(Jamaica Observer) Food For the Poor (FFP) Jamaica has delivered on its promise to complete 50 schools in observance of Jamaica’s golden anniversary of Independence, 18 months sooner than was planned.
Executives of the charity told this week’s Jamaica Observer Monday Exchange that the schools were to be built in 50 months, but with the assistance, mainly of overseas donors, the projects were completed close to two years earlier than projected.
Marlon Stephens, FFP’s director of construction services (wood), further disclosed that the organisation wants to venture into building larger schools, and would be seeking to move its construction model up to as much as 24 units.
He explained that while FFP generally replicates the models it uses for houses, in design for schools the organisation is moving towards carrying out such projects based on the needs of the schools. This, he said, would see an expansion of the current maximum of 16 units, to 24 units, to create a layout which is different from the type that is now used.
“We are replicating our design to meet the needs of the schools. The schools that you see now, some are straight. Dependent on the size of the school, we would turn that into a U-shaped school, so you would end up having quite a number of units,” he said.
Stephens said that while FFP has, over the years, focused on primary schools, the charity does accommodate requests for high schools and will, in fact, shortly begin construction on a high school in St Mary, as well as another in Hanover, which will be partially concrete.
“Food For the Poor in Haiti has built some big schools, and we have done one or two out of concrete structures. We are in discussion with the ministry [of education] here to look at putting up one or two schools as well,” FFP Chairman Andrew Mahfood added.
