November Humanitarian
Report
Elder and Sister
Murdock
This was our first month in here in Jamaica. We spent a lot of time researching past
projects and studying Humanitarian guidelines to better understand our role
here. We have also spent a lot of time
researching Continuing promise 2013 and what will be needed when the medical
ship U.S.N.S. Comfort arrives here in Jamaica.
November’s accomplishments include:
Hurricane
Sandy
Met with Assistant to the President missionaries and organized
them to find out the status of the missionaries and members. All missionaries were found to be safe. Some of the member’s homes sustained minor
damage to their roofs, or had trees down that needed to be cleaned up.
We distributed tarps, chain saws.
We met with District President Medley about replacing and
updating the emergency supplies used in Hurricane Sandy. He suggested we get more supplies to be
stored around the island at the church buildings. It was difficult to get to Spanish Town
(where our emergency supplies are stored) after the hurricane due to the
flooding and most of the damage was here in Kingston.
The final report on the effects of Hurricane Sandy in
Jamaica was submitted to Benny Lilly Area Welfare Manager.
Priced emergency supplies needed to replace or update our
emergency equipment.
President Hendricks was worried Bro. Graham blind member who lives
alone is on the east end of the island and had some damage to his roof from
Hurricane Sandy. He asked us to check up
on him. We found him with the help of
the Yallahs missionaries, Elders Campbell and Christensen. Brother Graham was in good health but he had no food in the house. When he had food he was cooking on a charcoal
stove where he puts charcoal in the bottom, and a pan on top to cook all his
meals. He has a propane cook stove but someone keeps stealing his propane. One
time while he was in the house when he heard a noise and asked who was there,
but they never answered. When he went to cook his dinner, the propane was gone.
He has had other things stolen while he is in the house. Since he is blind he
can’t identify anyone or even know they are stealing from him. He had some roof
damage from Hurricane Sandy. He needs to have some new Zinc placed on his roof
along with new trusses which will be expensive to fix. President Hendricks
asked us to see if he would move to an area that is not so isolated, hopefully
around family so they can look after him. We are all concerned that his home is
not a safe place for him anymore. He has 10 children but only one is a member,
he helps when he can but lives 3 hours away. Anyway since he is blind and knows
his home and the area around it he can still do many things for himself. If he moves, he will be helpless and so he wants
to stay in his own home. He knows his neighbors and how to get around the
neighborhood. He only has to walk a block to get his water and a couple of
blocks the other way to get food. He was down to less than a gallon of water
when we got there so we had young elders haul up 25 gallons of water for him.
He is a special man. He is about 65 years old and can still do push ups. He can
raise his whole body off the ground and clap his hands while doing them. He
lives on $4000 Jamaican dollars a month, that’s about $45 US dollars. One of
the Missionaries we had with us is from Jamaica and when I said I did not see
how he could by enough food to live on for that much, he replied simply, if you
stick to the basics rice and beans that’s enough. Every day this place makes me
count my blessings. President Hendricks
and the Missionaries will continue to work with Brother Graham.
Continuing
Promise 2013 USNS Comfort
Medical ship USNS Comfort Medical Ship will arrive in
Jamaica in Aug 2013
We were assigned to be the Local Country Contact people for
the US Navy and Jamaican Ministry of Health for this initiative.
Met with Navy Deputy Chief Christopher Charley-Sales about
what our role is, and what he needs help with when the USNS Comfort comes into
Kingston. He strongly suggested we not
met with the Ministry of Health. He
would make that contact himself. He said he is a “one man show” for CP 2013 and
would very much appreciate our help with some of the administrative duties including
helping organize the people in lines, taking information from the people etc.
We met with President Piper and Medley about medical opportunities
for members through “Continuing Promise 2013”.
We emphasized that our members will not be given preferential treatment from
LDS Medical specialists on ship. The
Ministry of Health will select who will have the surgeries done aboard ship.
Food Initiative
We met with the District Presidents Medley and Piper to
discuss existing food projects and to see if there is interest in doing more. If there is, they will be considered for next
year.
We made a list of the new requirements for food projects in
2013, and handed out follow up reports to the District and all Branch
Presidents in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the food projects.
We met with the Senior Missionaries to have them help the
Priesthood follow up on the Food Initiative projects in their areas. They would take the Welfare specialists or a
Priesthood member with them who did not have transportation to visit all the
projects in their areas.
We visited the Spanish Town 2nd Branch 5 acre farm garden
project with the Branch President Britton to determine the status of the
project. It was determined that the
project would be closed. It was located
too far from where the members lived and they couldn’t afford to get there to
grow their crops. The container that housed the tools for the project had been
sold due to the fact that it had been broken into and the tools that were
stolen multiple times.
We took Feed out to 2 projects in Spanish Town to Masters
and LowenBeech to complete their projects. Both are Broiler Chickens.
Humanitarian
Kits
Distributed 25 school kits and 5 hygiene kits to Sister
Langley. For the Walker Home for
Children and Single mothers.
Distributed 80 hygiene kits to University of the West Indies
Hospital C.H.A.R.E.S (the Aids wing)
Distributed 108 school kits and 40 hygiene kits to Joyce
Brownkerr at the Kitson Women and children Shelter They are located in St.
Catharine’s Parish
Wheelchair
We met with Tracy Meddows Anderson our wheelchair specialist
and discussed the wheelchair program and what her needs or suggestions were for
the program. She suggested some changes
to the Wheelchair Assessment form. We
needed to make a place to mark if the Wheelchair had solid or inflatable wheels
and who was coming to pick up the chair and their phone numbers are. That way
Food for the Poor would be able to know where the chair actually went.
We met with Food for the Poor, Susan Moore and her
Staff. FFP is our local partner and
wheelchair distributor. The status of
the wheelchair initiative here in Jamaica was discussed. There are some chairs that are unaccounted
for and they will send us an update on them.
It was indicated that they were given to hospitals for their use.
An E-mailed was sent to Brother Spencer in Salt Lake
requesting a change on the wheel chair assessment forms to include a solid
tires option.
Priesthood
Involvement
We started to meet with Priesthood leaders to Discuss
Humanitarian needs in their areas. We
also presented a short training in the Humanitarian policies and processes and
encouraged them to take a leadership role in humanitarian projects. In November we met with:
District President Medley and District President Piper
Branch Presidents Britton in Spanish Town 2nd , President
Evans in Yallahs, and President Clark in Mandeville.
Projects
President Medley suggested a Dunrobin Basic school Project
request for 25 chairs and 2 tables.
Project has been submitted and is pending approval.
Pres Medley gave us a Dunrobin Primary school project for a
new computer class room with air conditioners and computers. The Primary school
was advised that we do not build buildings but if they can provide the room we
will be able to reconsider other aspects of the project.
Missionary
Activities
Handed out 2 Books of Mormon
Gave 2 referrals to the Missionaries
Other Activities
Helped Sister Larsen with her quilting Class for the
Boulevard Branch Relief Society Activity
Toured Salvation Army’s Havendale Complex.