FRIDAY, July 3 was the dawn of a new era for the board members, administrators and students of Triumphant Basic School in Montpelier, St James.

The school, which previously had its population of 150 students crammed in a single building, now has spanking new building featuring eight classrooms, 10 bathroom stalls, a computer room, a kitchen, a dining room, an office, and a sick bay, courtesy of Food For The Poor Canada, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) and Helping Hands Jamaica Foundation (HHJF).

Food for the Poor said its the biggest schools to have been built under its basic school programme since it began in 2012.

The school’s capacity has increased to 200.

“We had to turn away children because of the lack of space. We had one classroom and partitioning was done using chalkboards. This was a challenge because the space was limited and the children would not be focused as they should have been. Sometimes they would be paying attention to the other activities being done by other teachers instead of listening to their own teacher,” principal of the school, Nathalie Samuels told the Jamaica Observer in an interview following the handover.

Triumphant Basic School was founded in 1989

“I joined the staff in September 1999. Over the years, the school’s population grew and we sought help in constructing classrooms to better accommodate our 150 students,” Samuels said.

Speaking on behalf of the donors, Samantha Mahfood, Executive Director, FFP Canada said she hoped other organisations would use the example of the donation as a model.

“This initiative is a potent demonstration that great things can be achieved for our children with teamwork, philanthropy and dedication. Teachers and students can take comfort in the fact that inadequate classroom space and a deteriorating school structure are things of the past. Administrators will no longer have to worry about teaching aids being destroyed after community meetings or following prolonged rainy weather. Inadequate kitchen facilities, improper furniture, no play area and the lack of a sick bay will all become a distant memory,” she said.

One of the donors, Ian Clarke, CFO for MLSE, said the need of the children was the primary factor behind the donation.

“To the kids, we all hope that this school provides you with the ability to dream big and then most importantly, to realise your dreams. Many thanks Food For The Poor for this opportunity. Great organisation, great work. This will be our legacy when we leave here today,” he said.

Triumphant Basic’s new facility’s is the second in a partnership spearheaded by Karl Hale, the founder of HHJF. The groups came together in 2013 and constructed a new facility for Arlington Basic School in St Elizabeth. This year, the partners gathered volunteers who travelled to Jamaica to construct the new school facility between June 30 and July 3.

— Ainsworth Morris