WESTERN BUREAU — A tearful Giuseppe Maffessanti this week handed back a $75,000 cheque presented to him by the Cornwall Gardens Basic School. The funds were a reimbursement, from the Urban Development Trust Fund (URTF), to the Montego Bay contractor, who built the school.

But Maffessanti turned the funds over to the school, with a gentle suggestion that it could be used to carry out other repairs — and buy a fan to cope with the hot summer months.

The basic school’s 171 students used to be housed in a single classroom. Because of the serious overcrowding, teachers wanted two new classrooms to house the toddlers.

They approached Maffessanti, who was already helping 50 of their students pay their way through school, to construct the building for them.

As a service provider, the URTF was expected to reimburse him at the handing over ceremony. But he surprised them with his own unexpected gift.

“This is such a surprise. I didn’t expect this,” gushed principal Sharon Crichton, after the contractor handed over the cheque.

“This is such a blessing. Now we have money to put up a wall and a gate. We got $20,000 from a bake sale and I know Mr Maffessanti would want us to have it. We now have $95,000!”

“You need a fan too,” a cheerful Maffessanti replied to loud laughter from those in the warm room.

Meanwhile, as part of efforts to increase awareness of the URTF, corporate communications manager for the fund and the Kingston Restoration Company (KRC), Keron Morris, has set up a committee of volunteers to promote the fund in St James. Members will include the St James Parish Council, the National Works Agency, the Social Development Commission and private sector companies will be solicited to increase the fund’s capital base.

“Not enough people are applying for the fund in Montego Bay,” Morris said. “The major areas of emphasis are Kingston, Spanish Town and Montego Bay and so far we get most of our applications from Kingston.”

The URTF is a J$32.5 million fund in which J$7.5 million is invested in Government of Jamaica debentures and J$25 million in Bank of Nova Scotia certificates. It is the interest earned from this capital base that provides the fund’s J$75,000 grant ceiling.

In an effort to increase the capital base, the URTF is looking to the private sector to put some money into the fund, as this will raise the total sum available for allocation.

The fund was established through the United Kingdom/Jamaica Commonwealth Debt Initiative Arrangement in 1999.

The fund’s target group includes poor urban youth groups and community- based organisations including schools and churches.

Access is limited to formally constituted groups of not less than five persons and these groups should be able to provide:

* Proof of being in operation for at least 12 months,

* Proof that the project is not for the sole benefit of the group, and

* Documentary proof of at least one successful project.