On January 13th, 2016, three homes in Montego Bay were burned to the ground in a blazing fire that appears to have involved foul play. Apparently, someone lit a gas fire in the middle unit of the row of homes and the flames reached so high and wide that it reached the other two units, and in no time they were all gone. It may have been arson; it may have been accidental. Whatever the case, my brother Junior is now homeless.

I am blessed to live in Toronto, Canada, where we have strong support systems and social benefits. In my native Jamaica, that isn’t always the case. I’m doing what I can to help, but my own resources are limited. Over the years I have always been able to help my family but now things are increasingly difficult as I was laid off myself only a few years ago and I can not afford to help as much as I did before.

In Greek mythology, the phoenix is a sun-bird that rises out of the ashes of its predecessor. I am asking for your contributions to help my brother Junior, who survived the fire and is now sleeping on a neighbour’s couch, with nowhere else to go.

This is heart-wrenching for me – I remember as a young girl in school he would help me with books and lunch money all through high school. This is a very bad break and sometimes I wonder how he is feeling right now, having lost everything. I try my best to encourage him and I am confident that he will get help. My brother has worked hard all his life – now he needs a new start.

I am asking for your support to help him rebuild his life. Every little bit helps.

Thank you for your support, and may God bless you.

Background

Look up the words Montego Bay on any computer and your screen will be filled with beautiful photos of blue, sandy beaches. But for local residents, life is often very different. Jamaica is in the midst of an election at the moment, and recently at least three people in Montego Bay were killed and several injured after a shooting, where hundreds had gathered for an opposition party rally. The Jamaica Labour Party called the shooting a “barefaced and heartless attack on the democratic process.”

The day after the January 13th fire, a few government officials brought food and handed out clothes. They have also promised to provide bricks, cement and steel to rebuild, but suffice it to say that there are many priorities competing for the government’s attention these days and meanwhile, the victims of the fire have nowhere else to go. In any case, regardless of potential assistance, the owner of the properties has no intention of rebuilding.

The night of the fire, around 11pm, Junior was upstairs when he smelled smoke. He went down to check and saw the beginnings of an inferno. It was his constant yelling that alerted those who were already sleeping. There was no time to save anything – no clothes, no furniture or other belongings of any kind. He lost all his identification, his passport, driver's licence, birth certificate, school and work records, cellphone... everything but the pajamas he was wearing. He was not even wearing a pair of slippers as he leapt out of bed and had to make a dash down the stairs.

At 64, Junior is now retired. For many years, he worked in the Jamaican bauxite industry. After that, he worked for the government, but was laid off. It is a constant struggle. He currently works for a person who has livestock and his job is to transport the meat to vendors. Luckily, they provide a van so he is able to do this a few days each week.

The money will help him to start over, to forget the horror of having had to watch everything that he owned go up in smoke.