Helping Hands Foundation sets July date to rebuild St Elizabeth school

Helping Hands Jamaica Foundation, a North America-based charity supporting Jamaican schools, has postponed its 20th anniversary voluntourism trip to Treasure Beach, St Elizabeth, until July.

The charity’s mission remains intact despite the disruption wrought by Hurricane Melissa, with the postponed trip to bring 50 donors and partners from North America to build a new school in St Elizabeth, run a sports camp and join volunteer excursions.

Natasha Borota, president of The It Factor Ltd, which manages HHJF, said the cancellation was unavoidable: “where all 50 would stay – Jakes – was just opening for the Christmas season and my local implementing partners, my workers, were still trying to put roofs on houses and digging out in small communities.”

“It was going to be a challenge to be able to pull them from projects for the school build at that time,” she added, noting that Slipe Infant School in St Elizabeth will now be built in July.

The event, originally set for January 5 to 12, was to celebrate two decades of school-building and community projects. Since its founding, HHJF has erected 27 schools across Jamaica and funded programmes to tackle food insecurity and provide scholarships.

Earlier this month, she partnered with Global Medic to deliver food and essential supplies directly to communities in need. With the support of the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), Borota also accompanied JTB’s top 50 tour providers to visit schools and students. She deemed it important for tourism stakeholders to see how most Jamaicans live.

Borota said care packages could only be distributed within a two-hour radius, with trucks and locations secured at short notice. Deliveries were made to schools where HHJF had contacts, ensuring relief reached those most in need. Four HHJF-built schools benefited: Lower Buxton Infant School in St Ann; Dumfries Infant and Primary in St James; Spicy Hill Basic in Trelawny; and Triumphant Basic in Montpelier, St James. Rusea’s High School and communities at Cornwall and Guilsbro playfield also received aid.

The charity is assessing three schools it built in Hanover and Westmoreland – Riverside Basic in Kingsvale, Little London Infant in Westmoreland, and Long Hill Basic (now King’s Infant and Primary) in Long Hill District. Damage there was minimal.

BITTERSWEET DECEMBER

Borota said 11 of HHJF’s 27 schools were affected by the hurricane. Repairs, including roofs, windows, eavestroughs and doorframes, will cost around US$20,000 per project. Her December visit was “bittersweet”: “to support, bring influx to the economy, spend money, but at the same time you know that people are challenged just trying to get their lives back on track.”

She warned recovery will take years, urging recognition of long-term needs. “The resilience of people is one of the reasons you keep going back to Jamaica.”

HHJF, active in Jamaica for nearly two decades, uses an adopt-a-village model encompassing school construction, scholarships and meal programmes.

“You build a school, you help to get their early childhood education certificates, you leave there a 2,000-gallon water tank, a fence around the school, a playground, electricity. And then the next step would be providing funds so they can have breakfast and lunch. Some of those communities’ kids don’t have access to healthy meals.”

Borota said no one she met complained about rebuilding, though debris remains a challenge. Many communities were hit hard, and providing essentials was a reminder of why the work matters.

“We were deeply moved by the gratitude, resilience, and warmth shown by the communities we served. None of this would have been possible without the support of the Jamaica Tourist Board and the strong collaboration on the ground.

“This is just the beginning. We’re looking forward to being back on the ground soon to continue relief efforts and support repairs to the schools, standing with these communities as they rebuild and recover,” she wrote on Facebook.

editorial@gleanerjm.com