FFP HANDS OVER LAST BUILDING AHEAD OF SCHEDULE
VERONICA Baker, principal of New Testament Early Childhood Development Centre located in Wynter's Pen, St Catherine, is elated to have received the final basic school building under Food For The Poor's (FFP) 'Jamaica 50' campaign.
The new building which comprises three classrooms, an office, a sanitation facility, a lunch room and a sick bay, was handed over earlier this month by Minister of Education Reverend Ronald Thwaites, Dr John Buuk, donor, and Andrew Mahfood, Jamaica's chairman of FFP.
"Today, I am feeling blessed to have received the 50th building from Food For The Poor. I am feeling good because Food For The Poor has been there for us and has brought us out of a major struggle," Baker, who has been associated with the school for 36 years, told Career & Education following the handover.
She said the school, which was started by Carmen McLeggon 41 years ago in the community, was in a previously deplorable condition.
"We were located behind the church and it was not comfortable. When the rain fell, we had to move out, put up tarpaulins or end school before the scheduled time. When it rained, we had to be tucking the students together in an effort to not let them get wet. The students and teachers were not comfortable," she said.
Baker told Career & Education that with the new building, she envisions the school population growing every year.
"We see ourselves going further, getting more children and we will become better equipped to offer them the knowledge that they need to enhance their progress while transitioning to the primary level of the education sector," Baker said.
The new school building was constructed on the land where Carmen McLeggon lived before she died.
Minister Thwaites thanked FFP for fulfilling its promise to Jamaica, and more so, the education sector.
"I want to begin by expressing, on behalf of the Ministry of Education, our sincere gratitude and appreciation to Food For The Poor for its continued support for education. Specifically, we commend the organisation for sticking to its commitment to build and upgrade 50 basic schools in 50 months as a gift to Jamaica and Jamaicans for the island's Golden Jubilee," Minister Thwaites said.
"You not only said it, you did it! It is fitting that Food For The Poor has undertaken this project as it targets basic schools in communities across the island where the Early Childhood Commission and the Ministry of Education have identified the more dire needs for pre-primary facilities. This is in line with the Government's overall policy to lift up the weakest in the society," he said further.
For his part, Mahfood said his philanthropic organisation could not have reached the 50 schools in 50-month target without the assistance of local and overseas donors.
"Today, we can say 'mission accomplished!' However, FFP's journey in developing Jamaica's education system has not ended. We remain committed to our children and to constructing suitable structures for their upliftment. In this regard, under our ongoing projects portfolio, eight schools are currently at various stages of construction," Mahfood said.
FFP launched its Jamaica 50 campaign on June 12, 2012 as its gift to the nation to commemorate the country's 50th anniversary of Independence. The project was completed 18 months ahead of the promised 50 months.
-AINSWORTH MORRIS
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/magazines/career/50-schools-in-less-than-50-months_18587152
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