Bridgette Barrett of Mandeville, Manchester in Jamaica has been feeding and assisting homeless people in the parish
Last year, there was a collective, gasp of disbelief when the
Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSMAC) banned Buju Banton from feeding the homeless who live on the streets of down town Kingston.
The reggae artiste, who last December returned to Jamaica after serving almost a decade in US prison on a drug trafficking charge, launched the
Buju Banton Foundation in January 2019, a charity aimed at providing hope and help to vulnerable young young people hampered by poverty. The Foundation made its first donation in May 2019, to the Possibility Program Youth Hostel, a care facility in Kingston, Jamaica that houses at risk boys between the ages of 13 and 21 years old.
A subsequent media report cited
Buju Banton as saying he would still find a way to continue to feed the homeless in Kingston despite the Jamaican Government's restriction. On the heels of massive public backlash at what appeared to be a targeted sanction of Buju's charitable feeding of the homeless in Jamaica, the Government back-pedaled and tried to explain in a
Jamaica Observer article with a recommendation that any attempt to feed the homeless should be coordinated with existing, government approved feeding shelters located in downtown Kingston.
Bridgette B. Barrett, who hails from the parish of Manchester, and an ardent fan of Buju Banton, shares the Reggae Artiste's also feeds street people in Mandeville, a tradition started by her parents who sadly have both transitioned, something she says continues to do against the expressed wish of her local parish council office.
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Bridgette's parents: Dolly and Victor who bequeathed her with the PASSION for SERVICE to OTHERS and Community Activism before they passed away a few years ago. May they REST WELL.
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Bridgette said she grew up seeing her mom and dad and older siblings feeding and caring for the homeless on the streets of Mandeville, so its a family tradition that came naturally to her to continue after both her parents died.
"I have a homeless outreach in Mandeville and I am also Executive Director of a non profit organisation;
RSVP Caribbean Volunteers. The homeless outreach initiative caters to the needs of the homeless in Mandeville. We do monthly outreach activities such as taking care of their basic and hygienic needs. We cut their hair and nails and give them care packages with bath soap, (wash) rags and medication." Bridgette explained as she spoke to me from her kitchen, her sweat moistened, dark ebony skin a silent testimony to the fact that she had only just come in from her back yard where she had recently tussled with a basin full of mango and won.
Mangoes are Bridgette's favourite fruit and she applies herself to consuming them with the same enthusiasm with which she bends down to gently ease a brand new pair of flip flops onto the weathered feet of Mandeville's homeless and elderly during her weekly
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| Bridgette putting a pair of slippers on the feet of a homeless man. |
When asked how she funds her homeless outreach activities she said she networks among family and friends who donate to the cause and she also uses funds from her own pocket. Explaining that the price tag on her homeless outreach activity
Networking among family friends, etc.workign 43 Homeless people with plans in to take 5 off the streets and (Started
3 years ago) did a needs assessment and decide how you are going get them off
the street .transition them into society. One back to his family found his
mother .. who is schizo, the homeless also has challenged . he wanders away
from home and goes to the market, Has been doing this since she was 8 year old.
Mother had father had a practive out monthly to feed the poor once a month so
it stayed with me. Due to cognitive challenges. $45,000 per month. Have a
Research ad Trainigjn consultantcy business .
No
assistance from her locak govt. Govt no care about this population becusd they don’t
have ID of vote. Me and dem fight all the time wbat the policy they have say we
not supposed to feed them on the road. Food provide support and a few other
companies who when reach out will assist. Lasco give thoothpaste and soap and
stuff 7 of the 43 are women, the youngest is 22 and oldest 66. Not targeting
any women, the cases for the women are very extreme, women are my priority first
usually but lack the kind of resources that wld be needed to successful reintegrate
them back into society. We really need help. However, we recently helps in
mobilizing some funds to erect some rooms at a soup kitchen and the priority for
those rooms when completed will the females. Raise $850,000 which has been
poured into the project ( 8 rooms ) just needs windows doors flooring and
fixtures fully blocked up and thing. Construction started March this year in planning
stages since 2017. Have had some persons reaching out to us which we followed
up on and we are thinking of doing a fund raiser sometime later this year. No
clear idea of what the fundraiser might be.. Fraklyn Rose had reached out to us
so we were thinking of doing a WI team against a community team. ONE IDEA Found
out us on social media and reached out. Post up
ANOTHTHER
IDEA IS A BRUNCH originally from
heathfield in Mandeville now live in mandveillse,
