Kingston, Jamaica November 7, 2025: Several locations operated by the Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation (WCJF) sustained structural damage during the passage of Hurricane Melissa, affecting programme delivery in multiple parishes. The Foundation confirmed that centres in Savanna-la-Mar, Santa Cruz, Montego Bay, St. Ann’s Bay, Morant Bay, and Junction were impacted, while other sites remain open and operational.

The Savanna-la-Mar Centre in Westmoreland suffered the most significant damage, with its main roof dislodged during high winds. Communication with staff and students at the location has been intermittent due to ongoing power and telecommunications outages in the parish.

In St. Elizabeth, the Santa Cruz Centre lost its water storage tanks, disrupting access to potable water. The pre-school building at the WCJF’s Montego Bay Centre also lost sections of its roof and will require structural assessment before reopening. The St. Ann’s Bay Centre reported a collapsed perimeter wall and a large fallen tree blocking the compound, while fencing at the Morant Bay location was heavily damaged. Minor roof damage was recorded at the Junction Centre.

Despite the disruptions, several WCJF locations remain fully open, including the Corporate Office and Kingston Centre at 42 Trafalgar Road, as well as the Denbigh, Mandeville, and Port Antonio Centres. The Foundation is still accepting new students and continues to deliver classes and counselling services at unaffected locations.

Field assessment teams are expected to be deployed to communities where contact with students and staff has been limited. The teams will verify safety, determine immediate needs, and document losses among adolescent mothers and their infants, as well as staff affected by thehurricane. The Foundation says it will provide further updates as assessments are completed and restoration plans are developed.