Anna Dougall and children from Southside. - Contributed photos
Susan Dougall and her daughter, Anna, are exemplary residents of Kingston. Their devotion to helping those who have more needs than themselves is deserving of recognition, although it is clear that both women get back more than they give, and they expect nothing in return.
In 1977, Susan married Alex Dougall and, due to the political unrest in Jamaica at the time, they moved to Vancouver. In 1981, they considered coming home but the poverty and the begging here made them nervous. However, they understood that whether they came back or not, it would all still be going on. "We could either bury our heads in the sand or help," says Susan. They chose the latter and returned to live in Kingston.
Working together
Ten years ago, Susan Dougall became a Christian. Soon after, she met Carrington Morgan, a youth ministry man, and since then they have worked on various youth projects together. One of these involves Pastor Carrington's City of Life Ministries in Southside, a community in downtown Kingston.
Every Sunday afternoon for the last five years, Pastor Carrington, his family, and other friends go for a walk through Southside. Susan and Anna have joined him for most. They start out at four o'clock and stroll around, chatting to all the residents for two hours. The children in the area often follow them.
At first, the Dougall women were nervous about going through Rae Town and Tel Aviv.
"I wondered whether they'd resent me and ask why I was there," says Susan when I interviewed her one morning in her artfully decorated house. She soon realised that her fears were unwarranted.
"Everyone was friendly and grateful that we'd come because they had felt forgotten. We didn't give them anything but our conversation and love. Eventually, people started asking for prayers. Even the boys playing dominoes and smoking weed would call out for prayers. They'd say, 'I'm into bad things. Pray for my protection'." Susan would pray for them right there in the street.
In our hearts
She does not believe that people have to go to a building to pray, so sometimes the group would set up a 'church' in the street, singing, praying and even dancing.
"Church and God are in our hearts," she tells me with love bursting out of hers. She then gleefully recounts the time when they were passing a prison and heard someone shout, "Happy New Year. Thank you for coming. I love you." Her face gives away the emotion she must have felt at the time, and still does now.
From this stemmed the Children's Programme. Susan and Anna have played a big part in giving their time to the children of Southside. Many of them do not go to school and their only chance of simulation is on Saturday mornings. The group ranges from 30 to 50, with volunteers who come to read to the children and assist them with mathematics, writing and art. When this first started, they weren't used to sharing pencils, scissors, paints or crayons, so it was complete chaos. They have now learnt to sit and concentrate. There was also a lack of imagination in their 'work'.
"One child would draw a house and then everyone else would copy it," Susan tells me. "Eventually, they started being creative themselves."
She stresses that the books have to be chosen carefully so that the children can relate. "You cannot read to them about snow," she says. However, she is convinced that either way, being read to gives them peace, happiness and calmness, something they usually lack.
Enviable bond
In the grand scheme of things, it would not take that much time out of each of our lives to follow in the footsteps of this mother-and-daughter team, whose bond with each other is enviable. If every family gives a little kindness to another, then Pastor Carrington's vision of transforming communities would be shared with everyone.
For more information about City Life Ministries, contact:
PO Box 5739, Kingston 6.
Tel: 978-9101
Email: info@citylifeministries.org
Website: www.citylifeministries.org
If you are interested in helping to sponsor the Children's Programme on Saturdays, please contact Pastor Carrington at City Life Ministries. Volunteers are needed to read to the children and help them with homework. Snacks would be appreciated, as would contributions of tables, chairs, paper and pencils.
Emmadaltonbrown@gmail.com
Left: A father from the Southside community with some of his neighbours' children at a street concert put on by City Life Ministries in the community. Right: Susan Dougall and Gary Messado, a City Life Ministry friend and supporter.