Baptism by fire

The first test of leadership for Cornwall’s five new members of parliament (MPs) came sooner and harder than expected. Barely weeks after being sworn in, with little opportunity for orientation or the slow acclimatisation usually afforded new legislators, they were plunged headlong into crisis leadership when Hurricane Melissa tore through western and south-central Jamaica, leaving devastation across multiple parishes.

The five – Andrew Morris of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and Nekeisha Burchell, Heatha Miller-Bennett, Andrea Purkiss, and Zuleika Jess of the opposition People’s National Party (PNP) – told The Gleaner that the celebrations of victory were shortlived as development plans, long-term visions, and campaign promises were immediately sidelined by more urgent needs. Coordination of relief, advocacy for scarce resources, and hands-on engagement became the daily work of governance.

St James Southern’s Nekeisha Burchell described the fiery energy that characterised the early days.

“Offices to formalise. Staff to hire. Development priorities to sequence. Among my most urgent priorities was water,” she told The Gleaner last week. “Water access is not a simple problem. It is a puzzle layered within a puzzle, and it has long been the single most-crippling obstacle to development in the constituency, followed closely by road access. My focus was clear: to engage engineers and agencies, meet with the National Water Commission, and begin deconflicting a problem that should have been solved long before now. Alongside this were efforts to stabilise the constituency, rebuild trust after a polarising campaign, and transition deliberately from politics to governance.”

Burchell, who unseated the JLP’s Homer Davis, said Hurricane Melissa changed everything.

“What no one tells you is that sometimes the ground is lava. Hurricane Melissa changed everything. Almost overnight, carefully sequenced plans were overtaken by more urgent realities,” the communications specialist admitted. “There was no settling-in period, no gentle orientation into parliamentary life. Instead, we were thrust directly into crisis leadership. Roads collapsed. Roofs disappeared. Schools became shelters. Families were displaced. Constituents who had celebrated days before were suddenly homeless, hungry, and afraid.”

The newly elected MPs quickly learned that representation required practical action, often under extreme conditions.

“We learned quickly that representation is not ceremonial. It is coordinating relief while still learning parliamentary procedure; answering calls at 2 a.m. about medicine, food, electricity, and safety; and advocating fiercely for your people even while learning Standing Orders and demanding to be heard when your microphone is muted in Parliament,” said Burchell, who is also the opposition spokesperson on information.

After a gruelling campaign in which critics placed much emphasis on her gender, Burchell said what the campaign did ot break for women, it fortified.

“It also accelerated our growth. We are learning fast, drawing deeply on resourcefulness, compassion, and competence to serve our communities. Perhaps that is the true baptism of fire: discovering that public service does not begin when the cheering fades, but when the storms arrive, and choosing to stand firm in the raging waters,” she said.

FROM SYMPHONY TO CHAOS

Similarly, Hanover Eastern MP Andrea Purkiss had her own comprehensive development agenda interrupted by the storm.

A business strategist with vast experience in sales and marketing, the PNP had required her to submit a detailed constituency development plan, with priorities ranging from affordable housing to job creation, technological investment, and food security.

“I envisioned affordable housing to turn renters into homeowners. Strategic job creation aligned with emerging industries. A technological revolution positioning the constituency as Jamaica’s next tech hub. Food security through modern agricultural techniques – a carefully orchestrated symphony of development,” Purkiss, who unseated the JLP’s Dave Brown, told The Gleaner.

Melissa upended those plans, leaving her struggling to support her constituents with limited resources.

“Here I am, a new MP, up the creek without any resources to tackle the devastation suffered by nearly 30,000 constituents. For the people of Hanover Eastern, that day marked the beginning of a crisis that continues even now,” she said last week.

“This was not the baptism by water that new MPs like myself expect – learning the ropes, understanding parliamentary procedure, building relationships with ministries. This was baptism by fire. Trial by hurricane. A crash course in disaster management with no manual, inadequate resources, and 30,000 people depending on you to somehow make the impossible possible,” added Purkiss.

“I have been on the road every single day since the election. Not most days – every day. Coordinating relief, distributing supplies, clearing roads, checking on the elderly, visiting shelters, listening to people who have lost everything describe what they need to survive,” she noted.

“Since Hurricane Melissa struck, I have received 450 care packages and 50 cases of water from the Holness administration for a constituency of over 30,000 people. Four hundred and fifty packages. Fifty cases of water. Thirty thousand people. Do the mathematics.”

Purkiss said nearly 750 wooden homes were destroyed, and 5,000 families were left under damaged or missing roofs.

“I received $1.5 million initially, then another $1.5 million through the Community Development Fund to purchase food items. Three million dollars sounds significant until you understand the scale of devastation we’re confronting. With $500,000, we cannot even prepare 300 care packages properly,” she fumed about pre-Melissa preparations.

Some $10 million she was allocated since the passage of the storm to assist constituents with minor home repairs is still being processed.

She credited private organisations and members of the diaspora for stepping in where government support fell short, including hotels such as Tryall and Round Hill, the Hanover Charities, FLOW and Digicel, Red Stripe, and the Billboard King Foundation.

“Jamaicans abroad who never forget home came out and assisted us in reaching the needy across our communities. We didn’t ask about religious connection and they didn’t ask about political affiliation. They asked about need,” she said.

MASSIVE BLOW

After the September 3 general election, Andrew Morris assumed office with an ambitious agenda and a clear mandate to build on the legacy of retired seven-term MP J.C. Hutchinson.

“It was the mandate of the constituents, ... to address and to address issues of road rehabilitation, providing potable water to most, if not all communities, to empower small farmers to improve productivity, and to improve the quality of education among constituents in Quality Education Circle 39.”

Just six weeks after being sworn in, those plans were derailed.

“My constituency was not spared, and was, in fact, one of the hardest hit,” he told The Gleaner. “Over 90 per cent of the houses, 100 per cent of the schools, the majority of churches, as well a large number of small and medium enterprises within the constituency sustained damage – some irreparably. The road and telecommunications networks were severely damaged. Farmers lost crops and livestock. Tragically, there were also lives lost within the constituency resulting from the passage of Hurricane Melissa.”

Response efforts were complicated by widespread communication failures and impassable roads.

“My first response to this catastrophe was hampered by a lack of telecommunication network and blocked roads. Additionally, as a first-time MP, I had not yet made the connections necessary to establish my own support network. Nevertheless, my initial response focussed on providing humanitarian support to those affected,” he said.

That response included food, water, toiletries, tarpaulins, and targeted medical care. The most urgent needs now, Morris noted, are roofing and construction materials.

He expressed gratitude for government assistance and visiting officials, as well as support from NGOs and donors, including the Bailey-Archie Foundation, the Grace Hamilton Women’s Empowerment Foundation, the United Cajun Navy, the World Food Programme, and World Central Kitchen.

He has vowed to continue helping residents to recovery and beyond.

“As the St Elizabeth North Western constituency continues on the path of recovery from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Melissa, I, as member of parliament, look forward to continuing the partnership with these and other groups and individuals for the empowerment of the members of my constituency,” he promised.

PAINFUL BAPTISM

Zuleika Jess, who became the first female MP for St Elizabeth North Eastern, recounted a campaign where her educational and professional achievements were repeatedly questioned.

“Pretty face and pretty smile can’t run things in NE St Elizabeth,” she recalled being told.

Jess, who began high school at 10 and ran her own law practice at 23, unseated the JLP’s Delroy Slowley.

“Priority number one was to ensure that the residents of Seven Corners get electricity and that the water system throughout the constituency is improved, particularly, the Union Water Supply and Bogue Well. As the new member of parliament, I engaged the relevant entities and secured timelines for addressing these issues,” she told The Gleaner.

And then came Melissa.

The storm required her to organise emergency housing and provide immediate aid to families.

“Hurricane Melissa forced me to dig deep to find creative ways to help those who need it the most. One of my proudest moments was organising the construction of a two-bedroom concrete house for a family of 11 who were previously sleeping under a tarpaulin. I have also been spearheading the Help-a-Family Initiative, which links private donors with families in need of building materials to get back on their feet,” she said.

Jess credited corporate Jamaica for assisting communities when government channels were insufficient.

At one stage, she described knowingly going against the Government’s position in directly engaging private business to clear roads that cut off residents in the constituency.

She was seen almost in tears at a party press conference as she and other representatives spoke of their immediate needs.

“Melissa was an intense and painful baptism, but it has also demonstrated that we are indeed stronger than we believed, and we are competent to rise to the circumstances with love in our hearts and compassion in our spirit.”

NO CALM TRANSITION

Heatha Miller-Bennett, representing Hanover Western, also encountered unforeseen challenges.

A newcomer to representational politics, she was not new to politics as her father, Fredricous Miller, is a retired deputy mayor of Lucea and former councillor for the Green Island Division.

“[The campaign] was tough and sometimes unkind, testing character as much as conviction. When the final votes were counted, there was no lingering bitterness, only focus. I was ready to work,” the attorney told The Gleaner.

Her initial vision included cultural and historical development, renewed emphasis on agriculture, and the creation of youth opportunities.

“I expected the days after the election to be a period of grounding: time to listen, to learn systems, and to transition carefully from candidate to member of parliament. I imagined walking communities without campaign urgency, meeting organisations, reconnecting with partners, and shaping a development agenda with intention,” she said.

And then came the most intense tropical system to ever directly srike the island.

“There was no gentle transition into office. I learned how to swim while already in the current. Leadership became immediate, practical, and human. Constituents did not need speeches. They needed presence, coordination, and action. The crisis reshaped everything,” Miller-Bennett told The Gleaner.

Long-term vision yielded to urgent responsibility. Rebuilding meant more than repairs. Sports fields became safe spaces restored, youth employment a necessity, and dignity was reclaimed,” she said.

Miller-Bennett also noted the gendered challenges faced by women MPs.

“Criticisms often hid behind stereotypes. Quiet judgments about emotion and toughness. But women leaders rose with me, surrounding me with counsel and courage, cushioning the blows. I claimed my own ritual – Lioness on the Rise – before public appearances and a reminder that strength can be feminine, steady, and unafraid.

“In hindsight, the storm did not derail the work but defined it. Service is proven under pressure. I emerged clearer, stronger, and committed going forward.”

erica.virtue@gleanerjm.com