Belle Castle Collective-Benefiting kids of Jamaica

Wa guaan…

That is a greeting word meaning “hello” or “What’s up?” in the Jamaican dialect of Patois.

My name is McKenzie Brown and I am a 15 year old sophomore in San Diego. I am starting a fundraising campaign to help support grade school kids in rural Jamaica. Belle Castle Primary and Infant school is located in the parish of Portland, Jamaica with about 65 kids attending from infant age through the 8th grade. I will be visiting this school this summer to work with the kids both in the classroom and to help teach soccer skills (connected to my youth soccer club Warriors Youth Football Academy .

This fundraising campaign is something I hope to continue periodically throughout the next few years with each fundraising round connected to a service volunteerism project in my community or planned Jamaican cultural events. Being a Jamaican-American and having very recently visited the island country for the first time, I felt an unexpected connection. I want to explore that feeling, understand my heritage, and try to make a difference in the lives of some of the children there.

Thankfully, with some family networking, I found an organization (Nissi Care Group ) that visits this rural village community on outreach missions. Amazingly, the school I will be spending time at this summer is where my Grandmother and great aunts attended before emigrating to New York City in their teenage years.

My early vision of this effort is to impact young Jamaican kids. I like the thought of mentorship to younger kids. I feel I can offer friendship, teaching, fun, and inspiration.

So, as I start my first ever fundraising campaign, I ask anyone for your support. Any amount is appreciated. These first funds collected will be used for various purposes that the principal of the school (Mrs. Williams) feels is needed most: ceiling repairs, partition repairs (each classroom is divided by partitions at

Belle Castle), book and toys for the infants, gates needed and soccer balls, uniforms and shoes for the kids. There will be other various needs of the school and students so all funds will be used for the kids. It will be exciting to be a part of this.

Stay tuned for information on future events.

Likkle more… or in other words “see you later” ;)