Growth & Jobs | Corus International joins JN Foundation in rebuilding efforts

When representatives from the faith-inspired global organisation, Corus International, arrived in Jamaica in April, their goal was clear: to support recovery in action and document how their partnership with the JN Foundation has been aiding progress in communities rebuilding after Hurricane Melissa. However, being on the ground and engaging directly with community stakeholders has not only provided them with valuable perspective but deepened their appreciation of both the challenges and the impact of ongoing efforts.

Working alongside the JN Foundation and St John Ambulance Jamaica, the Corus team, which has provided part funding for some of the initiatives, joined the medical mission to Wakefield, Trelawny on Saturday April 18. The outreach brought critical healthcare services directly to residents still feeling the effects of the category five hurricane that severely damaged western Jamaica last October.

Sixty-five people received medical attention during the mission, and residents were also given relief packages made possible through the combined support of Corus International and the JN Foundation.

Emily Grose, associate director for humanitarian programming at Corus International, said supporting Jamaica was not just about providing immediate relief, but also about investing in recovery efforts that help communities to build back better.

“Part of our mandate is that we are agile, we respond immediately and we provide lifesaving services, but we’re also dedicated to communities for their recovery as well,” she said noting that “Being on the ground and seeing the reality of the situation is truly such a different picture. Talking to people from the community, community representatives and the JN Foundation team, you really get a sense of how devastating the hurricane was and I can see how critical the services are and for our project and our team to show up in these moments.”

She emphasised that the partnership with the JN Foundation was a natural fit as their values closely align, making the collaboration not only strategic, but meaningful. Following the launch of its own appeal fund to support hurricane-affected communities after the major storm, Corus International engaged the JN Foundation to identify the most effective ways to deliver meaningful support to those in need.

“In discussing with JN Foundation, we found this was the approach they were taking, having done the needs assessments in the most affected parishes,” she said. “For Corus International, it’s always important for us not to come with a set of ideas in mind, but specifically to respond to the needs on the ground,” she further explained.

Corus International, headquartered in Washington, DC ,in the United States of America, conducts humanitarian and development work in 30 countries across the Americas, Africa, Europe and Asia. Claudine Allen, general manager of the JN Foundation, said the donor team’s first-hand engagement in Jamaica validated what the JN Foundation has been reporting through its field operations. She confirmed that support from Corus International has enabled 12 of the more than 20 medical missions coordinated by the JN Foundation, and supported by several partners, across hurricane-affected parishes to date.

“Through Lutheran World Relief, a Corus International entity, their business is emergency and crisis response and so they were able to give us advice and financial support to expand the number of missions that we executed and they’ve come to Jamaica to be a part of the final phases of the execution,” she shared.

Underscoring the importance of continuing these activities, Ms. Allen said that while conditions have improved and “physical progress is visible” since the first mission, ongoing demand for health services persists. “Being able to see a doctor is something we take for granted,” she said. “There are many Jamaicans who don’t have the resources or don’t have the opportunity to go sit with a doctor and receive a check-up.”

This is the reality for 73-year-old Wakefield resident Mertelda Hemmings, who was first in line for the mission to the community, despite her home still damaged from the hurricane. The storm took her roof, which is currently covered with cardboard and damaged appliances and furniture, including a new television she received just before the disaster struck.

Hemmings, who lives alone with physical health challenges, said the initiative delivered more than healthcare. It also brought financial relief, as she is unable to afford regular visits to her doctor.

“I’m happy for this, that’s why I was number one in line,” she said. “Somebody told me about it while I was coming from church Sunday and as I woke up today, I spread my bed and came here. I appreciate it.”