By Mark Dawes, Staff Reporter
Ziggy Soul with children from Trench Town at the Hugh Sherlock Educational Centre.
A FEW years ago, the buildings that once housed the Hugh Sherlock All-Age School in Trench Town, Kingston, were old, decrepit, abandoned and vandalised.
Then members of the National Intercessory Prayer Network laid hands on the two buildings. They held hands and formed a circle and prophesied saying, "This place shall not die but live and declare the works of the Lord". Today the buildings are teeming with life.
It had so much life that it was thought worthy to be included in the itinerary of Queen Elizabeth II during her February visit to the island last year. Also, organisations such as the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) and the Kingston Restoration Company have played major roles in pumping life into the buildings.
The complex is comprised of one block of classrooms which now houses a section of the nearby Boys' Town All-Age School. The other building, the Hugh Sherlock Educational Centre, is run by the community through an organisation known as PORROT - the short for People's Outreach Rema Reform Organisation of Trench Town. Spearheading the work of PORROT is Devon Beckford, more popularly known as Ziggy Soul.
GOSPEL SINGER
Ziggy Soul, 43, is widely known in Christian circles as a gospel singer. A former adherent to the Rastafarian faith, Ziggy converted to Christianity seven years ago. He still wears his hair in dreadlocks - a controversial point to many- for him an index of a person's Christian maturity.
For Ziggy, beloved and respected in the Trench Town community and environs, it was an encounter with Apostle David Keane, pastor of Family Church on the Rock, that set the stage for his change of lifestyle. Pastor Keane entered Trench Town looking for someone. He and Ziggy struck up a conversation. Ziggy asked the pastor to help with a struggling library that he was working with. The pastor in turn invited him to his church. Ziggy said he would go if he would allow kids from the area to go as well. Pastor Keane asked how many kids? Ziggy said 50 - he said that with the hope of discouraging Pastor Keane. The following Sunday three Coaster buses drove into Trench Town to pick up the kids and Ziggy reluctantly started attending church.
One Wednesday night at the church, he stumbled into a baptismal class. By the time the teacher finished explaining the significance of baptism, Ziggy accepted Christ as Saviour. Three weeks later he was baptised. All this happened within two months of attending Church on the Rock.
That 'bussing' ministry continues. It has embraced nearby communities. Several popular gospel artistes specialising in the dancehall genre notably 'Prodigal Son', 'Moses' and 'Mr. Gallimore' are all products of that ministry. The latter two were mentored by Ziggy Soul.
Born in St. James, Ziggy went to Trench Town at 15 and has lived there since. He is a product of the Alpha Boys' School where he sang in the choir and learnt to play the guitar.
The Hugh Sherlock Educational Centre is the place to find Ziggy most days. Already his efforts have led to the establishment of remedial classes, adult literacy classes, a homework centre, a pottery training room, a music room and a computer-equipped library known as the Rema Reading Centre. He remarked, "Anything I do, I try to attach the name 'Rema' or 'Trench Town' to it because so many bad things are said about Rema and Trench Town. That's why when something good is happening, I try to use the name 'Rema' and 'Trench Town'.
The area that serves as a music room is shortly to be transformed into a recording studio. PORROT secured a grant of £28,000 from the British Government to help establish the studio. This grant came about as one of the benefits from the Queen's visit. This studio, he notes, will be the first ever located in Trench Town - an area of Kingston that has produced top flight reggae artistes including Bob Marley.
MOTOWN
Ziggy's vision is for Trench Town to become a kind of Motown. The studio, he said, would promote wholesome lyrics. 'Gun talk' and lewd lyrics would not be allowed. However, the studio would be open for use to Christians and non-Christians alike. He pointed out that a lot of foreigners, have already sought him out to get 'Recorded in Trench Town' on their album labels.
The homework room of the Hugh Sherlock Educational Centre is without windows and in need of a paint job. Ziggy hopes to transform that section into a dance and drama studio. He also wants to establish a computer lab. The gospel artiste and social activist is keen to share the credit for the community transformation. His credits include, Larry Alexander, president of PORROT, Anna Morgan, treasurer of PORROT, and Lloyd 'Jubba' Johnson, a potter and community worker now resident in the United States.
"Uptown Christianity," Ziggy exclaims, "has not done enough for the poor". He feels uptown churches are not doing enough to help the poor. He worships these days at River of Life Church, on Cargill Avenue in Kingston, which has been providing meals in the evening for the 100-plus kids that show up on weekdays at the Hugh Sherlock Educational Centre.
Ziggy does not need to be in Jamaica at this time. He and his wife shocked the local social class structure when they married a few years ago. His wife, the former Marlene Pommells, a banker and chartered accountant is living in the United States. They journey to and from Jamaica to be together. But Ziggy is determined to finish his work in Trench Town before joining her.
"My mission in life," says Ziggy, "is firstly, to complete the work for the Hugh Sherlock Educational Centre; and secondly to spread the Word of God through singing and performing."
