Father Gregory Ramkissoon, founder and executive director of the Mustard Seed Communities, has devoted his life to caring for abandoned and disabled children since 1978.

He was a lecturer at the University of the West Indies and a geographer, working in the depressed community of Mona Commons on the outskirts of St Andrew, when he started the Mustard Seed project in 1978. Today, with its headquarters in the inner-city community of Cockburn Gardens, the Mustard Seed Communities project is a refuge for over 400 abandoned and disabled children, as well as children living with HIV/AIDS in Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Zimbabwe. Chapters have also been established in the United States, Ireland, the Netherlands and England.

Born in San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago, Father Gregory (as he is called) holds post- graduate degrees in physical planning/geography, philosophy and theology, and has lectured at the Department of Geography/Geology at University of the West Indies, Mona, and at the University of Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA.

In 1984, he was ordained a Roman Catholic priest and, since then, has devoted himself to the work of the Lord and to serving the most vulnerable in the society.

His closest friend is Thyra Heaven, who has been associated with Mustard Seed for the last 19 years, and is currently a board member and chairperson of the Powerful Women and Men Performing for Charity, an annual fund-raiser for Mustard Seed.

Through the eyes of his closest friend, we learn of his unconditional love for people and the fact that he is from a wealthy Hindu family, yet he gave up his wealth and comfort to become a priest and to dedicate his life to serving the most vulnerable in our society. We also learn of his passion for growing exotic plants and his weakness for coffee.

How did you meet Father Gregory Ramkissoon, and how long have you been friends?

I have known Father Gregory for the last 19 years. My husband has been in the diplomatic service, and when he was posted to New York I started a small charity organisation called Heartbeat of Jamaica, to raise funds to assist projects in Jamaica. We decided to give the funds to children who were abandoned and were in the care of Government, so I came here to look at various Government-run homes and to determine the needs of these homes. When I went to Mustard Seed, I was impressed by how well the children were cared for and I noticed how warm and loving Father Gregory was in relating to them. I returned to New York and recommended that the funds be donated to them. Since then, Father and I have been communicating, as he would keep me abreast of what was happening at Mustard Seed and about the needs of the organisation.

When I returned to live here, I started visiting the Mustard Seed headquarters in Cockburn Gardens. I assist them several days during the week, including working on the fund-raiser, Powerful Women and Men Charity Concert. Through my association with Mustard Seed over the years, I have developed a bond with Father.

Tell us what you admire most about him and why you think you have remained friends all these years.

I admire his humility and his unconditional love and acceptance of people. He is from a wealthy Hindu family in Trinidad, yet he gave up his wealth and comfort to become a priest and to dedicate his life to the Mustard Seed project. Over the years, he has received so many awards from all over the world for the work he is doing, yet he remains a humble human being.

He is generous and his generosity knows no bounds. His office is located in a depressed community, and people from the community often visit the office to seek help, and his directive to the staff is that no one should come there sick, hungry or in need and be turned away ... they should all be assisted.

We have remained friends because I think he is a great humanitarian. He loves the children unconditionally and works tirelessly to ensure that their needs are being met, and I am committed to his cause and to doing whatever I can to help him. Just seeing his work and what he has done for children across the island is inspiring.

Tell us something interesting about Father Gregory.

He loves to grow things. Although there is very little land available at the Mustard Seed headquarters, he plants vegetable gardens all over.

Whenever he travels, he brings back seeds of exotic plants and grows them at his office, and his latest passion is Bonsai, the Japanese art of growing small plants and trimming them into little shapes. I think it is therapeutic for him.

He is also an avid reader and a deeply religious man with a great faith. Sometimes, just before payday, there is no money yet he never worries. He always says, "Don't worry, have faith, it will work out," and it always does.

He also loves coffee ... it's one of his weaknesses. We have some land in Moneague, which was donated by the bauxite company, where we now have a home and I have promised to plant an acre of coffee for him.

What are some of the things you talk about when you get together?

We talk about Mustard Seed and the needs of the organisation, the people who support Mustard Seed and his deep love for people. We also talk about our families and we encourage each other.

Share with us one of the happiest moments you have experienced with him.

There are so many high points, but one of the most memorable relates to an international award presented annually to an individual anywhere in the Americas whose contribution to his country is deemed remarkable. It is called the Ivy Humanitarian Prize for the Americas, in recognition of a person's extraordinary humanitarian contribution, and three heads of nations have received this award. In 2003, we submitted data on Father and the Mustard Seed Communities, outlining the reach of his work through the 12 homes in Jamaica and Mustard Seed projects in Haiti, The Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Zimbabwe. He was awarded the prize which also has a cash value and I was so happy ... really ecstatic.

Tell us the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of him, and why.

I think of him as a great man, a great humanitarian. He is making such a great contribution to this country and elsewhere in the region.

What are his favourite food, favourite music and favourite sport?

He loves fish and he has a sweet tooth.

He loves classical music and good religious music. Whenever he hears a good tenor singing a rendition of 'Jerusalem', he just glows.

I don't think he is into sports much but he likes cricket and football.

Tell us the colour that you associate with him:

Yellow - signifying someone you'll never forget

Orange - signifying someone you consider your true friend

Red - signifying someone you really love

Green - signifying someone who has had a significant impact on your life

Yellow, because he is special to me, he has impacted my life and so many people that I know, and he is someone I will never forget. I admire his contribution and work as a human being and I am inspired by him. It is a privilege to be associated with him and to be a part of the great work that he is doing. I get a sense of purpose and satisfaction being a part of what he does. I pray that he will live long so that he can continue to make the invaluable contribution he does here and elsewhere.