Support Jamaica's Recovery from Hurricane Melissa

What’s Next for Our Jamaica Program

Following the devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa, which displaced approximately 90,000 households (279,000 individuals) across western Jamaica, All Hands & Hearts (AH&H) is scaling a large housing recovery initiative in St. Elizabeth and St. James parishes for vulnerable households with widespread roof damage, structural instability, and ongoing health and protection risks, the next phase of our work will prioritize safe, resilient shelter repair and long-term capacity building.

Scaling Roofing Repairs and Technical Support

AH&H is providing roofing repair and technical supervision to reach the most vulnerable households for:

• 890 households with light to moderate damage will receive light roofing repair kits, NFIs, and Build Back Safer (BBS) guidance.
• 100 households with significant structural damage will receive heavy roofing repair kits, reinforced timber, structural bracing, and targeted technical support, with at least 70% directed to the most vulnerable families

This effort will address urgent life-safety risks while reducing exposure to future hurricanes through improved construction techniques.

Expanding Community-Based Training and Resilience

Beyond direct material support, the program will deepen community capacity through hands-on learning and demonstrations for:

• 5,000 individuals will participate in community demonstrations on Build Back Safer techniques, including local leaders, youth groups, contractors, and families not directly receiving materials
  
  
• 834 youth and community members will engage in a structured Cash-for-Work (CfW) pathway, receiving tools, PPE, training, and supervision.

This approach ensures that recovery extends beyond individual households to strengthen local knowledge, economic participation, and practical construction skills.

Prioritizing Vulnerable Households

This work will directly benefit approximately 5,000 Jamaicans, prioritizing female-headed households, caregivers of children, elderly persons, persons with disabilities, and other high-risk groups.  Transparent selection criteria and strong community engagement will help mitigate tensions and ensure equitable access.

Implementation Timeline

The program runs from December 19, 2025 through June 30, 2026, with activities structured to accelerate impact:

• January: Deployment of a 16-person project team and detailed planning.
• February: Household assessments, work queue development, and launch of community outreach and demonstrations.
• March–June: Full implementation of roofing repairs, BBS demonstrations, and CfW activities.

Strengthening Monitoring, Accountability, and Safeguarding

AH&H will be providing rigorous monitoring and evaluation, including household-level assessments, GPS-tagged before-and-after documentation, quality assurance checks, and regular reporting.  Strong safeguarding frameworks—including child protection and Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA)—will remain central to operations.

Looking Ahead

The next phase of AH&H’s Jamaica program represents a strategic shift from emergency stabilization to resilient recovery. By combining material assistance, technical supervision, youth engagement, and community-wide Build Back Safer training, we are not only repairing roofs—we are strengthening local capacity, reducing future disaster risk, and supporting communities to lead their own recovery.

Links:

• Jamaicans are very resilient people - Marcia's story