Government Cash Grants After Hurricane Melissa Shift Focus to How Homes Are Rebuilt

Jamaica is likkle, but we are talwah. The saying reflects generations of endurance, rebuilding, and resilience. But toughness alone does not stop a hurricane. What reduces damage is preparation, sound judgment, and the careful use of limited resources.

When the wind dies down and the rain eases, people step outside in silence. Roofs are counted. Cracks in walls are traced. Waterlines on paintwork mark decisions made long before the storm arrived.

Hurricane Melissa did not simply damage houses. It revealed choices — some well made, others rushed or inherited from a time when the climate behaved differently. As Jamaica moves into a new year, with another hurricane season already approaching, the central question is no longer what was lost.

It is what will be rebuilt, and how wisely.

The Government’s decision to support recovery through direct cash assistance reflects a practical approach. It recognises dignity and places trust in households to prioritise their needs. But with that trust com…