'NEW BUILDING, NAME FOR BANANA GROUND BASIC SCHOOL - Jamaica Observer - February 22, 2016

IN HONOUR OF BARBARA E LEE HING: Anthony Lee Hing (right), widower of the late Barbara E Lee Hing, unveils the sign for the new school building following the dedication ceremony. Also sharing in the moment were: Minister of Education, Reverend The Honourable Ronald Thwaites (left) and Principal, Denise Johnson.

THE early childhood institution in the community of Banana Ground, Manchester, has a building all its own, and a new name too.

It is called Barbara E Lee Hing Banana Ground Basic School in honour of the late Barbara E Lee Hing whose family, along with Christos Ministries, in partnership with Food For The Poor (FFP) Jamaica, donated the funds for the work.

The new facility boasts three new classrooms, a sick bay, a computer room, an office, modern toilet facilities, and a playground. The premises were officially handed over on Friday, January 22.

Denise Foster, vice-principal, could not not hold back her tears.

“I have been with the school for the past 11 years and I am so thankful to God for this new building,” she told the
Jamaica Observer.

“We have fought for this for years, and to know that it has finally come to pass, I can say, ‘God is good’. The situation before was very dismal. We were located on the compound of a Seventh-day Adventist church and we had to pack up every Friday afternoon and every Wednesday afternoon before church was held. We had to take down all our charts, pack away all the children’s desks, teacher’s desks, everything. Then, come Monday morning, we had to redo the whole process again, and where we stored our stuff was actually on the dirt of the ground. So it was a very rough task for us,” she explained.

Member of parliament for Central Manchester Peter Bunting, and Education Minister Ronald Thwaites were present at the handover.

Bunting said he remembered when the school was housed in the Seventh-day Adventist church, and was relocated to its current location in an abandoned clinic building next door to its current spot.

“We’ve had three schools built by Food For The Poor in my constituency in the last two years, and for this, we are very grateful,” he said.

Added Thwaites: “Building a new school building and renaming it in the memory of someone who contributed significantly to the sector of education is a very high act. For the family of the late Barbara E Lee Hing to donate funds to build a school in her honour demonstrates a family who have reached the heights of what good human beings can become, by being their brother’s keeper.”

The Hing family chose Manchester because that’s the parish in which Barbara E Lee Hing was born, in 1943. She started her career in the field of early childhood education before teaching at her alma mater, Manchester High School, before emigrating to the United States.

CROSS SECTION OF BARBARA E LEE HING BASIC SCHOOL: A cross section of the new basic school building which was renamed in honour of the late Barbara E Lee Hing in Banana Ground, Manchester.

LISTENING KEENLY TO THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION: Students of Barbara E Lee Hing Banana Ground Basic School listening keenly to the Minister of Education, The Honourable Ronald Thwaites following the handover of the new school building.

'FOOD FOR THE POOR DONATES FOGGING MACHINES' - Jamaica Observer - February 21, 2016

Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health Dr Kevin Harvey (second left), looks through some of the parts for mosquito fogging machines which were donated to the ministry by Food For The Poor Jamaica. Looking on (from left) are director, Environmental Health in the ministry, Everton Baker; Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Winston De La Haye; and executive director of FFP Jamaica, David Mair.

The Ministry of Health has received a donation of medication and mosquito fogging machines, valued at $5.7 million, from Food for the Poor (FFP) Jamaica.

The 6,000 bottles of paracetamol tablets and 19 portable foggers will assist the Government in its continued fight against the spread of mosquito-borne illnesses, such as the Zika Virus (ZikV).

The items were handed over during a ceremony held at the FFP offices, in St Catherine on Friday.

Addressing the ceremony, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Kevin Harvey, said the donation will help the Ministry to better respond to the demands for treatment of mosquito-borne illnesses, such as Dengue, Chikungunya and ZikV.

“Pharmaceuticals are a big item in health, and we are fully aware of the importance of having adequate supplies to meet the demand. Paracetamol is used as one of the main symptomatic treatment interventions for not only the Zika Virus, but Chikungunya, Dengue as well as Influenza. Hence, this donation is timely as we are in the flu season,” he said.
Dr. Harvey noted that cases of influenza viruses, including H1N1, are not only circulating in Jamaica, but right across the world. There are nine confirmed cases of H1N1 in Jamaica for this flu season.

He encouraged persons to be “extra careful” during this season, and to ensure that all precautionary measures are observed, such as proper hand washing and proper cough etiquette.

“If persons are feeling ill, they should minimise their contact with others in order to prevent the spread of the flu viruses,” he said.

Symptoms of the virus are similar to influenza and may include sneezing, coughing, runny and stuffy nose, fatigue and headache.

In the meantime, Executive Director, FFP Jamaica, David Mair, said the organisation “is extremely proud” to once again partner with the Ministry of Health to provide the necessary resources to reduce the effects of ZikV.

“With the donation , which was acquired through the head office in Florida, we hope to assist the Health Ministry in its overall preparedness for ZikV and ensure that those who cannot afford the treatment for recovery, will be able to access the necessary medication,” he said.

In 2014 when Chikungunya hit Jamaica, the FFP donated over 5,000 bottles of paracetamol tablets, 3,200 repellents and nine foggers to assist in fighting the disease.

ZikV is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is found in and around areas where people live, work and play. The first case of the virus in Jamaica was confirmed by the Health Ministry in January.

It is from the same family of viruses as Dengue and Chikungunya, and share similar symptoms, which include fever, joint and muscle pain, conjunctivitis, headache, weakness, rash and swelling of the lower limbs.

The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting from several days to a week.

Source: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Food-For-The-Poor-donates-fogging-machines_52364

FOOD FOR THE POOR GOES SOLAR - The Gleaner - February 13, 2016

State Minister in the Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining Julian Robinson has praised Food For The Poor's investment in the installation of a 100-kilowatt solar system.

"I am happy that companies like Food For The Poor, which is in the volunteer business, continue to make the investments in alternative energy," the state minister said.

He was speaking at the official commissioning of the system on Thursday at Food For The Poor's headquarters at Ellerslie Pen in Spanish Town, St Catherine.

Robinson said the solar project was in keeping with the Government's focus on the development of renewable energy solutions.

Some US$200 million has been invested in various renewable energy initiatives scheduled to come on stream by the end of 2016.

EXPANSION PROJECT

Among the projects are the US$45 million expansion of the Wigton Wind Farm in Manchester, and development of a 20-megawatt solar plant in York Town, Clarendon, at a cost of US$47 million.

Facilities Manager at Food For The Poor Charles Powell said the US$180,000 investment would allow the charity organisation to save on its electricity bill, therefore, freeing up resources to carry out its work.

"Whatever we will save will put us in a better position to help the less fortunate. That is what Food For The Poor does," he noted.

Installed by Padero Solar Jamaica in July last year, the 100-kilowatt system consists of five inverters, each with a capacity of 20 kilowatts.

"One of the things we would have experienced since we have started to use solar is a much cleaner supply of electricity, manifesting itself in less maintenance," Powell said.

It is expected that Food For The Poor will recover its money in roughly three and a half years. It is the intention of the charity to sell excess energy to the national grid.

Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20160213/food-poor-goes-solar

HOSPITALS GET BEDS FROM J WRAY & NEPHEW - Corporate Hands, Jamaica Gleaner - February 4, 2016

On January 26, J. Wray and Nephew Limited, donated 76 hospital beds and mattresses valued at approximately US$57,000 (J$6.8 Million) to six major hospitals across the island as part of the company's 190th anniversary celebrations.

The presentation of the beds was made during a ceremony at Food For The Poor Jamaica's headquarters at Ellerslie Pen, St Catherine. The health institutions benefitting from this donation are Kingston Public, Spanish Town, Cornwall Regional, May Pen, St Ann's Bay and Mandeville hospitals.

All 76 beds are semi-electric, which means they are able to be adjusted with and without an electrical source.

The initiative was carried out in partnership with Food for The Poor Jamaica which sourced the beds ensuring that they met international specifications.

Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20160204/corporate-hands-hospitals-get-beds-j-wray-and-nephew

REMEMBERING BARBARA E LEE HING WITH A NEW SCHOOL BUILDING - The Gleaner - January 29, 2016

None of the children attending the new Barbara E. Lee Hing Banana Ground Basic School in Manchester has any concept of the late Jamaican woman in whose honour their comfortable, spacious, and fully equipped school was named.

But the accolades that flowed at the official opening ceremony last Friday painted the picture of a selfless person

whose love of others and willingness to help knew no bounds.

Lee Hing, who died in hospital in Georgia, United States, in 2014, was a special woman, judging from the utterances of those who knew her best.

Among those in attendance were widower Anthony, three adult children (two daughters and a son), a son-in-law, as well as relatives and friends.

A former teacher who was very involved in many charitable works in Jamaica and a very active member of the Sts Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Georgia, Lee Hing's impact came through during conversations with daughter Shelley Lee Hing and Anthony, whose tongue-in-cheek response to the question, 'How long were you married?, offered a glimpse into the depth of their relationship.

FITTING TRIBUTE

"Not long - 51 years and four months to the day. She died October 29, 2014, (and) we were married on June 29, 1963," he offered.

"She was warm, caring, generous to a fault, loving, very interested in her family, in her church, in her God and she was so generous. There was nothing that she wouldn't try to do to help anybody needing something," Anthony told The Gleaner.

And while he seemed well composed throughout the ceremony, Barbara's widower admitted to The Gleaner that it had taken a Herculean effort.

"It was difficult you know. It give me a hard time. the memories keep flooding back because when she was in hospital, we were there 24 hours. I took the night spell and the children in the days, and we were there every single day until she died. we were right there when she died, too, in hospital."

For Shelley, too, it was a bittersweet experience but one made easier by memories of the impact of her mother's strong Christian faith.

"She had such a wonderful generous spirit - someone who was selfless, always giving, a strong faith in God, a strong love of people, always willing to help others - and she shared that with her family, and we try every day to kind of embody what she has taught us to be, which is to always love God, always do right by people, and live a good life.

"So today was really an honour for us to be here, and we really thank the community for allowing us to be a part of their celebration here with the new school and my mom. We thought this would be a very fitting tribute because she started out as a teacher and always loved teaching others - whether it be Sunday School or in the classroom. I mean all the people that came here, out of town and in Jamaica is a testament to her reach and how much she was loved, and we just wanted to share her love with the people of Banana Ground because she firmly believed in education and doing right by folks, and so we are just thrilled to be able to share that with the community today."

The Food for the Poor project was funded by contributions from the Lee Hing family in partnership with Christos Ministries, a non-profit faith-based organisation based in Georgia.

"For the school to be successful, the community has to take ownership of it," Shelly told the beneficiaries. "It's named in honour of my mother, but this school is theirs. So whether it's parent or teacher involvement in their child's development, we won't be there for that. So it's very important that the community continues to be really involved in their children's lives and, obviously, from the turnout today, that won't be a problem because the people of Banana Ground are clearly committed to the excellence of education for their children."

Anthony admitted to being very impressed with the ceremony, as well as the school.

"The physical location, it's well planned. I have not seen in a long time, so much put into so small an area. it's really well done. it's thought about and it's secure, too."

christopher.serju@gleanerjm.com

Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20160129/remembering-barbara-e-lee-hing