New Lease on Life for Freemans Hall Primary

Sunday, April 14, 2013FREEMANS Hall in Trelawny, like many other rural communities, has challenges of public water supply, poor infrastructure and limited economic prospects. Because of the lack of water, many of the houses have pit latrines.These conditions also prevailed at the Freeman's Hall Primary School, which featured pit latrines that were especially hazardous to the very young.On April 10, the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) officially handed over upgraded facilities at the school — completed with funding from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) under JSIF's Community Investment Programme (CIP).The school also had drinking and hand washing facilities in need of repair, making children who were unable to wash their hands in the correct way susceptible to serious illnesses. The school kitchen did not have a functioning stove and refrigerator which limited the school's ability to cook nutritious lunches for the students. Additionally, the students of the infant school did not have any designated play area which is mandatory under the regulations of the Early Childhood Commission.The project was approved under the CIP, which is implemented through a US$12-million loan to the Government of Jamaica and focuses primarily on the provision of basic infrastructure in the health, education and transportation sectors in rural Jamaica.Rehabilitation and upgrading included construction of a new sanitation block with four toilets for girls and three for boys; building of rampways to facilitate the physically challenged; and renovation of the existing school buildings which included installation of partitions for classrooms, installation of new windows and doors, replacement of the roof covering, and reducing the height of the outer corridor wall.Also completed were repairs to handwashing fountains, repairs to guttering, repairs to the kitchen cupboards and replacement of a kitchen sink, as well as provision of an industrial stove and deep freezer for the kitchen.The Government of Jamaica and its partner the CDB are working together to achieve vision 2030," Scarlette Gillings, managing director at JSIF said. "One of the key aims of this is the provision of world-class education and training."The rehabilitation of the school benefits the 116 students and teachers at the institution, as well as community residents.Click here to read more