Education is multi-layered. Its interlocking components are complex. But one element that is essential is the infrastructure. The physical stuff, if you will.
And what could be more important for a student than having his/her own work unit?
Last Friday, March 7, two organizations – the Spanish-Jamaican Foundation and the Solo Jamaica Foundation – each donated J$1.1 million towards the purchase of a container filled with desks and chairs. The two Spanish foundations responded to Food for the Poor (FFP) Jamaica’s call for assistance. Spanish Ambassador to Jamaica Celsa Nuño and businessman Tristan Garcia Alvarado from Solo Jamaica Foundation presented the funds to FFP Jamaica’s Chairman Andrew Mahfood. With the help of corporate Jamaica, Mr. Mahfood said, his organization is over half way towards achieving its goal of 30,000 desk/chair sets for schools across the island – wherever the need is greatest.
Last August, just before the start of the new school year, Minister of Education Ronald Thwaites pointed to severe budgetary constraints and asked schools to repair their own furniture. Schools in Kingston, St. Andrew and St. Catherine were especially badly affected when term began last September. In October FFP Jamaica recognized this urgent need, and as part of its thirtieth anniversary celebrations launched its School Furniture Campaign. By the way, one container can hold 1,000 desks and chairs.
I should add that Ambassador Nuño has also been promoting the importance of Spanish literacy in Jamaica. As a linguist myself, I applaud this – and of course, in our part of the world Spanish is an important language for Jamaicans to learn. Like FFP Jamaica, the Spanish-Jamaican Foundation has quality education very high on its list of priorities.
On behalf of the schoolchildren of Jamaica… Muchas gracias! Or perhaps… Muchísimas gracias!
If you would like to help make a difference in Jamaican schools, you can make a donation on line at: foodforthepoor.org/schoolfurniture. You may also deposit a donation to National Commercial Bank (NCB) St Jago Shopping Centre branch, Account Number 47-1043885. If you wish to make a US Dollar donation, please deposit to the NCB St Jago Shopping Centre branch, Account Number 47-4335267. You can read more about Food for the Poor Jamaica at: http://www.foodforthepoorja.org/
For more information on the Spanish-Jamaican Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 2006, contact General Manager Rebecca Tortello at generalmanager2.spjf@gmail.com or visit their website at http://www.spanishjamaicanfoundation.org/about-the-foundation/
Petchary's Blog 
See my comment posted earlier
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In November 2014 the Surplus Educational Supplies Foundation registered Scottish Charity SCO39331 http://www.grenadarelief.co.uk sent the entire contents of its charity bookstore run from the Oak Mall Shopping centre in Greenock Scotland by the founder andprimary mover and many boxes of Primary and Secondary School textbooks,school furniture and a complete dexion steel library shelving system gifted by the Rothesay Isle of Bute Town Library at this moment I cannot recall the exact number of library books to The National Education Trustof Education 2 National Heroes Circle Kingston 4.This donation was collected by me the founder from Inverclyde Council Department of Education with the assistance of School Janitors ,Teachers, and their Students.We have been waiting to hear from the consignee about the distribution of this donation.Why/because we wish to make further donations and build ongoing relationships with our counterparts in Jamaica ..Any news would be appreciated.In the light of the Minister of Education the Honourable Reverend Ronald Tthwaites recent comments about the lack of funds available to equip schools adequately all the more reason why some news would have been forthcoming by now.I look forward to some good news about my foundation’s most recent shipment.Best Wishes for vigilant safety awareness on busy roads,at playand success in the classroom for allin.r the coming school week.
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So the Minister of Education Ronald Thwaites suggest schools repair their own furniture? Really? I don’t even live in Jamaica but I know this is a ridiculous solution. I imagine that most of the schools don’t even have the tools to begin repairs and/or skills. Honestly, some of the politicians just have no idea how insane their suggestions are; this problem of course is not limited to Jamaica though.
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Yes, he did suggest that last year when he realized that the Ministry had no money to buy school furniture. But yes, it does sound inane and certainly not unique to Jamaica! But I think he said it because there were simply no funds for it…
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