As a Peace Corps Volunteer who uses art to understand the world, I have been drawn to Caribbean art from the beginning.

Read below the tales of two volunteers, Jennifer O. and Loren R., as they work alongside Jamaican women to improve livelihoods and broaden job skills.

America’s motto “E Pluribus Unum,” translates from Latin as “From Many, One,” and echoes Jamaica’s national motto, “Out of Many, One People”. This is more than mere coincidence, as both nations harbor a rich diversity and multicultural heritage.

Camp Respect was born in 2016 out of a desire to reach young men in Jamaica.

I love the core message of the Peace Corps, spreading peace and friendship. I am also passionate about working with children and learning about different cultures. 

I first set foot on Jamaican soil on August 1, 1976, living and working in St. Mary until June 1, 1978. I did not return to the island until 38 years later. 

I was fortunate to grow up with Ghanaian immigrant parents who are now citizens of the United States. As a child, they taught me the strict values of what it takes to be a good man. 

The male youth population in Jamaica gets a lot of negative attention.

Ask any Peace Corps volunteer, and they will tell you that the process of getting ready to leave the U.S. and live abroad for 27 months in a developing country is a stressful time. 

Born in the Portland Parish to a large family of 24 brothers and sisters, Headley was given away at the age of four.