On October 28, 2025, Hurricane Melissa — a catastrophic Category 5 storm — made landfall in Jamaica, leaving widespread devastation in its wake. Many communities lost electricity, safe shelter, clean water, and functioning schools. Among those most deeply affected are children, as many schools in Western Jamaica suffered severe damage.

Operation TALLAWAH is Integrity Children’s Fund’s initiative to rebuild the Basic Schools damaged by Hurricane Melissa. We’re focusing on rebuilding Basic Schools because Jamaica’s most vulnerable children—our 2 to 6-year-olds, need safe, nurturing learning spaces—and their mothers need reliable childcare so they can work and support their families.

Our first project is the reconstruction of Jacob’s Well Basic School in Salt Marsh, Trelawny, where the eye of Hurricane exited Jamaica.

Photographs of Jacob's Well Basic School, which was damaged by Hurricane Melissa.

Within 48 hours after Hurricane Melissa struct Jamaica, Integrity Children's Fund provided meals to Jacob's Well Basic School staff involved in clean up operations:

On November 15, 2025, a volunteer crew from our Tennessee-based partner, Hope Force International, cleaned the debris and mud left behind by Hurricane Melissa at Jacob's Well Basic School, located in Salt Marsh, Trelawny.

In first week of December 2025, a composite team from our partners listed below arrived at Jacob's Well to start reconstruction.

AtlVets (U.S. military veterans)
Jamaica Defence Force veterans
Integrity Children’s Fund

Why Your Support Matters

Your donation today will help bring stability, safety, and hope back to children whose education has been disrupted. Our relief efforts is focused on the youngest and most vulnerable students, that is, those at the early childhood educational level, in the parishes of Trelawny, St. James, Hanover, Westmoreland, and St. Elizabeth.

Join us, by giving now and throughout the period, to address their needs:

Immediate (Nov - Dec 2025)
- 💛Help children regain routine, hope, and stability in the wake of this disaster. Provide water, food, clothing, emergency solar lighting, portable solar chargers for cell phones, and medical supplies for survival.
Short-term (Jan - Jun 2026)
- 🏫 Provide and erect tents to functions as classrooms pair so safe in-person learning can resume as soon as possible for students aged 2-6 years old.
- 📚 Replace learning materials, textbooks, and supplies lost or damaged by Hurricane Melissa.
- 👩🏽‍🏫 Support families and teachers so entire school communities can bounce back stronger than before.
Mid-term (Apr - Dec 2026)
- 🏫 Repair classrooms, roofs, furnishings, and equipment to replace temporary tent classrooms.
Long-term (Jan 2027 - Dec 2037)
- 🏫 Design and build new Basic Schools in need areas of Jamaica.

Every Contribution Counts

As we set sight on a target of $250,000, every act of generosity makes a difference and no gift is too small.

Together, we can restore education, stability, and hope for Jamaica’s next generation…dem lickle, but dem tallawah,,, and we know they, like the nation, will bounce back.

We will continue to update this page as more information, photos, and progress reports become available from the schools.

Thank you for standing with us.

Your kindness will help rebuild lives and shape the future of Jamaica’s children.

Integrity Children's Fund (Integrity), founded in 2002 and headquartered in Georgia, USA is a direct response to the problem of relatively high illiteracy rate among Jamaican teenagers. Our mission was extended to address the challenges of literacy among children in the metro Atlanta area. Illiteracy limits the ability of youth to reason rationally and is the primary factor in many youth making bad "life choices". Integrity, a 501 (c) 3 organization, is committed to reducing the illiteracy rate among at-risk students. Since inception, Integrity has provided approximately US $1,500,000.00, to educate over 7,000 students in Jamaica and Atlanta. For more information please feel free to visit our website at https://www.integritychildrensfund.org.

Operation TALLAWAH

Fundraising drive to support relief and recovery for Jamaica’s most vulnerable children (aged 2 -6), in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.