Educating and Empowering

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Executive Director's Blog 10 January 2012

10 January 2012

I am in Hagley Gap for another visit to our programs. Besides the fact that it is nice to see a little warm sun in the midst of winter, it is also nice to have a welcome respite from the seemingly eternal US election campaigns. I realize that Jamaica is a tiny country when compared to the USA but they managed to elect a new leader and parliament and select a new cabinet in less than thirty days. We take two years to do the same thing.

Jamaica has a new party in power led by a woman Prime Minister. There is an aura of hope here that positive changes are coming.

Executive Director's Blog 12 December 2011

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

2011 is drawing to a close and we are busy planning our 2012 activities. As always we have lots of dreams, lots of ideas, lots of hopes.

In 2011, we worked on a number of construction activities. We improved the health clinics, we painted kindergartens, and we helped improve local family housing.

Executive Director's Blog 15 November 2011

November 19th is World Toilet Day – a day to think about the million euphemisms for toilets and our body waste.

Most of us take our toilets for granted. We rarely think about them unless we are building a house. We just assume that when we flush, our waste will magically go away; but 2.6 billion people across our planet do not have access to adequate sanitation and 1.2 billion have no toilets at all.

Executive Director's Blog 21 October 2011

Ruth Jankee, a long-time supporter of the Blue Mountain Project and board member, recently decided to leave the BMP board due to pressures of her new job. From helping us get a bank account to providing valuable Jamaican contacts, Ruth was instrumental in the birth of BMP.

Thank you, Ruth, for your service to the people of Hagley Gap.

Now we have a hole on the BMP board.

Executive Director's Blog 16 September 2011

Fun Camp started out a little chaotic as this year’s leader had to drop out at the last minute but Tessa stepped in and worked with Zadie and me to bring it all together. Some you know Tessa Anderson from the patois classes he runs for Service Learning Volunteers. His background as a teacher at Minto Primary School (he is also taking university level teaching classes in Kingston), his knowledge of Hagley Gap, and his natural leadership abilities made him an excellent candidate for Fun Camp Leader.

Executive Director's Blog 15 August 2011

The Blue Mountain Project has achieved so much over the past year. Our water program started from nothing but the desire and demand from the Hagley Gap community for clean safe, fresh water. Now we know what we need in terms of clean water and how to get it. We just lack the money. Our health clinics are working 4 days a week instead of 2. We are restarting the After School Program in Hagley Gap. The After School Program in Penlyne Castle is going gangbusters. Our clinic in Penlyne Castle now has a working bathroom and a covered outside waiting room.

Executive Director's Blog 25 July 2011

There are a few changes that you have to make during a visit to Hagley Gap. Most circle around the slower pace of life. This impacts everything from the early rising (yes, the local roosters do not seem to know when the sun rises as they start crowing at 3 am and you can hear one going off at 4pm) to the way you move up the hills..

Executive Director's Blog 10 June 2011

I will be visiting Hagley Gap in June and July. We have two large Service Learning Volunteer groups (LearnServe and St. Andrew’s Church) at that time and I will help with their trips. Among other things, we plan to paint some kindergartens, build a kitchen for an elderly woman, and work on the roof of the clinic.

Executive Director's Blog 5 May 2011

Sunday is Mother’s Day, when we take time to thank our mothers for bringing us into this world and guiding us along the path of life, making us who we are. I would also like to thank mothers like mine who help carry laden suitcases to the airport and see their children off to far corners of the world. I know they are proud of us as we leave home to help others who are not as fortunate in Jamaica, the Congo... They raised us to put others first, to care, and to believe that we can make a difference. But that last “Call when you get there” is evidence of their fear and worry.

Executive Director's Blog 6 April 2011

President Richard Nixon established April as National Volunteer Month in 1974. April is the time to honor the people who dedicate themselves to taking action and solving problems by volunteering their time, expertise, and good will to solve the problems of their communities, big and small.

We at the Blue Mountain Project have been blessed with volunteers throughout our existence.