“No more chuck-up classroom! Thank you, Food For The Poor and Helping Hands Jamaica Foundation,” chanted students of the Fyffes Pen Primary School in St. Elizabeth in their original poem of gratitude at the handing over of three large classrooms, an office and staff washroom recently.

“We are excited to build our 31^st school in the St. Elizabeth community of Fyffes Pen, partnering with Helping Hands Jamaica Foundation on their 20^th build,” stated Ms. Samantha Mahfood, Executive Director of Food For The Poor Canada (FFPC) in handing over the new building to Mr. Jermaine Porter, Chairman of the School Board.

She continued, “This new school will provide children with a safer environment to foster learning and will build capacity for the entire community.  Food For The Poor Canada is honoured to work with our partners, donors and volunteers towards our mandate of empowering communities across Jamaica, the Caribbean and Latin America.”

Mr. Floyd Green, Member of Parliament for the constituency in which Fyffes Pen is located, expressed his deep appreciation to FFPC and HHJF for “creating a legacy and improving communities all over Jamaica.” The MP said that despite the best efforts of the government, partners like FFPC and HHFJ were vital for helping to make education available to all due to the Ministry of Education’s budgetary constraints.

 

Ms. Natasha Borota, who led the 17-member team of Canadian volunteers from HHJF, said that the three days of intense construction activity was deeply satisfying for all members as they received lots of love and friendship from the 135 students of the school, as well as from members of staff and the wider Fyffes Pen Community.

Ms. Borota also expressed “heartfelt thanks to Jason Henzell and the BREDS Foundation for providing accommodation at Jake’s in Treasure Beach and transportation for the HHJF group.” The driver for the group, Mr. Darin James, also volunteered on the construction and said he enjoyed every moment.

Two members of the Jamaican diaspora who were part of the HHJF Canada group were Angel Brown and Marsha Brown, both educators. Angel said that she was a volunteer with both Food For The Poor Canada and the Helping Hands Jamaica Foundation and that she also made personal contributions to the building of a number of basic schools in Jamaica. Marsha Brown said that this was her third trip to Jamaica as a HHJF volunteer and she sees her involvement as “being part of a legacy of giving back for the advancement of Jamaica’s youth.” Marsha says that it is a legacy she wants her two children to also continue.

Food For The Poor assists with education in a number of ways including: construction of schools and sanitation units; training for teachers; donation of school furniture and supplies; payment of school fees, and provision of food for school feeding programmes.

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