Rastaboyz.com - The Official Website

(Capleton Representing Help Jamaica)

(Ward 21 Representing Help Jamaica)

(Usain Bolt Representing Help Jamaica)

"Jamaica land we love..." Yes, we do love Jamaica, but we are aware that the crime and murder rates are among the highest in the world and that many youths grow up in violent and poor ghetto communities without access to formal education. Many lack the access to books, computers and also to encouragement to explore and develop their many creative talents. The non-profit organization HELP Jamaica! aims to provide access to knowledge, increase literacy skills and supports creativity. We encourage talent to build the self-esteem of young people growing up in inner city-communities in Jamaica. Inspired by a visit of the Trenchtown Reading Center in October 2007, a community library in Trenchtown organized by Canadian Roslyn Ellison, we started to organize support for the project in the European Reggae community. After these efforts were met with great success, we formed HELP Jamaica! as a non-profit in Germany in 2008 and in Jamaica in 2009 and established our first Education Center in the community of Cassava Piece, Kingston 8. The heart of the institution is a library with focus on history and literature of the region and high quality children books. We offer daily homework assistance, reading and literacy support, preparations for school examinations, computer classes for young and old, math classes, art and craft, various games and outside activities and host a weekly drama club. Between 40 and 80 kids children and youths visit the Center daily and approximately 30 adults take part in the free educational courses. To maintain and even expand our offer, funding is crucial and we appreciate any form of support.

We are a small group of volunteers in Germany who handle all administrative aspects of the organization, PR, fundraising and the educational conceptualization of the Education Center. This is done in close cooperation with a great team in Jamaica, two professional teachers, one in full and one in part time employment, and a team of co-workers consisting of young people from the community. Our work is only possible with the support of a wide range of supporters, and fortunately our supporter base is growing daily. Locally and internationally, HELP Jamaica! offers a channel for people who love Jamaica and its culture to directly support young people in their development and thus help them to help their country. The next generation is confronted with a big challenge to deal with the problems the country faces, so the youths need to be well equipped!

We welcome all forms of support, from raising awareness for our goals, to buying our charity products like the yearly Charity Calendar or the SKANK-Gullyside T-Shirt to financial support in form of donations or sustainable memberships. We appreciate any small donation and also look for bigger cooperation partners who are interested to come on board and join our efforts to provide hope and visions for young people in Jamaica. In the future, it is our dream, to build similar Education Centers in other needy communities in Jamaica. Education for a Change!