Bringing in the New Year

The second day on my own was so much better than the first.  I did fine taking the taxis and made it to the school just fine.  I had to ask for help again, but people are friendly and willing to give directions.

My day at the school was much better.  I went to a different building at the home and was able to help out some different children.  This building was a home for all of the older girls.  It is called the "Mission House" and is set up different then the Veira House.  This house had the beds (about 15 beds) but they were in a back room with the bathrooms.  They had a common room where there was a radio, the kids loved it!

I did feed and bathe the children again but I was also able to play with them and just talk to them.  Keno and Kerri Ann particularly enjoyed my company.  I played hand games with them such as Miss Mary Mack, and also played I Spy which they loved! We played and sang songs and talked for about two hours, it was awesome to hear them laughing and enjoying themselves.  

Kerry Ann particularly enjoyed singing, I wasn't able to take a video but I was able to find a video of her singing four years ago.  she actually looks very much the same, she is just as sweet and just as cute! 

The children were also teaching me how to speak some words in Patois, which is the language that Jamaican's speak.  It is very hard for me to understand, but I was happy they were able to teach me some!  Today they taught me how to say "hello", it is pronounced, "wahguan".  

It was another beautiful day on the beach, and I enjoyed a dinner of pork, rice, potatoes, carrots and peas, and pasta. 

I brought in the new year with my host by watching the local Jamaican channels and seeing the fireworks.  It was low key, but perfect for me :) Happy New Year!

The First Day on My Own

I survived the first day all on my own--YAY! I can't say it was easy though, I was so nervous thinking about all that I had to remember.  I took my first taxi rides on my own and while I had to ask many people for help and directions, they were all very helpful and kind.  Eventually I found my way up to the West Haven Children's Home.  When I arrived I was able to help out in the Veira House.  This house is the home for about 30 children.  There are fifteen beds on the girls side of the room and fifteen on the boys side.  The house has a common room with a kitchen area and then a side room for the girls and a side room for the boys.  It is an okay living space for the children but is very plain, the walls are all white and there is little room for stimulation.  I wasn't able to take a picture but will try to get some in the upcoming days.

This is the gate leading into the school, not the most welcoming :(

While at the home helping I was able to assist in bathing and feeding.  It was very sad for me to see the children in the beds being handled.  They were not asked to do anything for themselves.  In the United States children are taught to be as independent as possible.  Teachers hardly do anything for the child without having them try to do it for themselves.  Here in Jamaica they have neither the time nor the resources to give the children the proper care.  They do care for the children but by doing everything for the child they are actually hurting the child by not allowing them to be independent.  Many of these children will be dependent on a caregiver for the rest of their life because they were never taught how to care for themselves.  A majority of the children are in diapers and are spoonfed. They do not know how to take care of themselves.

Some of the children are left in their beds all day, they are bathed in their beds, fed in their beds, and they lay in their beds.  They never leave their beds to go outside or see any different scenery.  It makes me so sad that all they do is lay in their beds.  In the US, these children would be given the opportunities to grow and become more independent, in Jamaica these children have no options.  They are expected to do nothing more then to sleep and lay in their beds.

I look forward to seeing other ways that the care differs in the coming week.

After volunteering from 8:30-1:00 I was able to take the taxi back into town and then find a taxi to take me to the beach.  It was another lovely day on the beach, very relaxing! I then took the taxi back home with the other volunteers and had a dinner of saltfish (the national dish of Jamaica), rice, breadfruit, and salad.

Saltfish--National Dish of Jamaica

Orientation Day

Well, my first full day in Jamaica was pretty good.  Jamaica is much different then I had been picturing, even though I had researched the area!  When you think Jamaica, I bet that you think of beautiful beaches and nice resorts.  There are some of those, but beyond those "nice", touristy places is the real Jamaica.  I am staying in Montego Bay, Jamaica and the beaches are beautiful, there are wonderful views, but there are also run down homes, buildings, and roads.  During my orientation day, I began to really recognize how different it was.

The first thing I did on my orientation day was to ride a route taxi to Downtown.  Route taxis are taxis but they only go on one route/path and they cost less money, a typical route taxi in Montego Bay costs around $100 Jamaican Dollars or about $1 US Dollar.  Route taxis are almost all very broken down and old.

This is a not so great picture but a good example of what I would call an average looking route taxi.

While downtown my project coordinator Shaneil gave me a little tour, which I can honestly say that I remember very little--it was very overwhelming!  After the tour she took me to the bank (Scotia Bank) to change my money into Jamaican Dollars.  The line was so long, it seemed as though everyone was at the bank!

After meeting in her office for a little while to discuss some of the expectations and things like that, she took me on the taxis that would lead me to my placement at West Haven Children's Home.  I tried to keep track of what taxis we were taking, Downtown, Clock, and Copse but it was all so foreign and confusing to me.  The home is in the country so it took us a while to get to, about 35 minutes.

When we arrived I was able to get a short tour of the home.  It is different then what i had pictured but there were many children and young adults with disabilities.  I didn't get to help out or really meet any of the kids today but it was good to get to see where I was going.  We then took the taxi back into town and got lunch at Jerky's.  I ate my first Jamaican jerk chicken, it was delicious!

After that Shaneil rode in a taxi with me to Doctor's Cave which is the beach where we go.  It is more touristic but a very nice beach.  I met up with the volunteers and was able to relax on the beach until heading back to my host's house.  For dinner we had chicken, salad, potatoes, and rice.

Overall today was an exhausting and overwhelming experience.  I learned a lot but am worried about finding my way on my own tomorrow.  I am sure it will all be okay, but we will see how it goes!

Enjoy the gorgeous view, I sure am!

JAMAICA!

Well...I am in Jamaica!  I made it through my first plane ride, and couldn't get over how gorgeous the views were. Look at this picture, it was right before we landed in Jamaica:

I was little bit nervous since I had never flown before, but it all worked out fine, and I enjoyed the trip!  When the plane was landing we got very close to the water, it was both amazing and scary.  Once I got off of the plane, claimed my baggage, got through customs, and found my ride, I was exhausted, it took forever!  The Montego Bay airport was much different than the BWI airport.  BWI was huge and Montego Bay is this tiny little airport.  The first thing I noticed when I got into the car was that they drive on the opposite side of the road--I guess I should've known that but I was very surprised (I tried to get in on the drivers side--oops)!

Shortly after leaving the airport I reached my host's house.  Her name is Christine Dexter, and she is a retired teacher-perfect for me!  I got settled in, unpacked, called my family, and then we had dinner. We had chicken, rice, potatoes, and salad--a typical Jamaican meal. I also got to meet another volunteer who is staying at the same house as me.  She is from Austria and is super nice.  We are going to go to meet some of the other volunteers later tonight.  Tomorrow another volunteer will be coming and she is from the United States so I will have something in common with her.  

Tomorrow is my orientation day so I am hoping to feel more settled in after that.  I will be taking the taxi to get to my placement, meeting the workers at the children's home, and changing my money over to Jamaican dollars.  I am nervous being this far from home but know that it will be a great experience.  Can't wait to update you tomorrow!

Also, I am being placed at the West Haven Children's Home.  I am very excited.  The home is for severely disabled children (and adults too!) and I am looking forward to comparing the care received here in Jamaica to care given in the US.  You can read more about the home here.

The Only Disability in Life is a Bad Attitude

It's hard to believe that in just a month and a half I will be on my way to Jamaica.  I am getting both excited and nervous.  When I first applied for the Pannell Scholarship last school year it felt like December 2014 was so far away, well now it is already November 14th, 2014.  

For those of you who do not know, I have been lucky enough to receive a Anne Gary Pannell Merit Scholarship.  The Pannell scholarships are awarded to sophomores at Sweet Briar College in the honors program.  Here is a link for more information (Anne Gary Pannell Merit Scholarship).  I applied for the scholarship my freshman year at Sweet Briar and wrote a proposal.  

For my project I will travel to Jamaica with Projects-Abroad. (More information on Projects-Abroad) I will be a part of their volunteer care work and more specifically the special education program.  As a part of this program I will be able to volunteer my time to children and adults with special needs.  I will learn about different views the country places on people with disabilities, the way disabled people are treated, and the care that people with special needs receive.  I will be able to take what I have learned in Jamaica and compare the treatment of individuals with special needs and the care they are given in Jamaica to the care individuals with special needs are given in America. 

Background
As many of you already know ever since I was much younger I have wanted to be a teacher, and now, more so than ever, I want to be a special education teacher.  This will be a perfect opportunity to gain experience in a special education setting.  

Through this volunteer experience I feel as though I can be a part of something bigger.  I can help the children and adults who need it the most.  Many of the children have difficult lives aside from their disabilities. Modern day Jamaica is affected by many social problems.  And, while I cannot make a huge impact on the country of Jamaica as a whole, I hope to make an impact on at least one individual’s life. 

Preparation

Through my experiences I have learned a lot about the care that is given in America to people with special needs.  However, I am interested to see what the care in other countries would be for disabled people.  In Jamaica I will be able to learn about the different ways special needs are handled.  I have only the perspective from American educational systems and I am sure that while there will be many similarities between the two systems, there will also be many differences. 

While in Jamaica I will be placed in a school that is specifically for special needs children.  I will assist in activities that will improve their lives.  Whether that is academically or socially.  I will be able to play games with the children as well as teach them academics.  I wills also be able to care for their everyday needs such as feeding and bathing.  These are just a few of the many responsibilities I will have.  

           

I will be departing on December 28th, 2014 and returning January 10th, 2015.  I am looking forward to the two weeks I get to spend in Jamaica.

Here is my current timeline:

Time Frame	Event
December 28th	Depart for Montego Bay, Jamaica Arrive in Montego Bay, Jamaica where I will be greeted by a staff member
December 28th-January 10th	Volunteer in Jamaica with the special needs program Document each day with things I have learned, interesting stories, anything that made an impact on me—whether it is as small as a hug from a child or as big as helping someone learn to write their name
January 10th	Depart for BWI airport Baltimore, MD
April 2015	Share my experience at the Pannell Honors Scholars Fair