Lost to the wind

Pauline tells her story after collected a food parcel and tarpaulin from the Jamaica Red Cross.

“Up to yesterday morning, I got up crying,” she says. “To know that I had a house with five beds inside, a dresser, a refrigerator, and the refrigerator in the shop. I lost everything, everything, believe me.

“My son told me, “Mommy, I never knew that a bed could blow away”.

Fortunately, Pauline’s friends and neighbours, whose properties are still standing, have banded together to support her. She even received a pair of slippers from a young girl. If it wasn’t for the kindness and generosity of others, she’d be walking through the mud barefoot.

“Because of goodwill and heart, people whom I know got hurt say, ‘Come, P, take some clothes, wash them, and wear them.’ If it weren’t for others, I would have to stay indoors and not come out. See, even the slippers on my feet. It was a little girl who gave them to me. I have lost everything... everything.”

On top of all that, Pauline also lost her business, a small shop where she forged relationships with neighbours. Children used to come in at Christmas time and she would hand out ice cream and sweets.

“The kids are asking, ‘Aunty Pauline, what are we going to do now that the shop has blown away? We can’t do without you because you always give us sweets and stuff.’”

“My shop was there,” Pauline says, pointing to debris on the hillside. “I used to sell all sorts of things. I was getting good support from my friends, for which I give thanks.

“I grew up with my Grandma, and she always told me, ‘whenever someone buys even a sweet from you, you should always tell them thanks, and give them a hug.’” Pauline says to a Red Cross represeantative. “So, when you came and hugged me today, it reminded me of the hugs that I gave to people when they came to me.

“When you give, you don't know when it will come back to you. So that's what I do, I give, so that I can receive back abundantly. Yes, I feel bad about what I have lost, but life is not gone. There is hope. I can rise again.”

'We're here to listen'

At this stage after a crisis, a listening ear can be critical as people process their emotions and what has happened. It can also be a connection and a lifeline to people who need further psychological support.

A mental health professional for the past 20 years, Paulette started volunteering with the Red Cross in 2001. So she has a lot of experience working with hurricane survivors. Paulette knows that true healing begins with listening, not just to words, but to silences.

“We're just here to listen," she says. "It’s so important to listen to what a person says and of course to what they are not saying.

“The last hurricane, Hurricane Ivan in Portland Cottage was devastating. I went there maybe twice or three times. It came in the night, so it was really, really difficult for those who experienced it.”

Whilst Paulette is prepared to refer people with more complex needs to other services, she maintains her role is simply to talk, not to diagnose, just to talk.

“Today is not a day to do deep counselling,” she says. “Today is just the day to offer psychological support to people. You know, asking ‘How have you been feeling? Where are you staying? How's it been for you? And if necessary to make referrals.

'Just like going to the doctor'

For Paulette, mental health care should be as routine as visiting a doctor. She hopes to normalise mental health support, particularly as there is still some stigma attached to conversations about mental health and wellbeing in Jamaica.

“I usually just say to persons, you know, looking after your mental illness is like going to the regular doctor,” she says. “If you have diabetes or hypertension, you must go to the doctor. We don’t give people any specific names, I just try to tell them, ‘It’s okay to feel the way you do’. They just need to find somebody they trust to talk about what's been happening.”

Paulette has a specific interest in child mental health support. She believes children have the ability to bounce back after hardship. Saying that, many will be scarred by their experiences for years to come. We are already hearing stories of children crying every time the wind blows.

“It's so important to really help children to manage through this time. That's something that I'm really interested in, helping children,” says Paulette. “Children are resilient, they do bounce back but at the same time they might have nightmares for a while. Then of course, some might have post-traumatic stress disorder.”

The road ahead will be long and hard. Essentials will be scarce. But Paulette’s faith in the Jamaican spirit is unshaken. For Paulette and her team, the focus now is helping people recover, so one day they are ready to face another storm.

“You know we're resilient people. Jamaicans are resilient. I have even seen people even make fun of what's happening. Humour is important too,” she says.

“I know, it's going to be a long road, a very, very long road. But the human spirit is resilient. It's a long road but I do see us bouncing forward.”