This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Emily Van Mourick. To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.
The project was to build restroom facilities at Ena’s Haven.
Emily reports:
The staff and operators of Ena’s Haven are most grateful for the funding they received from Appropriate Projects. The project was completed some time ago, and its value and sustainability have been shown.
As a result of the help given, we successfully hosted our very first summer camp in 2011. It houses 20 resident boys from the inner city with 2 day camps, taking place alongside the 6 week resident camp. The 2012 summer had even bigger turnout, with a girls camp undergoing as well.
The local Irish Town and Redlight community was instrumental in completing the construction of the pasture restroom. Because of its very rural and mountainous location, the expertise of local residents was crucial in the logistical planning and execution of the building and allocation of resources.
In addition to accommodating summer day and overnight camps to at risk Jamaican youths, the pasture restroom at Ena’s Haven is serving the needs of weekly guests to the ranch seeking physiological and psychological rehabilitation. Both parents and children attending these sessions are required to spend many hours in a rural pasture about a mile down the room from the Ena’s Haven main house. Because of this Appropriate Projects restroom funding, the stresses of these sessions that been drastically lessened and a basic necessity for undergoing such intensive rehab is now available.
An unexpected benefit of the installed pasture restroom is the use of the facility by elementary school children during their daily commute to the nearby Craighton Primary School. Many initiatives have recently been made to improve the ease and safety of this walk for the children, including new pavement additions to steady the crumbling road and lights to ensure safety. The addition of the pasture restroom has been very helpful to these school children in their 1 to 3+ mile walk to and from school.
The community supports the maintenance of the facility and has been committed to its use only by appropriate persons and uses.
Thank you again to Appropriate Projects in funding a most worthy cause. The treatment of physical and mental disabilities in Jamaica continues to be largely unavailable and stigmatized. Because of your assistance, we are becoming pioneers in remedying this problem.
We are grateful to Emily for completing this project, and again wish to thank James Berg for providing the funding.
