Principals Grateful for Donation of Water Tanks

Principals of 51 primary and infant schools across the island that have benefited from a donation of water-storage tanks are expressing gratitude for the contribution.

The 100 black tanks, each with capacity for 1,000 gallons of water, were donated by the United States (US) Southern Humanitarian Command Program (USSHCP), through the National Education Trust (NET) in the Ministry of Education and Youth.

The contribution, valued at more than $9 million, is in support of the Ministry’s efforts to ensure safe operation of schools in the face-to-face environment, given the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Principal of the St. Catherine-based Tydixon Primary School, Carline Bolt-Morgan, said the donation will serve the institution well.

She noted that it will bolster the harvesting and storage of rainwater, on which the school relies for potable use, and to ensure good hygiene habits, including regular handwashing.

“This is important as we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and make great effort to bridge the learning gap that it has created. Principals like myself, in this situation, now have sunny smiles and grateful hearts,” she said, at the handover ceremony held at Jamaica College in St. Andrew.

Mrs. Bolt-Morgan added that school administrators are grateful for the continued partnership and commitment from the Ministry, through NET “in the thrust to support schools, especially in rural Jamaica”.

Acting Principal of Halls Delight Primary School in St. Andrew, Denise Dunchie, also expressed delight with the gift of the water-storage facilities.
“Our school doesn’t have running water and so now we will be able to store much more water, which will benefit our students,” she shared with JIS News.

For the Maryland Primary and Infant School in Hanover, which also depends on rainwater for potable use, Principal Andria Dehaney Grant, said that “these tanks will add to the number that we have to sufficiently supply the needs of our students”.

In addition, Senior Teacher at the St. Andrew-based Golden Valley Primary School, Roxane Henry Wood, shared that every effort is made to inculcate a habit of frequent handwashing among students, and the gift of the additional water tanks will enhance those measures.

“They will be motivated, knowing that someone is looking out for the school and the community,” Mrs. Henry Wood said.

In his remarks, Senior Defense Attaché at the United Sates (US) Embassy, Lieutenant Robert Ramsey Jr., said that the USSHCP was happy to contribute to Jamaica’s education system.

He said that the tanks are “priceless” in ensuring the health and welfare of students by enabling access to a reliable and safe water supply, particularly during COVID-19.

“None is safe from COVID until all are safe,” he noted.

Executive Director of NET, Latoya Harris, for her part, welcomed the partnership to increase the water-storage capacity of the schools.

She assured that the resources will be used responsibly and for the “benefit of our students”.

The USSHCP carries out humanitarian and civic assistance activities in countries throughout the region.

These exercises generally take place in rural areas and are coordinated with the host nation and other US Government agencies, and include the construction of schools, clinics and water wells.

The entity is also involved in medical readiness exercises, where teams consisting of doctors, nurses and dentists provide general and specialised clinical and public health services, in addition to veterinary services.

The NET was created as the Government’s executing agency to enable and maintain investments in education and was borne out of the need to create a secure and certain fiscal space for ongoing long-term capital investment and infrastructure development in education.

Through the operations of the NET, the Ministry of Education’s goal is to have philanthropy efforts directly aligned with the needs of the Jamaican education system, expand quality educational access to the nation’s children, increase social mobility and build human capital.