Armed with a weed whacker, protective gear and a deep love for her birthplace, returning resident Michelle Jones can often be found along roadsides in St Thomas, trimming overgrown bushes and clearing public spaces, all at her own expense.

For Jones, a 47-year-old former United States Navy sailor who recently returned to Jamaica, the work is not about recognition or reward. It is her way of giving back to the parish she once left behind in search of better opportunities.

“I just want to see St Thomas looking good and I want it to be safe. I want the gutters to be clean and nice and stuff like that. That is my thing,” she told Observer Online. “And I am going to continue as long as God gives me breath and I have good health and I can stand up, the weed whacker will be working.”