🧳 From Manchester to Kingston: A Journey Through Legacy, Literacy, and Love

Earlier this month, I traveled to Jamaica for my Grand Aunt Alva’s homegoing service. She lived to be 106 years old—a life filled with wisdom, love, and quiet strength. Her passing brought our family together in Mandeville, where we gathered to celebrate her remarkable life. While it was a solemn occasion, it was also a homecoming of sorts—an opportunity to walk the paths of my family’s past and reflect on the legacies that shaped who I am.

While in Jamaica, we spent a meaningful day in Oxford, Manchester—a rural farming community about 60 miles from the capital city of Kingston—where my father grew up. It was there that we retraced his roots, visited his childhood school, and honored the legacy he left behind.

One of the most meaningful stops was Comfort Hall All-Age School, where my father began his educational journey. As a boy, he would sit under the mango tree with his books, determined to make something of himself. One of the elders in the community, who knew him as a child, recalled, “He was different. Always studying. You could just tell he would go far.”

And he did.

My father would go on to complete his education in Kingston and graduate from the University of the West Indies, Mona, but he never forgot where it started. He often spoke of Comfort Hall with fondness and gratitude, and over the years, he supported the school through donations and supplies. After his passing in 2024, my brother established the Basil A. Jones Memorial Scholarship in his honor—because what better way to honor his memory than to invest in the future of the very place that shaped him.

While visiting the school, I was moved by their commitment to literacy. A large Reading Wall, proudly displayed on campus, showcases student work and learning activities that reflect their joy in reading and writing. Just above it, the school’s motto is painted across the upper balcony:

ENTER TO LEARN — LEAVE LITERATE

I stood in front of it, struck by how deeply it aligned with the work we do at Tanzania Development Support (TDS)—where literacy, particularly for girls in rural communities, is at the heart of our mission. In both Comfort Hall and Tanzania, literacy is not just an educational benchmark. It’s a pathway to equity, independence, and hope.

The journey didn’t end in Manchester. I later traveled to Kingston, where I visited my childhood school, Stella Maris Preparatory. While I didn’t get a chance to explore the grounds in full, just standing outside the gates brought back memories of school uniforms, morning assemblies, and the early seeds of curiosity that would shape my future.

This trip reminded me that education is more than a formal experience—it’s a deeply personal, cultural, and community-driven force. It shows up in the aunties who model lifelong learning. In the children proudly pointing to their work on a reading wall. In the mango trees that shaded my father’s dreams, and in every initiative I support that centers literacy, empowerment, and opportunity.

These places—and the people who shaped them—remind me why I do what I do.

About Renée
Renée Jones is the Founder and Principal Consultant at Red Hills Consulting Group, where she leads strategic, operational, and transformational initiatives for Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, and mission-driven organizations. With more than 20 years of experience leading complex initiatives, Renée helps organizations turn bold ideas into lasting impact. Outside of work, she mentors emerging leaders and champions social-impact innovation. https://redhillsconsultinggroup.com