Marubeni donates US$30,000 to restore SOS Children’s Villages Jamaica homes after Hurricane Melissa

Flanking Mo Majeed (centre), Managing Director, Caribbean Operations and COO, Marubeni Power International are (from left) Marjorie Elliott, National Director, SOS Children's Villages Jamaica; Sharon Lake, Board Chair, SOS Children's Villages Jamaica; Marcia Spencer, House Mother, SOS Children’s Villages Barrett Town; Damian Obiglio, Senior Vice President, Operations, Marubeni Power International; and Takuya Kokawa, Senior Manager, Marubeni Power International, at a handover ceremony held at SOS Children’s Village in Stony Hill on April 29, 2026. (Photo: Contributed)

One hundred and twenty-two children are a step closer to returning home after Marubeni donated US$30,000 to SOS Children’s Villages Jamaica to support the restoration of its Barrett Town, Montego Bay facility, which was rendered uninhabitable by Hurricane Melissa.

The donation was presented during a cheque handover ceremony at SOS Children’s Villages Jamaica in Stony Hill and will fund the full restoration of the damaged village, which provides long-term residential care for vulnerable children.

According to the organisation, the funding will be directed toward seven priority areas, including kitchen appliances, bedroom furnishings, plumbing and electrical repairs, hygiene supplies, and transitional psychosocial support for children affected by storm-related trauma and displacement.

Marubeni officials said the contribution followed a review of five organisations considered for post-disaster assistance, with SOS Children’s Villages Jamaica selected based on its family-based care model and the scale of need following the hurricane.

“We are impressed by the family unit approach that SOS Children’s Villages utilizes,” said Mo Majeed, Managing Director of Caribbean Operations and Chief Operating Officer of Marubeni Power International. “This donation is directed entirely toward what the Village has identified as its most pressing needs.”

Sharon Lake, Board Chair of SOS Children’s Villages Jamaica, said the impact of Hurricane Melissa had been severe and widespread.

“The damage caused by Hurricane Melissa was profound,” she said. “Support of this kind allows us to focus on what matters most — restoring a stable, nurturing environment for every child in our care.”

House Mother Marcia Spencer also highlighted the emotional toll on children at the facility, noting that many had lost their sense of safety in the aftermath of the storm.

SOS Children’s Villages Jamaica provides housing, education, healthcare, nutrition, and emotional support to children in need, with the Barrett Town location serving as a long-term home for dozens of children.

Marubeni, which has been involved in Jamaica’s energy sector for more than a decade, said the initiative reflects its broader commitment to community development alongside infrastructure investment.