JAMAICA

Dates: May 24- June 4, 2010 (includes two-day preparation retreat prior to experience)

Cost: $1300.00 – Plus cost of passport (if participant does not have one), immunizations, and spending money for travel/souvenirs

Immersion Site:
Jamaica is the third largest island in the Caribbean, and the most populous English-speaking island in that region.  Jamaica’s population consists mainly of people of African descent, which comprises close to 91% of the population.  Nearly 65% of Jamaica’s population is Christian, mainly Protestant denominations.  Only 2.6% of the country’s population is Catholic.  Jamaicans speak a form of English known as Patois.  Jamaica is challenged by poverty and a growing national debt.

Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica and is located on the southeastern coast of the island country.  The population is approximately 650,000.  It is estimated that approximately one-third of the city’s population live in urban ghettos where residents face high crime rates, inadequate education, and poor housing.

Community Partner:
JCU partners with MERGE Ministries to work at Strathmore Gardens, designed to be temporary, refuge housing for children age 0-15 over a period up to 90 days. This is the only facility of its kind for the Jamaican parishes of St. Catherine and Clarendon. The facility can house up to 35 children. Strathmore provides shelter, educational services, food, counseling and medical attention for children often delivered by the police who get in trouble with the law, are abused or neglected.

Activities:
The experience allows participants the opportunity to interact with the children of Strathmore by developing educational lessons and activities. In addition the group will visits various other social service agencies responding to the challenges of poverty and injustice in the Kingston/Spanish Town area of Jamaica. The group will also experience Jamaica's countryside while traveling to/from Spanish Town via Montego Bay.

Accommodations:
The group will travel throughout Jamaica in a microbus with a professional driver.

JCU groups stay in community-style housing that is simple but adequate. Typically group members have shared sleeping spaces. (2010 lodging locations are still being determined - 8/26/09) Meals in Jamaica consist of lots of vegetables, fruits, rice, and some meat/chicken/fish. Meals are simple but plentiful.