The Mother of Trench Town

Mrs. Stanley could be called the “Mother of Trench Town.” The reason for saying this is that she was like an Angel sent down to Trench Town and Rema by the Almighty to build a little hope in the people, letting them know that from they are alive there can be a different way for them instead of the gunshot and the shooting and looting.

Mrs. Stanley came into Trench Town around eight years ago now. At that time, there was little hope in the people that there would ever be a change in the community. The reason for the negative thinking by the people in the community and out of the community was because of the image of badness which the youths were portraying. It was like their only way for survival.

I was myself involved in nuff things at the time as a means of defending my community and myself. But Mrs. Stanley taught me that there was another way of dealing with things. She taught me to deal with things with intelligence and to let the people from all walks of life hear and see what you are about and what you are dealing with, without conflict.

Mrs. Stanley taught us that killing ourselves is not the answer to our problems. The best way to get that across to the people for her was to start a Remedial School so as to get most of the illiterate literate so that they can think in a positive direction because we had found out that most of the problem was caused from lack of education. That was the first venture.

Mrs. Stanley was the one who took me to the ‘Live and Direct' meeting to meet the Prime Minister, P.J. Patterson and that was where we got the farm.

I have seen a lot of improvements in the community since Mrs. Stanley came to the community. I have seen people building a lot of hope in themselves because of the values and attitudes that were taught to them by Mrs. Stanley. I would like every Trench Town adult to just stop for a minute and sit forward and remember when this lady first came into Trench Town, what it was like and from that, where it has gone. There are a lot of people in Trench Town at this moment that love what is happening. We appreciate it.

How many would come down in Trench Town at the time Mrs. Stanley came where there was gunshot, war, looting but she never mind, she was still here. Mrs. Stanley brings life to us. Since she has been here, we have lost a lot of lives but if she wasn’t here it would have been a holocaust. Mrs. Stanley taught the people knowledge and that is what is saving us. Mrs. Stanley, I and my team don’t know how to ever thank you.

Donovan English

Community Activist