Park Mountain Primary and Infant School in Santa Cruz, St. Elizabeth, has received $7 million from the iPrint Group of Companies to support post-Hurricane Melissa recovery efforts.
The money will be used to undertake critical roofing and electrical works at the institution, which sustained significant damage during the passage of the hurricane on October 28 last year.
At the handover ceremony held at the school on March 17, Director of Donor and Partnership Management at the National Education Trust (NET), Keisha Johnson, in remarks delivered by Donor Project Coordinator, Danielle Drummond, said the scale of damage across the island requires a coordinated response.
“Across Jamaica, more than 600 schools were impacted. Roofs were torn away, classrooms damaged, furniture destroyed, and learning spaces disrupted. It is a task too big for any one group to do alone, but not too big for all of us together,” Mrs. Johnson pointed out.
She underscored that recovery efforts are being driven through strong partnerships and commended the iPrint Group for their generous donation.
“The Government of Jamaica is leading this effort, but we are not doing it in isolation. We are working with an invested village… made up of donors, companies, foundations, volunteers, and partners, both here at home and across the diaspora,” Mrs. Johnson added.
“We thank iPrint Group for stepping forward, not because they were asked but because they chose to. They reached out and said, ‘How can we help?’ That is what true partnership looks like,” she said.
For her part, Principal of the school, Carlene Williams-Heath, welcomed the support, describing it as timely and impactful.
“Today, I stand here very happy for donors like iPrint who walked into our school and decided that, yes, we’re going to help the restoration process,” she said.
Mrs. Williams-Heath emphasised the importance of the donation in improving the learning environment.
“A safe and well-maintained learning environment is essential for the growth and development of our students, and your contribution is going to help us to ensure that our classroom remains a place where education can flourish,” she added.
Chairman of the iPrint Group of Companies, Stephen Steele, said the company was compelled to assist after seeing the impact of the hurricane.
“When Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica, it affected real people, real classrooms, and real children. For us at iPrint, the decision to contribute to the recovery effort was not a complicated one. It was simply the right thing to do,” he said.
Mr. Steele further underscored the importance of supporting educators and the education system.
“To the teachers and staff, every morning you walk through those gates, you choose your students over your own comfort. This is not a job, this is a calling, and Jamaica is better for the work you do every single day,” he said.
He also encouraged other private-sector entities to support similar initiatives.
The donation forms part of ongoing efforts by the NET and its partners to restore schools affected by Hurricane Melissa and to ensure that students have access to safe and conducive learning spaces.
