The Give a Hug Foundation was established in January 2005, after Makeda Cheatom, the executive director of the WorldBeat Cultural Center, visited the Our Lady of Hope Children's Home in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica. Makeda was so moved by her experiences with the children in the Home, that she returned back to San Diego, with a new vision and a huge inspiration to reach out to others... as a result, the Give a Hug Foundation was born. Our Headquarter, WorldBeat Cultural Center, is located in San Diego California. For more info please call us at 619-230-1190 or email us at gahf@worldbeatcenter.org To mail us: 2100 Park Blvd. San Diego, CA. 92101 Attn: Give A Hug Foundation The Give a Hug Foundation was created to serve as a vehicle to provide aid to people around the world who are most in need. Through Give a Hug, the World Beat Center will provide financial assistance, educational resources, technology, and other forms of aid to underserved and impoverished people around the world. Some of the people the Give a Hug Foundation aims to assist are orphans, refugees, the disabled, etc.

On a 2005 visit to Jamaica, World Beat Center Executive Director Makeda Cheatom had the opportunity to visit the Our Lady of Hope Children’s Home in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica. She was deeply touched by her interaction with the children at the home. Upon her arrival at the home, Makeda was welcomed by children of all ages. She greeted each child with a warm smile and a big hug.

While holding a 6 month old baby boy named Romane, Makeda’s heart opened with compassion as the baby responded with joy to her loving touch. During her visit, Makeda realized the tremendous value of human touch and its importance in the lives of small children. She left Jamaica feeling inspired to make a difference in the lives of these abandoned and precious Jamaican children.

As the originator of Bob Marley Day in San Diego, and one of the world’s foremost reggae producers and radio personalities, Makeda is in a unique position to give back to the island that birthed the inspirational music of reggae. In many ways, reggae music serves as the sustenance which keeps the World Beat Center going. It is an honor for the Center to have an opportunity to pour blessings back into the land from which reggae music originates.

Our Lady of Hope Children’s Home provides a safe and nurturing home environment for abandoned children to be raised in and cared for. The home was founded in 1996. At present, there are 35 children residing in the home, ranging in age from 6 months to 14 years.

Dr. Maureen Samms-Vaughan, a researcher in Jamaica, and the head of the newly formed Early Childhood Commission states that…“the first 3 years of life are absolutely critical to child development.”

Dr. Samms-Vaughan believes that in the first 3 years of life, experiences and interactions with parents, other family members, and other adults, influence the way a child's brain develops, with as much, or greater impact than nutrition and clean water. Furthermore, these experiences set the stage for later success in school, and the behavior and personality traits of adolescence and adulthood.

Dr. Samms-Vaughan states that “every positive interaction, every gentle touch, every soft word, every loving emotion, and every gentle movement is translated into an explosion of electrical and chemical activity within the brain, as billions of cells organize themselves to make the trillions of networks.

Sadly, every harsh touch, every harsh word, every negative emotion and rough handling or physical abuse also set off electrical and chemical activity and a different set of networks become developed".

To read more about the Our Lady of Hope Children’s Home, please go to:
www.oloh-jamaica.org/index.php