Students at the Dudley Grant Memorial (DGM) Trust Basic School in Catherine Hall, St. James, will now enjoy an enhanced learning environment following a beautification project carried out in collaboration with the JN Foundation and members of the Jamaican Diaspora.
The project involved painting retouches to playgrounds and school walls, mural designs, garden restoration, equipment replacement, and debris removal – helping to restore the school after it was severely impacted by Hurricane Melissa in October last year.
The activities were carried out on Thursday (June 18) as part of Diaspora Day of Service, marking the final day of events for the 11th Biennial Diaspora Conference, which commenced on June 14.
This initiative formed part of 22 projects across various regions of Jamaica, primarily focused on education and healthcare, funded and implemented by members of the Jamaican Diaspora.
State Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Hon. Alando Terrelonge, who participated in the activities, lauded the strong support from members of the diaspora and commended their dedication to service.
“The importance of this project is that our diaspora continues to contribute to the growth and development of Jamaica; in particular, the diaspora loves areas of education and healthcare,” he said, expressing gratitude to the volunteers who support the development of children.
Principal of the DGM Basic School, Heather Wiggan, who explained that the institution was significantly damaged during the passage of Hurricane Melissa in October 2025, welcomed the support provided by the team.
“We lost almost 95 per cent of our facility… so having JN on board gave us hope. We are grateful. Because of JN, along with other entities, our walls, our doors are open back for school,” she said, noting that the assistance will enhance teaching and learning.
Ms. Wiggan further informed, “We have teaching materials… all [provided] through the aid of the JN Foundation; and so, teachers [feel more at ease] and are better able to deliver.”
Volunteer and diasporan, Bishop of Dover in the Diocese of Canterbury, Church of England, the Right Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin, affirmed that despite living abroad, members of the diaspora remain deeply committed to Jamaica’s development.
“We are constantly in touch, not only with our families but also with our friends. That is important for those who are here in Jamaica… to know that we may have travelled but we are still connected,” she expressed.
The JN Foundation’s support extends beyond the immediate relief efforts, aiming for long-term, sustainable impact by providing resources such as furniture, play equipment, and capacity-building initiatives for teachers.
“Our interest in DRB Grant Basic School is not just this one occasion. We have made donations in the past… and we intend to work with the school, not just to repair what the hurricane damaged but to build it back better,” Bishop Hudson-Wilkin stressed.
“We want to advocate, we want to give our own resources, we want to open doors to make sure that the furniture that they need is available, the play equipment that they need is available, so that the school can be run as an efficient, sustainable entity. We also want to make sure that any capacity-building resources that can be pooled to help the teachers run an efficient operation are made available for them,” she added.
Other key stakeholders participating in the initiative included members of the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB), the University of the West Indies (UWI), and the Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA).
