t have to be moving them out… for that, we are more than grateful,” he said.

The Mayor added that the residents are looking forward to relocating to their new home.

To date, one of the six prefabricated units has been placed on the property, while the remaining units are expected to be delivered by the supplier within the coming weeks.