THE dislocation of several students at the Port Maria Primary School following the passage of the hurricane and later flood waters that followed came to an end over the weekend when efforts were made and intensified by youth groups from several parishes to conclude final preparations.

On Saturday, approximately 30 classrooms at the Port Maria Primary School were painted, so too desks and chairs, and clean-up activities around the school done by volunteers of the National Youth Council of Jamaica (NYC) drawn from varying communities in Kingston, St Andrew and St Catherine who are all involved in community youth clubs.

The initiative was also supported by the Anglican Youth Fellowship (AYF) St Mary Chapter as well as the Jamaica Union of Tertiary Students (JUTS) students' Unions/Council members from institutions, such as the UWI Mona, Shortwood Teachers' College, GC Foster College, Brown's Town Community College, UTech and, Moneague Teachers' College respectively, who all jointly organised the clean-up exercise, which saw some 200 individuals returning to the school to complete work that they had started last December in a bid to have the school re-opened for the January school term.

NYC chairman, Ryan Small explained that the youth council noted the extensive damage done to the institution and was extremely concerned about the students who were staying at various locations both near and far in places such as church halls and community centres particularly the students preparing to sit the 2012 G-SAT examinations. Hence, they decided to mobilise mobilise their respective membership.

Small says that he is overwhelmed with the strong turnout and support that the council has received from young people expressing an interest in volunteering, giving freely of their time and self in the interest of nation-building.

"Our assistance and support here today to the institution is a demonstration of our commitment in fulfilling and exercising our civic duties and responsibilities," he added.

The financial and technical support was provided by the Ministries of Education and Transport, Digicel Jamaica, TruJuice, Port Maria Parish Council, Berger Paints and, Dr Maurice Guy, Member of Parliament.