Mustard Seed Communities, Jamaica
I volunteered at the Mustard Seed communities in Jamaica for a week in both the summer of 2023 and 2024. I fed and bathed the residents twice a day, and completed projects such as fixing the faulty water tower and repaving walkways to make them wheelchair accessible. Throughout my stay, I noticed the glaring inequalities disabled Jamaicans face, such as an extremely low social welfare payment ($4 per person) and a lack of individualized programs. However, I also noticed the relentless optimism that these residents displayed, constantly wearing a smile on their face, proving that living life to the fullest while having a severe disability is still a possibility.
Raheem
aheem, a 12-year-old with a growth condition, enjoys being carried and spoon-fed. He loves being read to, especially illustrated versions of The Jungle Book. Raheem's smile is truly heartwarming, often lighting up after a tickle or a bowl of warm porridge.
Shanice
Shanice has cerebral palsy, which greatly limits her range of motion. However, she doesn't let that get in the way of her passion, which is sleeping for prolonged periods of time. Like some of the other residents, Shanice's trademark is sleeping right in the middle of her meal, pushing the person feeding her into a state of despair. Shanice thinks this is quite funny, giving a little smirk once they finally give up.
Zorriana
Zorriana has autism, which makes her especially energetic. Her favorite thing to do is point toward the distance so a volunteer loses track of her, and then run away as fast as possible. Zorriana definitely has the Jamaican sprinter genes, and is impossible to catch once she starts running. She also loves to do loops around the campus, so the person looking after her better have good cardio.
Davian
Davian has one of the best jawlines in the world because of his love of chewing. He always has a shirt in his mouth, and chews nonstop for hours at a time. Davian's second favorite hobby is sleeping, which he does whenever he get's exhausted from chewing. Davian is not a fan of other people or attention, preferring to chew in silence while watching his fellow residents.
Gio
Gio has several strategies to avoid eating food, which is his least favorite activity. Gio has cerebral palsy, meaning that he can't run away from the volunteer feeding him. Instead, he bursts into tears whenever the spoon approaches his mouth, making the volunteer feel bad and put the food down. Once they leave, Gio smiles and laughs with his fellow residents. Gil also loves to be carried by his caretakers and massaged on the back.
Marco
Marco is an extremely polite and respectful man. Marco is a regular at every church gathering, and often takes his place on the church choir. He loves to interact with volunteers and ask them different questions, such as where they are from and the news around town. Marco has Down syndrome, but he doesn't let it get in the way of him leading a happy and productive life.
Dylan
Dylan loves to act like he's a soldier in the middle of World War 2. After school, Dylan rushes out, grabs a volunteer, and makes them hide behind a bush while he makes sure the coast is clear. Once he does that, he shows his army crawling skill and imaginary rifle skills to take out his enemies. Dylan also appears to have some martial arts skills, jumping off of high platforms and taking the volunteers by surprise.
Anne
Anne loves to use her voice and draw attention to herself. She loves to grab onto people's hands and drag them into the playroom so they can watch her play in the ball pit with her friend Daniella. She is often one of the first people to greet you once you enter the premises, and you can always know where she is just by listening to her voice.
Jovan
Jovan has hydrocephaly, meaning that his head is enlarged past its normal size. Normally, hydrocephaly would put an end to anybodies dreams of playing sports, but not for Jovan. Although Jovan must use his wheelchair, he loves to play catch with whoever he can find and has a great throwing arm. If Jovan keeps practicing, his throwing arm will be a force to be reckoned with.
Moses
Moses is one of the older residents of Mustard Seed, but is also one of the most lively ones. Moses loves to dance, and looks forward to his daily commute to the chapel where gospel music is sung. Moses also enjoys any type of music, so many volunteers take him over to the meditation spot and play their favorite songs. Moses likes to dance with a partner, either with a fellow resident or a caretaker.
Tavar
Tavar has severe mobility restrictions and cannot use his legs, relying on his wheelchair to get around. He has cerebral palsy, but still uses his arms to get around on his wheelchair and meet new people. Tavar's trademark is to shake the hand of everybody he meets, making sure they feel welcome whenever they are around him. Like many of the other residents, Tavar loves to draw and will never hesitate to pick up a coloring sheet and some crayons to get to work.
Jerome
Jerome was abandoned by his parents as a young toddler. At first, he lacked the ability to move around on his own and communicate with others. His learning and physical disabilities were severe, and his caretakers thought that he would never be able to go to school. However, Jerome beat the odds, and can speak and move around on his own. He goes to school now, but Jamaica's disability laws are so lax that he will struggle to find the accommodations he needs to seek higher education. Right now though, Jerome will continue to smile and learn at the little angels school.
Keisha
Keisha is one of the oldest residents of the Mustard Seed Communities. She suffers from severe cerebral palsy, and has lost nearly all of her mobility, unable to sit on a wheelchair. However, she remains optimistic at all times, keeping a smile at all times while watching the volunteers play games with other residents. Keisha never feels the need to attract attention to herself, and prefers to watch volunteers interact with other residents.
Daniella
Daniella has Down syndrome, but still goes to skill and makes her presence felt. Whenever she see's a volunteer, she makes sure they are in exactly the right place so she can keep track of them at all times. Daniella also loves to be in the play room, and one of her favorite actives is being pushed on the swing. She also loves getting in the ball pit with one of her friends and having a good time.
Peter
Peter loves to hang around the caretakers and greet volunteers. His trademark is to give everyone a big hug as soon as they get off the bus, and follow them back to oversee their departure. Peter is very easy going, and doesn't like to draw attention to himself unless he is showing affection to others. Peter also loves to draw, and one can find him in the center of excellence filling out coloring sheets.
Malik
Malik's favorite activity is falling asleep. He has cerebral palsy and cannot move around on his own, so he relies on other to take him to the best napping spots. Sometimes, Malik will even fall asleep during the middle of his meal. Malik also like to position his head directly up to the sky, preferring to let his face be bathed in sunlight.
Omar
Omar is always trying to help the caretakers stay organized and keep his fellow residents on task. He is extremely studious, and pays utmost attention to the teacher during classroom and computer instruction. Omar is very respectful to volunteers and is happy to engage in thoughtful discourse with them. Mustard Seed Residents know they can go to Omar if they ever need
Phillip
Phillip is a regular at Alex's and David's table during lunch. Just like Kia, he prefers to listen to his fellow residents rather than actively engage in conversation. However, Phillip always smiles and remains optimistic, making everyone feel comfortable sharing their opinion. Phillip enjoys listening to his friends talk about power rangers, or taking a nice nap in the sunlight.
Jamar
Jamar is fairly shy at first, but blossoms once someone takes time to get to know him. He likes to hang around the caretakers and ask them questions, but when he is not around them he enjoys hanging out with the volunteers and asking them to help him out. Sometimes, Jamar asks the volunteers to feed him while he focuses on playing games with his friends.
Courtney
Courtney is exceptionally intelligent, and is also part of the power rangers gang. He is probably better at spelling than any volunteer that crosses his path, and often stumps them by asking them to name all the power rangers. His intelligence makes him a proficient learner, and he has a bright future ahead of him.
Kia
Kia does not speak very often and does not particularly like to engage in the many games the residents the play. However, she is an excellent listener, and anyone talking to her feels like they are heard. Her calm demeanor and listening skills make her a friend to many volunteers and residents.
Jaiden
Jaiden is Courtney's best friend, which makes sense because of their wittiness and intelligence. Jaiden's favorite activity is also to watch power rangers, but he also enjoys drawing portraits of the volunteers. These pieces of art often take a long time to create, but the finished product is always excellent.
Marvin
Marvin is an organizer by heart, and always makes sure the volunteers are right where he wants them to be. He needs a volunteer to sit on his right and left to critique his artwork, which is a very demanding job. Marvin also love to play catch with wooden blocks, making his arms extremely strong for his age.
Ramico
Like Marvin, Ramico spends much of his time playing catch, whether that be with solid wooden blocks or rubber balls. Ramico also loves to draw, but prefer to draw whatever he wants rather than draw volunteers portraits. Ramico is extremely energetic, and one can see him sprinting around the Mustard Seed campus constantly.
Jaylen
Jaylen has some visual impairment and severe mobility restrictions, mostly due to cerebral palsy. However, Jaylen chooses happiness over frustration, and looks for the small pleasures in life for enjoyment. He especially enjoys mealtime, where he takes his time and savors every bite of his porridge. Jaylen also takes sleep very seriously, refusing to be woken up during nap time.
Alex
Alex goes to school, where he works immensely hard and is one of the most enthusiastic students. Alex is by far the most optimistic person anyone can come across, and there is not a single moment he isn't smiling, even when he is eating. Alex is also a huge fan of power rangers, and looks up to the blue power ranger as his idol.
Jerome
Jerome is not able to use his legs, but he compensates for this lack of mobility using his hand powered scooter. You can constantly find Jerome helping out in some of the work projects around Mustard Seed, especially working on packaging eggs. He is also extremely friendly, being the first one to greet any new group of volunteers.
David
David is one of the power rangers fans, and is a good friend of Alex's. David has a calm demeanor, and is very easy to make friends with. Volunteers often gravitate to the lunch table with Alex and David, just because they are so easy to get along with. He is in great shape, and is a formidable foe when playing soccer against volunteers.
Paul
Paul is super funny, and he never ceases to make volunteers and his fellow residents laugh. When other residents are looking away, he takes a sneaky bite of their porridge, and plants a huge kiss on volunteers when they leave. Just like Alex, he is always smiling, and makes everyone's day a little better.
Hotardo
Hotardo is usually one of the more quiet residents, preferring to sleep and eat rather than make a lot of noise. However, when Hotardo sees a returning volunteer after a long period away, he cannot restrain his excitement. He doesn't laugh very often, but when he does, it is truly a special and happy experience for all who witness it.
Reinhardt
Like Hotardo, Reinhardt is usually very quiet. He likes to be fed, and especially looks forward to his breakfast email. Reinhardt is exceptionally thoughtful, and one can often witness him gazing at the nature around him at the meditation spot. Reinhardt's mobility restrictions have improved to the point where he can move most of his upper body, giving him a degree of freedom.
Jahneil
Jahneil is incredibly active, always pumping his head forward and backwards and using his voice to make his presence felt. His personality draws others towards him, making him a favorite among volunteers and caretakers. Jahneil has Down syndrome and a mobility restrictions, but he never lets his condition take the smile off his face. Because of Jahneil's active lifestyle, sometimes he needs to take a nap and recharge
Jordan
When Jordan first arrived at the Mustard Seed communities, he could barely move around on his own. However, volunteers can now see Jordan move his legs and arms around at will, and with the physical therapy treatment he is getting, it is likely that he will regain some of his mobility to move around on his own. Jordan is one of the most adorable residents, and loves volunteers and caretakers to hold his hand.
Brandon
Brandon is full of laughter, and enjoys the company of his fellow residents and volunteers. Brandon has severe mobility restrictions, so he likes volunteers to wheel him over to the meditation center. One of Brandon's favorite activities is to get his picture taken, especially in front of the beautiful Jamaican jungle view that overlooks Mustard Seed. Brandon's optimism and infectious smile makes everyone who comes across him a little happier.
Crystal
Crystal was born paralyzed waste down. She was given to the Mustard Seed communities by her parents, who were unable to provide for her needs. Jamaica does not have welfare systems to support families of disabled children, so Crystal's family had no choice but to let her go. She loves to crawl around on her own, and is extremely bossy with volunteers. Even though Crystal has no cognitive disabilities, the chances of her going to school and receiving an education are low, as many schools do not have the capacity to accommodate wheelchair bound children.
Dominique
In 2019, Dominique was given to the Mustard Seed Communities by his mother. She had been cut off from the meager welfare support the government had given her, and had no choice but to give her child to Mustard Seed or allow him to starve. Dominique was born with severe cerebral palsy, and had little to no medical treatment prior to entering Mustard Seed. He was also extremely malnourished and dehydrated.
Dominique is 7 years old now, and his condition has improved greatly since his arrival. Even though Dominique is mentally fit, it is unlikely that he will be able to attend school due to lack of accommodations.
Paige
Paige loves to dance, and has dreams of becoming a professional dancer one day. Every time a new volunteer group comes by, Paige is the first one to show off her unique talents, and never fails to bring a smile to whomever she meets. She is also exceptionally kind hearted, always putting her fellow residents before herself and working to make sure everyone's needs are met. Paige is a high performer at Blessed Assurance school, but will struggle to receive a higher education because of her Down syndrome. However, Paige's smile and love of life have a massive impact on everyone who meets her, and her message of love and kindness are an inspiration to everyone.
Marcus
Marcus is an artist at heart. His cerebral palsy does not stop him from producing some of the finest pottery in Jamaica, and he helps support Mustard Seed by selling it at their Kingston location, My Fathers House. Marcus engages everyone he meets in thoughtful and intelligent conversation, and often explains his hopes and dreams for the future. Among Marcus' many talents is his passion for music, and he hopes to form a disabled marching band to play at one of Jamaica's many parades. Jamaica's lack of disability inclusion legislation makes his task a difficult one, but his incredible willpower will no doubt make him successful in any endeavor he chooses.
Javani
Javani loves to have a good time. He can entertain himself for hours playing with a water bottle on the floor, or throwing a tangerine with a volunteer. His powerful throwing arm would make him a top notch football or baseball player. Javani is also exceptionally mischievous, and taunts any volunteer who takes on the Herculean task of trying to feed him. He swerves his head left and right whenever the spoon comes anywhere near his mouth, or will take the hat right off of a volunteer's head in the 100 degree weather if they aren't paying attention.
Tajay
Tajay loves to go fast. He erupts into laughter whenever a volunteer pushes him as fast as possible in his wheelchair, and begs to go up the little ramps so he can zoom back down. Tajay would definitely be a natural in formula 1 because of his high speed tolerance. Tajay brings joy to everyone he meets, especially the longtime handyman of the community. After hours of tough work in the sun, the handyman always goes to tickle or feed Tajay, and their happiness is radiates throughout the entire community.
Kimoya
Kimoya was left at the Mustard Seed Community when she was two years old, unable to walk far or hear at all. However, after four years of dedicated care by MSC, Kimoya is able to walk on her own and has recovered part of hearing. She is a superstar in school, and the future is looking incredibly bright for her. Kimoya has dreams of a higher education, and will no doubt be a champion of the disabled community upon completion of her education.
Chrisagaye
Chrisagaye has a hearing impairment and can only speak in sign language, but her style of communication and eagerness convey her overall love of life. She is active in helping the community with their laundry, easing the heavy burden of some of the MSC caretakers. Chrisagaye's work ethic is incredibly strong, and she spends hours on whatever she is working for without complaint. Chrisagaye is also an avid writer, taking time for reflection in her journal every night.
Kereisa
Kereisa has Rett syndrome, an incredibly rare condition that causes infants to lose coordination and movement after six months of appearing relatively healthy. The condition has no cure and medical treatment is incredibly expensive, resulting in her parents leaving her with the Mustard Seed communities. Using leg splints and other unique physical therapy tactics, her improvement has skyrocketed. She is extremely independent, and never fails to express her displeasure when someone tries to help move around. Kereisa's willpower and perseverance continue to help her make astonishing improvements in the face of her condition.
Serena
When Serena first arrived at the Mustard Seed Communities in Jamaica, she was severely malnourished and did not have the strength to move her head on her own. She had a variety of conditions, such as cerebral palsy, microcephaly, and seizures, and her family simply could not provide for her due to the lack of government support for the disabled in Jamaica. However, after arriving at Mustard Seed, Serena has gained weight and recovered much of her mobility, and growth continues to improve by the day.
Erica
Erica came to the Mustard Seed communities with severe hypertension in addition to epilepsy. She did not talk to her caretakers and fellow residents, and wanted to be by herself for most of the day. However, after continued support by both the staff and other residents, Erica started to show her unique talents. She is exceptionally creature and intelligent, making jewelry, songs, and paintings. She also writes poetry and sews on her own.
Jerdene
Jerdene has many talents, but she especially shines in the performing arts. Jerdene is an excellent singer and danser, and it is easy to find her creating a beat for fellow residents to dance to. Jerdene is also exceptionally kindhearted, helping the staff with the laundry and other chores.
Claude
Claude has a powerful smile, and makes it his mission to make volunteers, caretakers, and residents as happy as possible. Though Claude was initially only able to sit in a recline position, customizable wheelchairs created by volunteers have enabled him to regain mobility. Claude can now interact with other residents, play games, and move around on his own without having an attendant at all times.