Diaspora restores hope to DRB Basic School in Day of Service

“The outpouring of support has been truly inspiring. In the wake of Hurricane Melissa, Jamaicans and friends of Jamaica from the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and beyond responded with compassion and generosity. Their willingness to volunteer, donate and give back demonstrates the strength of our global community and the deep commitment many people have to helping vulnerable families recover and rebuild,” she said.
Throughout the day, volunteers painted classrooms, refreshed outdoor spaces and engaged with students, helping to create a brighter and more welcoming environment for learning.
For Heather Wiggan Vassell, principal of the school, the Day of Service represented far more than a restoration project. It was a visible demonstration of community support at a time when the school needed it most. Reflecting on the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, she recalled the devastation left behind.
“When Hurricane Melissa came, it tore through our community. The DRB Grant Demonstration Basic School was left broken. Classrooms were damaged, learning was interrupted, and our children's sense of safety was shaken,” she said.
The principal credited the JN Foundation's intervention with helping the school begin the journey towards recovery.
“In that moment of loss, the JN Foundation stepped in, not just with financial support, but with hands, hearts and time on the ground,” she outlined. “Because of your physical presence, our children saw that they were not forgotten. You did not just help us rebuild a building; you helped us rebuild hope. You gave our DRB Grant family a place to learn again and our students a place to dream again.”
She said the return of volunteers through the Diaspora Day of Service reinforced the message that the school continues to have a network of supporters committed to its future.

The Diaspora Day of Service, however, was only one chapter in a broader recovery effort said Claudine Allen, general manager of the JN Foundation, emphasising that rebuilding the school will require sustained support from multiple partners.
“Today was just a small part of a very long journey that the DRB Grant Demonstration Basic School has ahead of it,” she said. “You have seen the facility, and you have seen the needs.
There are urgent requirements for furniture, school supplies, playground equipment and other resources. The JN Foundation is committed to being part of that journey and ensuring that we leverage our resources to give the school what it needs.”
She noted that the initiative brought together a diverse group of supporters, including Diaspora Conference delegates, corporate partners, volunteers, educational institutions and community stakeholders, all united by a common goal.
“What progress we made today will be multiplied through the partnerships that emerge from this visit,” she said. “Through mural painting, landscaping, tree planting and other improvements, volunteers have helped to create a more welcoming and inspiring environment for the children. But more importantly, they have demonstrated what can happen when people come together in service of a community.”
The JN Foundation general manager also highlighted the significance of the school's namesake, early childhood education pioneer Dudley R. Grant, whose legacy continues to shape learning in Jamaica and beyond.
“Dudley Grant was a visionary whose ideas about early childhood education were far ahead of his time,” she said. “More than 60 years later, the principles he championed are still being practised here. We wanted today's restoration effort to honour that legacy and help ensure that future generations of children have the nurturing environment they need to learn, grow and thrive.”
Other local volunteer partners included The University of the West Indies and the Jamaica Customs Agency.

son-Wilkin (left), Bishop of Dover and the first Black woman to become a bishop in the Church of England and another volunteer refresh murals at the school.