Residents of Accompong Welcome New Basic School

Members of the Accompong community in St. Elizabeth have expressed gratitude for the new basic school that was handed over recently.

“We are thankful to all those persons who gave willingly to make this a reality. I am overwhelmed. The parents and the community will protect the school,” said Principal of the school, Daynia Miles, at the handing over ceremony.

The school was built by Food For the Poor, as part of its commitment to construct 50 basic schools, in celebration of Jamaica’s 50th year of Independence.

“To invest in the holistic development of the children, the structure must be right, and everything must be in place to ensure that they (children) are taken care of. This structure will no doubt achieve that,” the Principal said, pointing out that the old building was unsafe for the children.

For her part, President of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA), Sharmora Lennon, assured that the group will help in the maintenance of the school.

“We are elated and happy to receive this school. It will help the children to learn better. There is more space; we have proper bathroom facilities and a proper play area. As a PTA, we will make sure that the students take care of all the equipment and we will continue to keep our fund-raising events, so as to help with the maintenance,” she said.

Deputy Colonel of the Accompong Maroons, Norma Rowe-Edwards, said the children need to have the best facilities to learn.

“They are our children; it is our community, so we have to work for each and everyone. We really thank Food For the Poor for the new school,” she added.

Meanwhile, Chairman of Food For the Poor, Andrew Mahfood, said the three classrooms can accommodate up to 100 students. At present, 37 students are attending the institution.

“We are passionate about assisting Jamaica. Our wish is for this school to be a hub of successful activities, not just for the school population, but also for the wider Accompong community. I encourage every adult citizen (of Accompong), to live service-oriented lives for the benefit of the children of this community and the nation in general,” Mr. Mahfood said.

Food For the Poor partnered with Grand Jamaica Homecoming 2012, the Ray Chang Foundation and Food For the Poor (Canada), to build the school.

By Garfield L. Angus, JIS Reporter