FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA RELEASE
Long Hill, Westmoreland – September
25, 2012: Food For The Poor
(FFP) today officially opened the Kings Infant School, formerly known as the
Long Hill Basic School, in Long Hill, Westmoreland. It is the first early
childhood institution to be built for the parish of Westmoreland and the county
of Cornwall under the FFP Jamaica 50 Campaign, which seeks to build and or upgrade 50 early childhood institutions within 50 months.
This Food For The Poor Programme is
celebrating Jamaica’s 50th year of independence, by expanding access
to high quality pre-primary facilities for the nation’s youth. The Kings
Infant School will serve the communities of Long Hill, Whitehouse, Red Gate and Petersville. It boasts three classrooms,
a sickbay, an office for the teachers, a kitchen, and bathrooms.
Over the years, the Long Hill Basic
School was housed in several temporary facilities in the community. For the
past 4 years, it was housed in cramped conditions in a section of the Grade 1
classroom at Kings Primary School. Subsequently, the St. Thomas King’s
Anglican Church Diocese of Jamaica donated the land for the construction of the
school by FFP. This latest development has also led to the renaming of the
school, and FFP will also be making advanced training available to the teachers
at that institution, in keeping with standards set by the Early Childhood
Commission (ECC).
Delivering
remarks at the Opening Ceremony, Samantha Mahfood, Executive Director, Food For The Poor Canada expressed appreciation to the Anglican Church
and the ‘Helping Hands Jamaica Foundation’
for their donations, which made the school a reality. “Helping Hands
Jamaica Foundation, the
Canadian-Jamaican donors, financed the construction and furnishing of the school.
We commend our local and international donors of the FFP Jamaica 50 Campaign.
Without our donor’s financial support we cannot change a child’s future,”
explained the FFP Canada Executive Director, adding, “Today I ask each of you
to get involved by donating to the construction of a school.”
She urged citizens to create a solid foundation
of love, care and discipline in the lives of Jamaica’s children. “Be committed
to opening the ‘doors’ and ‘windows’ of learning with academic studies, and
vocational training,” advised Ms. Mahfood. “Let us give them a sound
‘infrastructure’ of skills and the encouragement they need to be successful.”
Ms. Mahfood announced that next month her
charity would be opening a new Basic School in Esher, Hanover. She disclosed
that FFP is also partnering with several communities in the county of Cornwall,
to assist with the construction of early childhood institutions.
Dita Scott Myers, Principal, Kings
Infant School, expressed appreciation to FFP for the construction of the new
facility. “We are all overjoyed for this new school. This institution will go a
long way in helping the community’s children to learn in comfort, and with the
spacious classrooms we can now accommodate more children.” The school has a
population of 31 students but it has the capacity to accommodate 60.
Keynote
speaker Shannon Hendricks, Legal/Policy Officer, Office of the Children’s
Advocate, encouraged communities to “guarantee our children child-friendly,
child-centred institutions which encourage them to learn in a creative
environment”. She implored teachers to be faithful and diligent in their
duties, despite the socio-economic difficulties facing them.
Describing
the establishment of Kings Infant School as a “life-altering initiative, which
creates the perfect preparatory environment”, she stressed that the teachers
should aspire to be great, as great teachers inspire students to achieve their
best. Children need good parenting as well as excellent teaching to attain
their best potential, she added.
Dr. Mark Nicely, President Elect, Jamaica Teachers Association (JTA),
shared similar sentiments, while addressing today’s event. He cautioned that
the problems being experienced at the secondary and tertiary levels started at
the early childhood stage of the children’s lives. Pointing out that it is “easier to build a strong child, than to
repair a broken man,” Mr. Nicely stressed the importance of significant
investments in education, if Jamaica is to realize its 2030 vision. He
commended the educational initiatives of Food For The Poor which saw them
partnering with communities, and appealed for other civic groups to forge
similar partnerships in education.
Other speakers at today’s event were: Paulette Patterson, Principal,
Kings Primary School and Megan McHugh, Beneficiary, FFP Educational Programme.
The children of Kings Infant School and Kings Primary School provided
entertainment.
The FFP Jamaica 50 Campaign is a part of the ongoing support by the
charity to address the socio-economic challenges in Jamaica. Since its
inception 30 years ago, FFP has made a significant contribution to Jamaica’s
education through the payment of school fees to needy students, distribution of
school furniture and supplies, and the construction of basic schools. Earlier
this year, FFP outfitted 18 educational institutions with well-needed school
furniture. These schools were
recommended by the Ministry of Education and included: Mico University College,
York Castle High, Green Park Primary, Manchester High and Kingston College.
FFP OFFICIALLY OPENS KINGS INFANT
SCHOOL
Samantha Mahfood, Executive Director, Food For The Poor Canada delivers remarks
during the Official Opening of Kings Infant School on Tuesday September 25.
(From right) Seated at the head table are: Shannon Hendricks, Legal/Policy
Officer, Office of the Children’s Advocate, Paulette
Patterson, Principal, Kings Primary School, Dr. Mark Nicely, President Elect,
Jamaica Teachers Association and Dita
Scott Myers, Principal, Kings Infant School.
WESTMORELAND YOUTH CELEBRATE FOLK CULTURE
Students of the Kings Primary School perform a medley of folk
songs during the official opening of the Kings Infant School, in Long Hill,
Westmoreland on Tuesday September 25. Both schools are located in close
proximity to each other. Kings Infant School (formerly known as Long Hill Basic
School) is the first early childhood institution to be built for the parish of
Westmoreland and the county of Cornwall under the FFP Jamaica 50 Campaign, which
seeks to build and or upgrade 50 early childhood institutions within 50 months.
This Food For The Poor Programme marks the celebration of Jamaica’s 50th year of independence.
RIBBON CUTTING FOR KINGS INFANT SCHOOL
(From left) Dita Scott Myers (left), Principal, Kings Infant School in
Long Hill Westmoreland cuts the ribbon at the official opening ceremony for the
school on Tuesday, September 25. Also participating in the opening ceremony are
students of Kings Infant School, Samantha Mahfood, Executive Director, Food For
The Poor (FFP) Canada, and Sheldon Howell, Project Officer, FFP Jamaica.
NEW SCHOOL IN LONG HIL FOR JAMAICA 50
Dita Scott Myers (left), Principal, Kings Infant School in Long Hill
Westmoreland beams with joy as she cuts the ribbon to the classrooms, during
the official opening ceremony for the school on Tuesday, September 25. Sharing
in the moment are: students of the school, (from left) Paulette Patterson, Principal, Kings
Primary School; Susan James, Project Manager, Food For The Poor Inc.; Dr.
Mark Nicely, President Elect, Jamaica Teachers Association and Shannon
Hendricks, Legal/Policy Officer, Office of the Children’s Advocate – who was
keynote speaker at the event.
Food For The
Poor (FFP)-Jamaica is the largest charity organization in the country. Food For The
Poor Inc., located in Florida, USA, was named by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as the
largest international relief and development organization
in the United States. It is an interdenominational Christian agency that does
much more than feed the millions of hungry poor in 17 countries of the
Caribbean and Latin America. FFP provides emergency relief assistance, clean
water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the
aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance, with more
than 96% of all donations going directly to programmes that help the poor. For
more information visit our Web site at www.foodforthepoorja.com
________________________________________________________________________________
Contact:
Petri-Ann Henry, Food For The Poor,
T: 984-5005 or 564-2886
Erica James-King, PROComm, T: 926-6740 or 564-5277
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