We are happy to share good news from Jamaica. Some schools are open again after Hurricane Melissa. Attendance is not yet back to normal, but students are in class – and they have healthy appetites.
Trees That Feed Foundation has resumed our school feeding program. Breadfruit-based meals are keeping students full and focused, while helping communities rebuild.
Thanks to individual donors like YOU and a grant from Buddhist Global Relief, TTFF has run breadfruit-based school feeding programs in Jamaica and Haiti for several years.
In Jamaica, baker Karlene Johnson of Something Country Bakery prepares dense, nutritious breadfruit bullas and makes sure they reach local schools. She provided nearly 20,000 meals this year alone!
Karlene says, “Working with Trees That Feed Foundation gives my bakery visibility while showing families the value of breadfruit. Children feel full and able to focus.”
At Sydney Pagon STEM Academy, Head of Home Economics Mrs. Yvette Thompson-Mullings, sees the difference too. “Students are more attentive after the breadfruit snack. It supports their learning in a simple but powerful way.”
Hurricane Melissa devastated 90 percent of Sydney Pagon STEM Academy’s Agri-Plant, including the processing facility where Trees That Feed Foundation had supplied five hybrid solar dehydrators and other equipment used to produce breadfruit, cassava, and sweet potato flour.
This video is from our visit last year, when the plant was thriving. We are now making plans to support rebuilding in 2026.
What began as a way to nourish students is also strengthening small businesses and building pride in breadfruit. The proof of their high value encourages more farmers to plant breadfruit trees.
Thank you for helping children in Jamaica stay fed, stay focused, and keep learning.
Remember: A matching gift will double whatever you donate, up to $30,000, in December. Be part of this work today!
