GoodHeart | The Torringtons using their talent to help the less fortunate
Published:Saturday | October 2, 2021 | 12:07 AMSade Gardner - Staff Reporter
He’s Jamaican and she’s Italian, but together, Chad and Amanda Torrington are a couple using their talents to help the less fortunate beyond their countries of birth.
Popularly known as dancer Global Bob, Chad raised ₹33,000/US$447 for India’s Nayati Healthcare in May, allowing the hospital to purchase 50 ventilators. More than 32 million COVID-19 cases have been reported in India since March 2020, with official figures reporting over 435,000 COVID-related deaths.
Chad, who toured the country in October 2019, was inspired to help after seeing a disheartening online post.
“One of my dance students from India reposted a video of someone who was transporting his deceased mother on the back of his motorbike, and it really left me heartbroken,” he told The Sunday Gleaner. “I then started asking my students how the situation was in India, and everyone expressed how devastating the situation has got, so I thought, ‘How can I help my Indian family?’”
With his great grandfather also being Indian, Chad felt a great duty to assist. He liaised with Indian choreographer Jahnavi and ultimately conducted a free Zoom class which saw attendees donating to the cause. All proceeds went to the Nayati COVID-19 Emergency Appeal, which, in turn, purchased the ventilators.
“Of course, 50 ventilators is not enough to save all, but it certainly is of great assistance,” he said. “What I believe surprised them was that often we attach dancehall to negativity, also with my status as a dancer. I am beyond being just a dancer; I am a humanitarian, and that’s what I live for.”
FEEDING THROUGH FASHION
For Amanda, it’s important to give back regardless of the magnitude. Through her fashion brand Deluxe Couture, the notable Swiss-based designer has been feeding Kingston’s homeless one collection at a time.
“After travelling to Jamaica for the past seven years to my husband, I naturally developed a connection and love as it is like a second home for me. Switzerland has homeless persons as well, but the conditions are totally different, as they have assistance from the government. I was culture-shocked when I could see first-hand the large amount of homeless persons suffering on the street. This was a very humbling encounter, which made me think thoroughly how I could simply give back to this beautiful country that welcomed me into their culture with open arms.”
An estimated 700 people are homeless in Greater Kingston, 500 of which populate downtown. Amanda decided to create collections from which all proceeds were used to buy food, which she prepared with help from Chad, her parents and mother-in-law.
Her first drive was executed in 2018 using proceeds from her ‘Bagluxe’ collection, which entailed handmade handbags, sports bags and cases. Her 2019 collection, ‘Deluxe Couture Love Me’, included T-shirts sold across Europe and Jamaica.
“I fed 100 persons across Kingston the first year and 150 persons in 2019,” she said. “It was one of the most humbling experiences of my life, especially when the less fortunate accepted my little gesture with impactful responses such as ‘God bless you eternally’, which left me with a feeling that is indescribable. A few persons declined respectfully, but this only made us respect them even higher, as we could see their humility and proudness despite their circumstances.”
All other things being equal, she hopes to do another drive-by at the end of the year.
“I will check with the relevant authorities as I respect the new laws governing feeding the homeless, as well as necessary COVID measures.”
The Torrington’s charitable worlds further collide as some of Chad’s Belgian students recently sent two suitcases of children’s clothing, which they donated to the Tarrant Baptist Basic School in Kingston through Amanda’s project.
“Our mission as a couple is to bring out the best version of each other,” they said. “Our strength is our difference in culture, so where one falls short, the other will strengthen. We have creative minds and are growing as a team, not just as individuals.”