It has now been over two weeks since Hurricane Melissa ripped through Jamaica on October 28, 2025, making landfall on the border of Westmoreland and St. Elizabeth and leaving a path of destruction across several parishes. While government agencies, international donors, and relief groups scramble to meet urgent needs, two dancehall veterans are doing their part.
On November 10, international dancehall star Mavado visited the community of Braes River in St. Elizabeth to deliver much-needed assistance. According to local media, he was moved by the social-media appeal of the constituency’s Member of Parliament, Zuleika Jess, who represents St. Elizabeth North East and had publicly pleaded for help for her affected community.
In addition to aiding Braes River, Mavado also visited and pledged support for the Accompong Maroons and the indigenous people of Cockpit Country, many of whom remain marooned in mountainous areas following landslides and road blockages caused by the storm.
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In an interview, Mavado said seeing the plight of these regions stirred him into action. MP Jess publicly thanked the “Gully Gad” and his team for their support, while Mavado shared his intention to extend his relief efforts into other parishes also hit hard by the storm.
His act is a reminder that the recovery effort must go beyond the headline zones and extend to remote areas where infrastructure was shattered, access remains limited, and local leaders have felt compelled to act—sometimes even outside formal channels, as MP Jess admitted she did when she “broke the law” by hiring private contractors to clear a blocked road in her constituency earlier this month.
Meanwhile, Vybz Kartel, through his newly launched Adidja Palmer Foundation (APF), has gone beyond a one-off donation. His relief work spans multiple western parishes: St. James, Hanover, Westmoreland, and other hard-struck areas.
In one standout moment, Kartel visited the Westhaven Children’s Home in Copse, Hanover — a facility for children with disabilities that was severely damaged by the storm. He pledged long-term support and expressed his intention to officially “adopt” the home, vowing that his foundation’s efforts would move beyond emergency aid into rebuilding, education, and institutional support.
APF’s early relief footprint already includes a 40-foot container of supplies, more than 12,000 bottles of water, 1,500 loaves of bread, hygiene kits, and the distribution of over 3,500 hot meals in partnership with World Central Kitchen.
Their efforts are timely: the official national relief portal, SupportJamaica.gov.jm, lists 400,000 people affected and drop-off locations across multiple parishes for donations and material support.
Communities like Braes River and institutions like Westhaven are often overlooked once the spotlight fades, but they’re usually the ones where recovery can take months, even years. The storm obliterated homes, blocked roads, and destroyed roofs. MP Jess acknowledged the severity and desperation. Mavado’s involvement adds not just material support, but visibility and morale to those communities.
Kartel’s approach highlights another dimension: post-hurricane recovery isn’t only about basins of food and bottled water. It’s about rebuilding schools, children’s homes, shelters for the elderly, and giving hope that life will return — and be better than before.
With two weeks now past since Melissa struck, relief is ongoing, but the path to full recovery is long. In a moment when Jamaica needs every hand on deck, these two dancehall veterans aren’t just lending their names; they’re stepping in, showing up, and promising to stay — and for the residents of parishes torn apart by Hurricane Melissa, that kind of commitment matters more than ever.
