In this article, the author focuses on one of the riches of the country: its people. She interviewed five adult educators who have made significant contributions in Jamaica. The author's interest in this research began from the opportunities that she had to meet some of the participants through their programme's connections with JAMAL (the Jamaican Association for the Movement for Advancement in Literacy). As a white Canadian, she came to this story from an outsider's perspective, but she believes that it is through working across these divides that adult educators can come to a richer understanding of the complexities of teaching across different countries and cultures. From the lives of these educators, lessons from the past can be learned to inform the future. While the challenges Jamaica faces sometimes seem rather insurmountable, the author concludes that societal improvement requires the regeneration of civil society. Therefore, the only hope for any change is always contained within the will of the people. (Contains 7 notes.)