Safaree Brings Back-to-School Joy To Pondside, Hanover

Scores of children turned out at the Pondside Primary and Infant School in Hanover, on Thursday for Jamaican-American rapper Safaree “Stuntman” Samuels’ much-anticipated back-to-school treat.

Despite some logistical challenges, including delays at customs that prevented the timely collection of some of the gifts, including Clarks footwear, Safaree said he remained committed to making the event a success.

In an interview with DancehallMag at the event, Safaree expressed his satisfaction with the turnout and shared his plans to return to Pondside to distribute the remaining gifts once the items clear customs.

“Yeah, this is a must. I just want to start to pour back into the place that gave me my culture, my roots,” he explained.

The event, originally planned for Waterhouse, Kingston, was relocated to Pondside due to escalating violence in the Kingston community, which led to a curfew.

Safaree, who has strong ties to Pondside as it is his parents’ birthplace and where he spent his formative years and holidays, announced the location change on Instagram just days before the event. On Thursday, reflecting on the decision to relocate the treat, Safaree explained that it was divine intervention.

“So originally — I must have bumped my head. I was like, you know what, I’ve been going to Kingston a lot lately. I was going to go to Waterhouse and do my treat. And then it’s like, God was like, no, you need to go to Pondside. Go to your roots. And it’s really not by chance,” he said.

“I feel like God wanted me to come back here because, you know what I was going to do? I was going to do Kingston. And I said, all right, then I’m going to do Pondside second. And I feel like it probably would have been delayed. And then it’s like this way. It made me come here right now and do it first. And it feels good,” he added.

The event, which was originally scheduled to run from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., got underway after 3:00 p.m. due to delays at customs.

However, the community members, many of whom are distant relatives of the superstar, were not overly concerned, as they were kept abreast of the situation and given frequent updates via the community’s WhatsApp group.

Safaree and his team which included media personality/artist Press Kay, Ward 21’s Rum Blood and American producer Jonny Blaze, distributed back-to-school supplies, including exercise books, backpacks, and crayons to the children.

The No Regular Girl artist also noted the children’s enthusiasm, as many eagerly requested selfies and group photos with him, and were particularly excited at the prospect of receiving a pair of the coveted Clarks shoes.

“The turnout was good. And it’s good to come here and see that I could be in a position to just help people who need some extra help,” he said.

In explaining the absence of the Clarks shoes and some of the other items he had shipped to Jamaica, Safaree assured that he would return soon to complete the distribution and ensure that the children of his community received the full benefits of his initiative.

Safaree being greeted by an old friend in the Pondside community in Hanover – Photo by Claudia Gardner

He noted that he had to host the first phase of the treat on Thursday ahead of the September reopening of the school, as he had a contractual obligation to depart Jamaica for a performance in Atlanta.

“I know you saw the video with me showing the Clarks. Everybody’s asking where the Clarks. The Clarks, they’re here (in Jamaica), but they’re just not here (in Pondside). They couldn’t be here in time for this. But I’m going to come back because I ordered a lot more stuff. But it got stuck because of some paperwork…” he told DancehallMag.

“I’m going to set it up and just let everybody know [when] we’re doing this and I’m going to be here. I just want to start to pour back into the place that gave me my culture, my roots,” he added.

Following the distribution of supplies, Safaree took time to reconnect with his roots, strolling through the community, visiting neighbors, and stopping at local shops to greet elders.

In the village square, where the headquarters of his father Preacher’s sound system Love Injection, was based, middle-aged men who remembered him from childhood recognized him, calling out “Preacher son” as they shook his hands and embraced him.