Janelle Christie
The Rotary Club of Ocho Rios East in partnership with the Rotary Club of Calgary and Global Liberty out of Canada, are on a mission to ‘Spread the love’ in some rural schools in St Mary and St Ann.
One of the beneficiaries of this venture was Epworth Primary School, near Ocho Rios, in St Ann which was adopted by the club.
Epworth Primary is a Methodist school which started in a ‘very old’ Methodist church located across from where the school now stands. There are 101 students on roll, five teachers and one principal.
Although the Ministry of Education has administrative control over the school’s operation, its day to day activities, as is the case with many other schools, is governed by a board which is controlled by the church.
The school, however, according to principal Kirk Spencer, is not privileged enough to have much of the needed resources, that other schools do in the ‘town areas’. He also added that a number of the items of furniture are not suited for the school and that students usually damage their clothing on them.
It is with this in mind that the Rotary clubs of Ocho Rios East and Calgary decided to pool their resources and donate some of the needed items to the school, on Wednesday, January 19. A total of twenty five sets of desk and chairs were handed over to the school by president of the Rotary Club of Ocho Rios East, James Henry and his team, including: vice president Larkley Williams; club admin, Althea Dawkins and project director, Orlando Dawkins. Along with them were two busloads of visitors from other Rotary clubs overseas, lead by Brenda McKinley.
In addition to the gift of desks and chairs, the school was repainted by the Rotary team and the students mentored and treated to toys and school supplies.
Mr Henry, in an interview with The Times, said the club finds pleasure in dedicating its resources, energy and time to the institution and was contented that they could have impacted the lives of these “energetic and upbeat” students.
One student, Shanyia Mesquita, told the North Coast Times how ‘happy’ she was to have been sitting on a new chair around a new desk.
Mr Henry indicated to The Times, the challenge they faced was getting the resources and finding the money to do what they wanted to do. It was in the same breath that he expressed his gratitude to the business community of Ocho Rios for their support and to those Rotarians who go into their “pockets, families, homes and friendship” in order to assist. “It gives us the joy and energy to continue to go on,” he said.
A thankful Mr Spencer expressed his appreciation and said the Japanese government will be sponsoring two new classrooms which will be constructed by the end of this year. He says it is the school’s responsibility to furnish them and with their new furniture they are now able to beautify their new space when it is erected.
Mr Dawkins credited Ms McKinley who he says never allowed the project to fall by the ‘wayside’, “Brenda has been in my skin from day one insisting,” he said.
According to Mr Henry, a total of at least 150 desks and chairs among other items are to be donated among a group of schools, including Epworth.
The club came to know about similar needs of a number of other schools through their administration and some well-wishers. These other schools are located in the areas of Brown’s Town, Nine Mile, Tower Isle, Lewis and Walkerswood.
Mr Henry says the club has already treated and given to schools in Ocho Rios including Ocho Rios Primary and Exchange All Age. Epworth Primary was also the recipient of some fans and a Christmas luncheon last year. At the luncheon, the students were presented with tokens as they went off for their Christmas break.
