February 21, 2008 – Some 20–25 pre-schoolers of the often hurricane-ravaged Portland Cottage community in Clarendon today have much to be elated about, and this is due partly to them having received from charity organisation, Food for the Poor, a brand new self-contained school building, inclusive of bathroom and kitchen.
The facility, built at a cost of J$1.8 million, was constructed in 0ne day by a group of Food for the Poor’s USA-based donors, headed by the Chris Davitt.
“This new school building is definitely my dream come true,” said Patricia Knight, the 41-year-old Principal of St. Peter’s Basic School. “It is not just about the school, but we here at Portland Cottage are indebted to Food for the Poor and their donors who have actually answered our prayers.”
The new school building has replaced a structure that was destroyed by Hurricane Ivan, and subsequently by Hurricane Dean. However, the new facility, though made from timber, was built to withstand a Category 4 Hurricane. In addition to its sturdiness, the building provides a safer and friendlier environment in which to learn. Overtime, the facility will be adequately furnished and the requisite teaching aids and supplies provided by Food for the Poor.
“I’d like to thank Food for the Poor, and our overseas guests, especially this group of 28 persons who assisted with the construction of the building. I am really glad that they saw our need… and it is my wish that they’ll continue to do the same for other needy communities.”
Over the last seven years, the Davitt’s family and friends have been traveling to Jamaica to pay their penance. So far the group has built more than six basic schools in Clarendon. One of their more auspicious projects was the Mitchell Town’s Basic School, which is a bigger building than the one built in Portland Cottage.
“This time around we were able to gather a group of 28 family members and friends to make this seventh trip to Jamaica. What is even more significant on this trip is that the group has more teenagers, and we come down every year to expose them to the varying levels of poverty, and to give them the opportunity to do something about it,” said Mr. Davitt, who lives with his wife and six children in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA.
Mary, who attends the New Hampshire Technical Institute, in the USA, was on her first trip to the island. The thing that prompted her to join the group was the fact “that all my cousins are here, and I have seen the last video, and I thought that was very cool, so I decided I to come on the next trip to make a difference in at least one child’s life.”
