KINGSTON, Jamaica — When a sudden burst tire from a pothole caught her attention on a rainy evening, one Cooreville Gardens resident refused to wait for official intervention. Instead, Maureen Gordon rallied fellow local volunteers to launch a grassroots pothole patching project to make her neighborhood’s roads safer for everyone.
Gordon shared the story of how the initiative got off the ground in an interview with Jamaica Observer Online. She was relaxing in her living room during a heavy downpour when she heard a loud crash outside. Realizing a driver had hit one of the area’s many large, rain-hidden potholes and suffered a blown tire, she made the decision to act. The next morning, she inspected the damaged road and committed to taking on the work herself.
Gordon explained that she had already ordered construction materials for another personal project, and chose to repurpose those supplies to start patching potholes before the contracted worker she hired was even scheduled to arrive. For her, the project is rooted in a core belief about community interdependence. “We have to live for each other. We are all a chain link. Some people don’t understand that whatever I do, I do from my heart,” she said.
Local drivers and people passing through the neighborhood have already praised Gordon’s proactive effort. She noted that unaddressed potholes are a hazard for more than just local residents: countless through traffic drivers hit these hidden dips during heavy rain, often leaving with costly vehicle damage. By patching as many problem spots as the volunteer group can, they are working to reduce that preventable harm for everyone who uses the road.
The community-led project was documented on video by journalist Llewellyn Wynter.