November 3, 2024 - Week 41

I finally have permission to publish this lovely photo of the Housekeeping class.

This week, I received my offboarding materials from CUSO. This sets in motion my countdown until January 2025, when I will return to cold, cold Toronto.

I still have many tasks to complete: the Christmas Cantata, upskilling the Keyboard, Drumming, and Singing captains to lead the various music clubs when I'm gone, compiling all the work products I've produced this year, and finalizing my JSL program. Of course, I expect random tasks such as creating invoices for goat sales...did you know a female goat is worth JMD 20,000 and a male goat JMD 46,000?

Two of my captains (singing and drumming) with their friend. I admire their camaraderie, especially towards those like the middle gentleman with Cerebral Palsy. They always make sure he's not left behind.

The drumming team preparing for presentation - I'm especially proud of the student who has limited function but still beats the bucket drum enthusiastically with one hand

In speaking of my JSL course, it has been a very valuable opportunity. I am now able to communicate across distance to others without shouting, carry a basic conversation with our office assistant who is deaf, and have our students sing and sign songs (note: I am very impressed that our blind student is the best at signing!).

This week I also thought about what it means to be a volunteer and to work in a developing country. I have seen how vulnerable the sector I work in is: children/young adults with disability and also people unfamiliar with international standards of human rights protection.

Throughout my stint, I have encountered or heard stories of (and can understand how easy it is to succumb to) abuse of power, financial misuse, the importance of connection to the government (especially as related to health), fear of whistleblowing, and lack of confidentiality and protection for those who make such reports. As volunteers, it is a reckoning to realize the basic rights and protection we take for granted back in Canada are not in effect in Jamaica, or even within their radar.

At the same time for a particular international NFP (that has a Canadian presence) with a Jamaican subsidiary, the lack of financial accountability or acceptance of a toxic work environment (i.e. abuse of authority) excused as cultural behavior is concerning. Even a local government foundation exhibited a questionable response towards a whistleblower who compiled their concerns to a Canadian Grantor. What is more shocking though is how they addressed the toxic work behavior reported by the whistleblower: have the team physically sit in a room with the executives and discuss their grievances verbally (of course, no one said anything bad...). They also brainwashed the team to blame the whistleblower, arguing that their report could have cost millions of grant money so their reporting was not justified and was selfish, potentially affecting the livelihoods of many others. This whistleblower who had submitted a 2-month delayed resignation to allow for a replacement, was terminated immediately.