our community album
Horse Guard Is
Rebuilding — For Itself
Horse Guard is restoring the old basic school as a gathering place — the first step toward rebuilding the community centre Horse Guard deserves.
Community Work Days — October 29, 31 & November 1, 2026
Grand Opening — January 4, 2027
About Us
Who We Are
Horse Guard Community Development Group — grown by our residents, backed by The Sanctuary Foundation.
A Note from the Founder
I grew up in Horse Guard. This school is where my journey started — where I first learned to read, where I played in the yard with children who are now adults raising their own families here. When I came back and saw it sitting there empty, overgrown, damaged by the hurricane, something shifted in me.
I stopped waiting for someone else to fix it. No government program was coming. No big NGO was going to notice a closed basic school in a small rural community. So I began talking to the people who still care about this place.
This isn't about one person or one organization. This is Horse Guard deciding that its own future is worth fighting for. We're doing this together — with our own hands, our own resources, and whatever help the wider community can offer.
— Santana Chevel Watson
Founder, Whispering Soul Sanctuary
We are not a government program. We are not an international charity. We are residents of Horse Guard, volunteer-driven and community-led, working through The Sanctuary Foundation to restore this building and create a space that belongs to everyone here.
Our History
A Place Worth Remembering
Horse Guard, Jamaica
A small, tight-knit rural community nestled in the hills of Jamaica. For generations, families here have lived close to the land and built what they needed with their own hands.
Like much of rural Jamaica, Horse Guard has seen limited infrastructure and little outside attention. But through every hurricane season, the people have remained. They stay because this place is theirs.
The Basic School Building
The basic school was once the heart of early education here — generations of children took their first steps toward learning within its walls.
Then it closed. For more than five years it has sat empty — grounds overtaken by bush, fencing corroded, roof weakened by Hurricane Melissa.
We refuse to forget. Refurbished, it becomes an immediate gathering place for meetings and functions while we work toward restoring the larger community centre nearby.
The Community Centre Building
Not far from the basic school sits the old community centre — in far deeper disrepair. Its roof has collapsed, and a sagging tarp is all that keeps the elements at bay.
Restoring it is our long-term goal. But we start with the basic school — a place to meet, organize, and plan while the bigger work continues.
Community Initiatives
Building What We Need
Starting with the schoolhouse — and building from there.
Active Initiative
Build Back Stronger — Restoring the Basic School
Our first and most urgent initiative. We're clearing the overgrown grounds, repairing the hurricane-damaged roof and fencing, and refurbishing this long-closed building into a space where the community can meet and organize — while we plan for the full restoration of the old community centre building nearby.
See what we needOn the Horizon
Waste Management
Community-organized waste collection and disposal solutions.
Coming SoonRoad Improvements
Advocating for and contributing to better access roads.
Coming SoonWater Access
Working toward reliable, clean water infrastructure.
Coming SoonRecreation Spaces
Creating safe outdoor spaces for children and families.
Coming SoonWhat We Need
The Needs Registry
Real materials for real work. Every item on this list moves us closer to a functioning community centre.
Time-Sensitive
Upcoming Event — November 7th Kids Jam
For our 90s Kids Jam on November 7th, we urgently need tents/tarps, chairs and tables (the site has none of its own), plus food, snacks, drinks, ice, small prizes, and a sponsor for the dance contest cash prize. Reach out at 876-585-1295 or horseguardcommunity@gmail.com, or use the Get Involved form below and mention the event.
Photo Gallery
Documenting the Journey
From where we started to where we're going. Watch the transformation unfold — before, during, and after.
The property as it stands today — before work begins.
Events & Work Days
What's Coming
Work Days
Repair & Clean-Up Days
October 29, 31 & November 1, 2026
All hands welcome. Bring tools if you have them, energy if you don't.
Horse Guard Basic School, Horse Guard, Jamaica
Grand Opening
Grand Opening Celebration
January 4, 2027
A celebration of what this community can achieve when it comes together. Open to all. Bring your family, bring your neighbours.
Horse Guard Basic School, Horse Guard, Jamaica
Community Event
90s Kids Jam
November 7, 2026, 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM
A free day for the children of our district — music, dancing, games, a dance contest, and giveaways for every child. 100% community-funded.
Horse Guard Community Square, Horse Guard, Jamaica
Get Involved
Let's Build This Together
Whether you want to volunteer, donate, or just learn more — we'd love to hear from you.
Give Money
Any amount helps — it goes directly toward materials, transport, and event costs.
Give Materials
Zinc, lumber, cement, paint, tools — check the Needs Registry and contribute what you can.
Give Time
Show up on work days. Help clear bush, move debris, paint walls.
Give Skills
Carpentry, plumbing, electrical, masonry — if you have a trade, we need you on-site.
Talk to Us
876-585-1295horseguardcommunity@gmail.comSupport is administered through The Sanctuary Foundation — the charitable arm of Whispering Soul Sanctuary — and goes directly to the restoration work in Horse Guard.
Join the WhatsApp GroupVolunteer & Support Form
Tell us how you'd like to help — we'll be in touch.
Currently fundraising for our November 7th 90s Kids Jam — a free day for the children of our district. If this is what brought you here, mention '90s Kids Jam' and what you can bring in the "Tell us more" field below.
Financial Transparency
Every Dollar Accounted For
Figures come straight from our public financial snapshot (JMD) and refresh whenever the sheet is updated. Full records available on request.
Thank You
Our Supporters
A growing list of individuals, families, and businesses who've contributed to this work. Every name here represents someone who believes in Horse Guard.
This list grows as support comes in. Want your name here? Help us rebuild.