School Garden Launched at Randolph Lopez School of Hope

A school garden programme was officially launched today (April 4) at the Randolph Lopez School of Hope in Kingston.

The garden was established in partnership with the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) and the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA).

Addressing the function, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., said the launch of the school garden programme sends a message to Jamaicans that “persons with disabilities have abilities too and that our responsibility is to focus on their abilities and to help them to nurture those abilities so they can blossom”.

“Agriculture and Fisheries present, in my view, a very real opportunity and it is important for us to make sure that we recognise our duty to give the support, the resources, the motivation, the technical guidance, so that the school garden will flourish to its full potential,” Mr. Charles Jr. said.

He added that it is important that all Jamaicans, in an inclusive way, can maximise and fulfil their potential.

“We are going to continue to make sure that agriculture is inclusive,” the Agriculture Minster stated.

Established in 1956, the Randolph Lopez School of Hope is the largest and oldest institution serving children with intellectual disabilities in Jamaica and the English-speaking Caribbean.

The school is operated jointly by the Ministry of Education and Youth and the Jamaican Association on Intellectual Disabilities (JAID).

In her remarks, Executive Director of JAID, Marilyn McKoy, said both the JAS and RADA have engaged JAID in resources to strengthen its agricultural programme and provide training to youth and young adults with intellectual disabilities, to strengthen their skills for the labour market.

“Agriculture was selected as one of the key skills very early with the opening of schools of special education. The schools of special education, jointly operated by JAID and the Ministry of Education and Youth, are in 13 of the 14 parishes across Jamaica,” Ms. McKoy said.

She noted that in each school, there is an active agricultural programme that engages the children and youth with intellectual disabilities.

Ms. McKoy said this type of engagement has proven beneficial to the development of persons with intellectual disabilities.

“In each of the five main schools, we have not just a farm… but we also have a green house. In addition to farming, we also practise horticulture. This programme has had a number of benefits for our children. It has been a therapeutic space for persons to experience feelings of happiness; a place they can think and experiment,” she noted.

“It is also an integrative space within a restrictive environment, where persons with intellectual disabilities will work alongside persons without the disabilities. They develop relationships, they feel valued, and it also helps to promote greater levels of creativity among the persons with the disability,” she added.

Ms. McKoy said JAID is pleased to be involved in the school garden programme and that the organisation looks forward to a very productive outcome and a continued relationship with both the JAS and RADA.

“I know the Principal is pretty excited about this programme. We do have an agriculture teacher on board, and we are looking forward to engaging our young people in agriculture, many of whom have started their own farms,” she noted.