After the Storm: Unity in Action with Hurricane Melissa


Kerwin here — real talk. When a monster like Hurricane Melissa slams into a sister island like Jamaica, you don’t get to sit around and wait for someone else to fix things. You step up. You show up. You lift together.

What happened

Melissa came in hard. As one of the strongest hurricanes on record, she tore across Jamaica’s landscape — ripped off roofs, knocked out power for hundreds of thousands, turned towns into shock zones. Homes that once buzzed now sit hollow. Lives disrupted. Futures shaken.

And I remember — strong flashback to when Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria carved chaos into my own time in Turks and Caicos Islands 2017. The winds didn’t discriminate, but what came after — the unity, the rebuilding, the refusal to let the storm define us — that was the difference.

Unity is our power

Here’s the truth: storms may smash our walls, but they also reveal our hearts. I see communities in Jamaica doing exactly what they do when times get real: neighbours checking on neighbours, strangers reaching out, churches and schools converting into lifelines. It wasn’t perfect — nothing ever is — but the movement is there.

When we stood together in Turks and Caicos after Irma and Maria, we learned early that recovery isn’t a solo sport. It’s all-hands. Same script now in Jamaica. You see the aid planes, the volunteers, the kindness flowing in from places you wouldn’t always expect. That’s unity.

Don’t revert to “me first”

But let’s cut the fluff: crisis also brings out that ugly side. Scammers, profiteers, people playing games with relief dollars and good-will. We cannot let that happen. When one person uses the chaos for personal gain, they steal hope — not just from one victim, but from a whole community. They undermine trust.

So here’s the wake-up call: If you’ve got legitimate help — use it. Give back. Contribute time, resources, effort. If you’re tempted to cut corners, exploit the vulnerable, or hide behind “emergency” to line your pockets — pull back. You’re not just harming one person; you’re hurting the entire recovery ecosystem. And that sets back real needs from getting met.

We’re brothers & sisters — worldwide

One of the most beautiful things I’m seeing right now? Nations, organisations, neighbours stepping in. Because when Jamaica bleeds, we all feel it. Because when one Caribbean island falls, we all rise or we all fall together.

We’re talking support crossing borders, shipping containers of supplies, technical teams offering help, satellites and networks cracking open to share data and relief. So raise a nod to those countries that said “we’re here” when the shouting ended and the rebuilding began. Solidarity is real.

Now what? — The mission moving forward

  • Stay in the unity mode: When the cameras leave and the big headlines fade, that’s exactly when the work begins. Keep forming those teams. Keep reaching out. Keep checking on people whose lives got upended.

  • Live selfless, not just in crisis: Self-sacrifice isn’t glamorous, but it builds trust. Be the person who shows up, who carries a bucket, who shovels the debris, who shares the water, who refuses to send someone away because “my quota is full”.

  • Hold the line on integrity: If you’re running a relief fund, a donation drive, a supply chain — transparency isn’t optional. Accountability isn’t optional. If you cheat the system, you are the vulnerability.

  • Repair for tomorrow, not just today: We rebuild homes, yes. But we rebuild community, economy, hope. We guide young people. We strengthen infrastructure. We teach resilience. Because the next storm is coming — it’s not a matter of if.

Closing word

Jamaica is shaking, houses are in ruin, people are fearing what comes next. But the greatest moon doesn’t last forever and neither does fear. The greatest wave we ride now is not of wind or water — it’s of humanity. Our humanity.

So if you’re reading this: act. Reach out. Give. Serve. Do not let Melissa’s fury become an excuse to fall back into selfishness. Let it be the trigger—the turning point. Let it instigate unity, let it ignite service, let it remind us that we are not isolated — we are connected.

Together, we will rebuild. Together, we will recover. Together, we will rise

Hear what Ashane Rose has to say

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