With PURPOSE, Jamaican rom-com Tek Weh Yuhself moves to New York

Howard Campbell

NEW YORK – Approximately 30 Jamaican schools will benefit from the Have PURPOSE gesture, a New York-based non-profit organization that has been involved in humanitarian work in its native Jamaica and Africa.

Christine Francis, the organization’s senior director, said schools in rural areas and the capital city of Kingston will receive “digital devices” to improve their programs. Proceeds from the play Tek Weh Yuhself, which is scheduled to open in March at Hostos Community College in the Bronx, will pay for shipping equipment to Jamaica.

Tek Weh Yuhself, a romantic comedy film written by Devon Morgan, a Jamaican based in the United Kingdom. It starred veteran Jamaican actors Deon Silvera and Stede Flash.

“It’s a wonderful feeling to give back to Jamaica, especially to the children and schools that need help,” said Francis, who started the Have Purpose program in 2015.

Since then, they have donated computers and other digital equipment to middle and elementary schools.

By maintaining links with former student associations in North America, the organization receives information about the problems faced by schools in Jamaica. After due diligence, Frances and her team turn to donors for help.

In 2022, the organization’s assistance benefited 25 institutions. PURPOSE has also provided computer labs at leading Jamaican schools such as Cornwall College, Clarendon College and Munro College.

This year, Frances and her team will send 300 desks and chairs to support an educational project in St. Catherine’s Parish.

TARGET raises funds for its educational initiatives through charitable causes such as Farewell to Jamaica, a long-running one-woman play by Jamaican actress and author Debra Ehrhardt. They also put on shows featuring top reggae artists such as Eric Donaldson, Half Pint, Pam Hall and Taj Weekes.

Francis hails from Denbigh, a farming town in Clarendon County in central Jamaica. She emigrated to the United States at the age of 14 and spent most of her life in New York. Francis holds an MA in Social Work from the State University of New York.

Tek Weh Yuhself will play shows at Hostos Community College (the second one will take place on March 11). The play is also scheduled for concerts in other major cities in the US, Canada and the UK.