KINGSTON, Jamaica — In the seven months following Hurricane Melissa’s devastation across communities in St Elizabeth, St James and Manchester, over 6,000 children and caregivers received critical psychosocial and parenting support through a joint intervention by Children First Agency (CFA) and UNICEF Jamaica.

According to a release from CFA, the Child Protection Immediate Humanitarian Response project reached 6,426 parents and children through child-friendly spaces, parenting sessions and mobile mental health and psychosocial support activities designed to help families recover from the storm’s impact. For many families, recovery has involved more than rebuilding homes, it has meant rebuilding a sense of safety and hope.

Debbie Harrison, who was in the final stages of pregnancy when the hurricane destroyed her home, recalls being especially worried about her daughter, 11-year-old Teyana who, following the disaster, struggled with anxiety. Participation in one of the project’s child-friendly spaces helped change that. “Mi stop nervous and start to feel happy inside. Mi get fi meet new friends and learn new words,” said Teyana, who proudly explained that resilience means “bouncing back from stress or challenges”.