Epworth Basic School Refurbished and Expanded

The community of Epworth in St. Ann has benefited from a refurbished and expanded basic school, which was constructed and equipped at a cost of $3.4 million.

Constructed through the efforts of the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) and the Social Development Commission (SDC), with the community members providing five per cent of the project cost in cash or kind, the facility was officially handed over recently to the school by the agencies.

The project involved the expansion of the old school building to provide bathroom and kitchen facilities, as well as 10 desks and 30 chairs, and appliances and recreational equipment to benefit some 28 students, who are enrolled at the school.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony, JSIF Information Systems Manager, Don Miller, said the organisation had worked alongside the school’s management and staff to realize the goal of establishing a comfortable and functional educational facility for the community’s children.

Noting that the provision was not a donation, but an investment in the children of the community, Mr. Miller said, “when we finance a school project, we hope to provide the kind of environment that will make young students more eager to learn and more excited about their education”, adding that children who developed a positive attitude towards learning in their early years were more likely to be successful in later years.

Furthermore, Mr. Miller said the investment was expected to reap dividends in the future, pointing out that individuals who were well educated were in a better position to contribute to the development of their community and country.

He congratulated the school family on the successful implementation of the project, as the community strove toward the advancement of literacy.