Jamaica's Meet the People Program

by Paris Permenter & John Bigley

Beyond the tourist-lined beaches lies a Jamaica seen by few visitors.

Throughout the years, we had seen fire eaters, limbo dancers, contortionist, and just about every other imaginable island show in Jamaica. When we made plans for a Mandeville cultural night, we were ready for half naked men, flaming limbo sticks, or, at the very least, flying knives juggled in the evening air.

Were we wrong. What we were to experience was a Jamaican evening that no multi-million dollar resort could match.

We arrived at the Astra Hotel, one of Mandeville's modest properties tucked high in the hills over 2,000 feet above the sea level from which many Jamaica vacationers never venture. There to greet us was Diana McIntyre Pike, arranger of that evening's activities. Diana is the owner and founder of Countrystyle, one of two programs designed to link travelers with Jamaican residents to learn more about island life.

Our hostess introduced us to Jasmine Pottinger and her husband, both who had recently returned to their homeland of Jamaica after 30 years in London. Now Jasmine is active in the Return Residents Association, often holding teas in her home for both residents and visitors.

Then we met Gregory Wilson and his fiancée, a teacher in the local school. Gregory is active in a community youth program, working to find young residents jobs in their area of interest, not an easy task in a nation with mounting unemployment. In the early morning hours, Gregory could frequently be found walking or jogging the Mandeville roads, often taking out visitors if they were looking for a little exercise.

But that evening, Gregory was joining the rest of us at this intimate dinner party. For two hours, we dined on Jamaican cuisine--rice and peas, jerk chicken, callaloo, and more--and talked about life in Jamaica, Caribbean politics, and the ways in which our lives both were different and, in many ways, similar.

Then Gregory pulled out a folder of papers from beneath his seat: the evening's entertainment. A published poet, he shared with the group some of his work, reading in a clear voice poems about English tea, love, and conflict, all with the faint sound of tree frogs piping in the distance.

"I have never seen so much talent as in Jamaica," noted Diana as the evening's poems drew to a close. Diana sets up these evenings in small inns throughout the island, giving visitors a peek at the literary and musical talent that the island has to offer. Frustrated by the "native" shows that many resorts offer, Diana has set out to provide visitors with a peek at real Jamaican entertainment. "These shows are a means of getting the best out of our country."

A destination that has been plagued by bad publicity and stories of hasslers, drug salesmen, and occasional theft or vandalism, Jamaica is working hard to show travelers that hasslers are a small minority in the population and also to explain to residents that tourism can enhance their lives and culture.

"Our focus has to do with the entire community in every respect because we are protecting the spiritual, economic, and historic aspects of the area," pointed out Diana. "We want tourism to enhance the lives of the people, not change it."

Visitors can call Countryside to set up any type of tour or activity based on their interests. Recent vacationers have toured private home gardens, enjoyed photo tours with local camera buffs, gone nightclub hopping in Kingston, visited local schools, and stayed in local homes. Countrystyle sets up visits not just for the Mandeville area but throughout the island.

Another island-wide program is Meet the People, operated since 1967 by the Jamaican Tourist Board (JTB). "We find that very often visitors see touristy things but don't meet Jamaicans," said Hyacinth Forde, Meet the People coordinator based in Montego Bay. This free program utilizes the services of 500 volunteers across Jamaica from different walks of life. "Many people feel this is the best part of their vacation because people aren't being paid to be nice to them."

Meet the People participants call the JTB offices and explain their interests. Through the years, stamp collectors, birders, private pilots, and travelers with many other special interests have been matched with locals who share a common interest. "In the Meet the People program, you get to meet Jamaica and meet real people. We want people to know we are people with a variety of talents."

Days after our dinner in Mandeville, the words of Gregory Wilson's poems still echoed in our minds. The poems and an evening of shared company gave us a peek at the real Jamaica and stayed with us long after our island tan faded away.

For More Information:

To obtain more information about Jamaica's tourism programs, see the official website at http://www.visitjamaica.com