Volunteer Maroon Project in Jamaica

Culture & Community - Volunteer Maroon Project in Jamaica

Accompong Maroon Community

Whether you’re volunteering on a gap year, summer placement or during a career break, our Culture & Community Project working within the Maroon community will truly get you immersed in the traditional culture of Jamaica,

Volunteers on the Maroon Community Project join the Accompong Community, which is located in the hills of St Elizabeth Parish. It is one of the remaining traditional Maroon communities in Jamaica. The Jamaican Maroons were runaway slaves who fought the British during the 18th century and the term is now used for their descendants. The Maroons in Jamaica remain autonomous and separate from the rest of Jamaican culture and these vibrant communities are usually inaccessible other than by visiting with a tour group. Some of the Maroon community are also Rastafarians.

Care in Jamaica

Volunteers joining the Maroon community in Accompong will get away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Volunteers in the community can assist with a wide variety of projects such as:

  1. Teaching computer lessons
  2. Joining cultural preservation projects
  3. Maintaining the herb garden
  4. Assisting with greenhouse farming
  5. Teaching at the Basic, Primary and Junior High School
  6. Working in the library
  7. Providing basic health care, the clinic is only open every other month on a Tuesday
  8. Establishing a play area for the children
  9. Assisting with community tours
  10. Developing a trail through the cockpit country
  11. Working on a community literacy program (teaching adults to read and write).

The Accompong Community has all the usual basic amenities and is home to 168 households and an estimated population of 576 people. As many of 50% of the households are home to three generations. The community has a Primary and Junior High School, one Basic School and a Training Centre.

Community Volunteering with Maroons in Jamaica

Schoolyard

The main source of livelihood for Accompong is farming, which is done by 90% of men. Women mainly stay at home while 10% are shopkeepers and 10% farmers. The main issues affecting the community are unemployment (16% of the community is unemployed), lack of trained teachers, poor parenting, illiteracy, insufficient cultural preservation, lack of a play area for the children, lack of access to adequate health care, lack of safety signs, poor road conditions and lack of water in some areas. The perception is that the Maroon communities are excluded from the external state support as they do not benefit from social and infrastructure programs.

The history of Accompong dates back over 200 years. There are oral historians and documents that tell the old intriguing story of Accompong Town. Jamaican’s see Maroons as special people and are viewed with respect because of their gallant fight for freedom. This gives them a unique place in the heart of many Jamaicans, particularly those with an academic knowledge of the historic events leading up to the freedom from the British. They are remembered each year on January 6th when there is a huge community celebration, which gets national promotion and considerable media focus.

Volunteers live in Accompong with a local host family, who will ensure that you soon feel at home and integrate into community life.