Safaree determined to “Stunt for Jamaica”

These days, Love & Hip Hop star Safaree Samuels is in Jamaica a lot. But it is not all about sand and sea for the ‘yardie’. In addition to enjoying the natural beauty with his fiancée, Erica Mena, and stopping by the local street dances – Wet Sundays and Bounty Sundays – to show off his dance moves, the celebrity has been in quest of schools to kick-start his charity initiative.

Two years ago, Safaree (who also calls himself Stuntman), announced a charity initiative titled Stunt for Jamaica, with a mission to donate computers to primary and secondary schools across the island on a monthly basis.

“What I originally wanted to do was put computers in different schools, but there was a disconnect between gathering the information to learn about the schools and getting in contact with key persons,” Safaree told The Sunday Gleaner. “Honestly, I don’t have many connections in Kingston, and it was always my objective to start in Hanover,” he said.

His parents are originally from Pondside in the parish. He finally got the ball rolling recently when he was welcomed with open arms at the Merlene Ottey High School.

“Last Tuesday we were driving by the school, which is actually down the block from my house in Pondside, and they let us in. We walked the entire school and got to see their needs first-hand,” he said. “I met with the principal, and we are setting up a donation of computers as well as music equipment. The overall reception from the students and staff was good.”

The secondary school actually holds the name of the former track and field sprinter that Safaree claims had a rivalry with his mother Shirley Roper, who was a track athlete back in the day. “My mother used to always say that she (Ottey) was the only person able to beat her, but she was excited to know that I found a prospective school to benefit from the charity,” he said. “In addition to that, I was told that my father worked at the school as a clothing and textiles teacher years ago.”

One of the entertainer’s mantras is to get things together little by little until it becomes a whole and to a positive force, so for now, the focus remains on building a relationship with the school and getting the equipment ready.

Returning home

With his frequent visits to the island, the idea of relocating has crossed his mind. It is something he says he has discussed with his fiancée and family but has not made any decisions. “People always say, ‘How comes when you in Jamaica you seem so at ease?’ And the only response to that is because I am. I am not in love with being in the States, so when I am here, it is like I do not have to worry so much about my career and everything else even though I am doing work while I am here. The energy makes me look at life differently.”