Mammee Bay and Steertown, St. Ann
Mammee Bay & Steertown On The Map!
Mammee Bay is located right off the highway to Ocho Rios from Montego Bay.
There is many hidden treasures from tucked away beaches, to the water falls where James Bond's DR.NO was filmed.
The town in full of vybez.
This is where I like to call my home.
Where do you find Steertown?
Well you can take the Drax Hall exit off the Highway to Ocho Rios to Montego bay, this way will lead you all the up to Nine Miles. The views are amazing, because you are getting up into the hills you can over look the Beautiful Ocean.
The reason I have chosen Steertown to be up on here, is mainly because of the Violence that is attracted to the area. Though we hear of much worse in Kingston, there is always a war Between Steertown and Green Bay. One of the reasons I have started this orginization is to guide kids into a better future, and diminish Violence.
My Story
Mammee Bay, is my second home.
My Grandmother has been going since 1976, and married to my Grandfather since 1984. Brigning her to Jamaica almost every year, and eventually buying property here in Mammee Bay. This gave me the oppurtunity to never have to set foot on a resort, and experience a side of Jamaica that some people would die for.
In 2008 I travelled with my Grandparents, Father and Sister to visit Jamaica for the first time.
From that day I caught Jamrock Fever, as I stated in the introduction its a "Once you go. You know!" kinda thing.
My first vist, I was focused on spending time with people who came to the yard.
I did have the oppurtunity to visit a few places on the Island, but not many. We were not there for the touristy thing. I was always quite busy though, I had different family who came to visit everyday, and children running around till 11 O'Clock at night. My sister being young at the time gave me alot of oppurtunity to speak with the kids in the community because after school they were there in the yard.
What sticks in my head is one night I was observing a group of boys dancing, I let them use my computer which was full of music and one took over as DJ. The talent I saw made my eyes glisten.
I had observed over the weeks, the lack of discipline if they didn't go to school. The excitement over paper and pens, and books! These boys had talent but because of the lack of education and funds they were "punished" from being able to acheive their goal.
Now I know most beleive anyone can accomplish anything, if they want it bad.
But what happens when the society, and community in is surrounded by this. It makes it hard for one to survive, yet alone do what they dream.
I spent a year thinking about this, and researching more about Jamaica. To find out that they would'nt alow anymore Community Centers in Steertown, unless operated by a Church.
I went back about a year and three months later, this trip was much different. I spent the day with the kids, drawing, helping catch crabs, brigning them to the beach. I made some strong tyes with people my age and older in the community and was able to start asking questions about how much school fees were, uniforms, books, and school supplies. I went on to find out that most the stuff we bring from Foreign isn't what the Jamaican Schools want. They want specific note books... ect. Aswell as I went on to find out that there Sexual Education is based on Absteninse, which in all reality, doesn't teach kids about protection.
I went on to enjoy my vacation with this food of thought.
That is when I met Ricky, my best friend.
We met briefly at a corner bar, and we hit it off right away. We shared some of the same interests, expecially about helping Jamaica. When I got home from Jamaica we talked on the phone everyday. He was a great little helper and did research on how many people went to the local schools, and helped me build ideas.
For a while the project was on hold, I needed to gather more information myself when I went back down, and I had to deal with some of my everyday things.
I went back twice from that time, but the time that I learned the most was my extended stay February to April.
In that time I got to experience kids in the tenement yard Ricky and I lived in, in Steertown.
There were 6 kids, the girls got to go to school, but the boys had to stay behind and help the house.
The man to one house was never around, and than the mother to two of the little boys had gone and left them so they were left with the father and grandmother. Their father was a Fisherman and made very little.
I heard different reasons of why they werent at school that day, some such as I don't have new shoes. Some days I didnt have money for lunch, and others I didn't have money for taxi fare. So one day I gave 200$ JMD to go get shoes across the street the boy gave it to his mom and they ended up spending it on Diapers.
From that trip when I came back home, I decided to start pushing it.
These children deserve an education and they deserve to be guided into the right path for a great future.
These children in the yard were taught at a young age to give up, and it breaks my heart.
My Grandmother has been going since 1976, and married to my Grandfather since 1984. Brigning her to Jamaica almost every year, and eventually buying property here in Mammee Bay. This gave me the oppurtunity to never have to set foot on a resort, and experience a side of Jamaica that some people would die for.
In 2008 I travelled with my Grandparents, Father and Sister to visit Jamaica for the first time.
From that day I caught Jamrock Fever, as I stated in the introduction its a "Once you go. You know!" kinda thing.
My first vist, I was focused on spending time with people who came to the yard.
I did have the oppurtunity to visit a few places on the Island, but not many. We were not there for the touristy thing. I was always quite busy though, I had different family who came to visit everyday, and children running around till 11 O'Clock at night. My sister being young at the time gave me alot of oppurtunity to speak with the kids in the community because after school they were there in the yard.
What sticks in my head is one night I was observing a group of boys dancing, I let them use my computer which was full of music and one took over as DJ. The talent I saw made my eyes glisten.
I had observed over the weeks, the lack of discipline if they didn't go to school. The excitement over paper and pens, and books! These boys had talent but because of the lack of education and funds they were "punished" from being able to acheive their goal.
Now I know most beleive anyone can accomplish anything, if they want it bad.
But what happens when the society, and community in is surrounded by this. It makes it hard for one to survive, yet alone do what they dream.
I spent a year thinking about this, and researching more about Jamaica. To find out that they would'nt alow anymore Community Centers in Steertown, unless operated by a Church.
I went back about a year and three months later, this trip was much different. I spent the day with the kids, drawing, helping catch crabs, brigning them to the beach. I made some strong tyes with people my age and older in the community and was able to start asking questions about how much school fees were, uniforms, books, and school supplies. I went on to find out that most the stuff we bring from Foreign isn't what the Jamaican Schools want. They want specific note books... ect. Aswell as I went on to find out that there Sexual Education is based on Absteninse, which in all reality, doesn't teach kids about protection.
I went on to enjoy my vacation with this food of thought.
That is when I met Ricky, my best friend.
We met briefly at a corner bar, and we hit it off right away. We shared some of the same interests, expecially about helping Jamaica. When I got home from Jamaica we talked on the phone everyday. He was a great little helper and did research on how many people went to the local schools, and helped me build ideas.
For a while the project was on hold, I needed to gather more information myself when I went back down, and I had to deal with some of my everyday things.
I went back twice from that time, but the time that I learned the most was my extended stay February to April.
In that time I got to experience kids in the tenement yard Ricky and I lived in, in Steertown.
There were 6 kids, the girls got to go to school, but the boys had to stay behind and help the house.
The man to one house was never around, and than the mother to two of the little boys had gone and left them so they were left with the father and grandmother. Their father was a Fisherman and made very little.
I heard different reasons of why they werent at school that day, some such as I don't have new shoes. Some days I didnt have money for lunch, and others I didn't have money for taxi fare. So one day I gave 200$ JMD to go get shoes across the street the boy gave it to his mom and they ended up spending it on Diapers.
From that trip when I came back home, I decided to start pushing it.
These children deserve an education and they deserve to be guided into the right path for a great future.
These children in the yard were taught at a young age to give up, and it breaks my heart.
Check this video out done in Mammee Bay, Steertown, and Ocho Rios!!!
