Samuels-Smith: Although I don't have enough money this year, I decided that I would still help a child. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

Marlyn Samuels-Smith is buzzing with community spirit, as she continues to develop her Riversdale community.

On a visit to the community, the Gleaner team was informed about her strong involvement in the rural St Catherine area.

President of One Love Farmers' Association and secretary of the Community Development Committee, Samuels-Smith says time is invested in addressing the needs for farming materials so that persons in the small farming community could be benefited.

Recently, she has been able to assist 40 farmers in the community with seeds and farming tools, which she garnered through Food For The Poor.

She is also in the process of creating a facility, where the community farmers would get assistance through small loans. She said they would pay back with lower interest than if they took it from a financial institution.

Aiming for a learning centre

However, she was not able to state the percentage interest for the payback.

"No one helps in this area, so I hope it will be successful because the people really need the help," Samuels-Smith argued.

The mother of three is also working assiduously to improve the educational level of the young persons in the community.

She said her first move is to try to attain a learning centre in the neighbourhood.

"I would like to see persons who drop out of school continue their education and so I am hoping that I will be successful."

Samuels-Smith said she would try to get the assistance of the teachers in the community to help with the learning project.

As she continues her mission to improve the living condition of the residents, she sometimes struggles for finances to fulfil her dreams.

Nonetheless, she is always ready to stretch out a helping hand where the need exists.

One of the challenges that she faces is giving her full support to the students who has returned to school. This year, she said she was only able to assist one student of the community with back-to-school preparation. She provided the child with uniforms.

Wishing to do more

"I didn't see the child's parents making any move to get her uniform, so I decided that I would help her," she said.

But it was obvious that the rural community's good Samaritan was not pleased with the help she could afford, as it was not her usual style.

"It wasn't like this once, as I use to buy books and other school items and give them to the community children. Although I don't have enough money this year, I decided that I would still help a child."