Kevin Downswell Ministries has been established over the past 10 years and has revolved around the singing ministry of Mr. Downswell, whose talent, gift and personal testimony have propelled him to the top tier of gospel singers in his home country Jamaica, the wider Caribbean and globally.

Throughout the years, his music has touched the lives of people far and wide of various ages. Realizing the impact of the music, Kevin Downswell Ministries has decided to embark on doing outreach to assist others in need and to encourage others to do the same. This therefore is the impetus for the Realignment Tour which will commence as of this year. This is envisioned to be a life transforming initiative as we give back to our young people in kind and through mentorship sessions.

This summer, KDM is hosting two (2) of our concert series in the parishes of St. Mary and St. Elizabeth and from those parishes assistance will be provided to the Pringle Children Home in St. Mary and Manning Boys Home, St. Elizabeth. It is envisaged that funds collected via the JN Isupport platform will be the main source of funds assisting these institutions, and this is the main driver for the promotion for persons to give. The initial focus was to encourage in kind giving, however individuals have expressed their desire to give financially, as they may not be able to do in kind giving, hence the request to desire to utilize the platform to facilitate persons making financial donations.

The Pringle Children Home is a privately-run institution that in addition to funding received, depends on gifts and charitable donations from individuals. Having visited the home, it was realized that there was a great need for repairs to furniture as well as the painting of buildings and the general aesthetics of the home.

The Manning Child Care facility is a government owned institution and have over the years benefited from the charitable donations from various sectors of society, both locally and internationally. Having visited the home, in addition to realizing the mentorship needs of the boys, the basketball court was identified as the area in the most urgent need of repairs. The director identified that the basketball court, since its disrepair has resulted in the boys not having sufficient means to engage in wholesome physical activity. This basketball court is therefore identified by KDM as the area on which we would like funds to be raised to assist in the physical development of the boys at the child care facility

Pringle Children’s Home Overview

Located in Carron Hall, St. Mary, the Pringle Children’s Home was started by Rev. McBean, his wife and their daughter, Cathy. The money to construct the home was provided by the Custos, Dr. John Pringle and the building was originally situated where the current Carron Hall High is sited.

In 1939, the Home was moved to its current location, where it is operated by the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. A director and two (2) house mothers oversee the daily operations of the facility.

Pringle Children Home also employs security guards and groundsmen who are employed to assist with maintenance of the property. The Home also has a farm, where goats and pigs are raised. Twenty-seven girls and one boy between the ages 9 – 21 years old are housed at the facility.

Most of the students attend the Carron High School and are taught how to be integrated into society so that they can acquire jobs and add in a positive way.

Manning Child Care Facility Overview

Located on a hill, Manning Child Care Facility resides in the quiet farming district of Southfield in the 'basket parish' of St. Elizabeth.

Manning Child Care Facility was privately operated, but was handed over to the Jamaican Government in 1958. The home was operated by the St. Elizabeth Parish Council until it was taken over by the Child Development Agency.

Originally housing boys and girls, the facility was licensed to accommodate 60. It is now a home exclusively for boys between the ages of 10 to 18 years old. The facility comprises dormitories, classrooms, a computer lab, library, a play-field and a recreational hall.

 PROGRAMME

The wards at Manning Child Care Facility are exposed to a variety of educational, vocational and social activities geared toward their rehabilitation and empowerment. They attend various educational institutions in the district and other surrounding areas. Boys who are not able to attend schools externally, attend school at the facility, which has two trained teachers.

 The facility offers the following subjects:

• Tailoring

• Information technology

• Agriculture

• Sports - external and internal competition

• 4H

• Scouting