WESTERN BUREAU – The Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) and members of the Horse Guard community in St James on Thursday signed a $3.5-million contract to upgrade the only basic school in the area.

Work is to begin on the Horse Guard Basic School within another week and is to be undertaken by the Garan Tee Construction Company. The Caribbean Development Bank will fund the bulk of the project out of its Basic Needs Trust Fund while the community will stand 11 per cent of the costs, according to Grace Miller, JSIF’s human resource manager.

The rehabilitation work will include:

. the construction of a new roof and a ply board ceiling;

. the construction of a new sanitation block with appropriate facilities for male and female students;

. the construction of a perimeter fence;

. the installation of new windows and doors; and

. the upgrading of plumbing and electrical fixtures.

In addition, the completed structure will be outfitted with a refrigerator, two teachers’ cupboards, a gas stove and first aid kit. Playground equipment, including a see-saw and a four-seater swing, will also be installed. Citizens will be responsible for:

. maintaining the existing roof and doors;

. the provision of security and storage for construction material;

. the provision of security and storage for equipment; as well as

. clearing and landscaping the site.

The community is also responsible for providing a voluntary community employment coordinator, discounted labour, electricity for the school building in addition to classroom furniture for teachers and students alike. At the contract signing on Thursday, Miller encouraged the citizens to play their part and keep their end of the deal.

“Let me urge the entire community to take full responsibility for this project. Your help is vital not only now while the work is being done, but in the future when it will be critical to maintain the school facilities,” Miller said.

Member of Parliament for South St James and signatory to the contract Derrick Kellier said the rehabilitation work at the school would, at the end of the day, make life more comfortable for both teachers and students.

“This community is in need of further assistance from JSIF because the community does not have running water. The road network between here and Garlands, which is mainly a farming community, is also in need of upgrading,” Kellier said, adding that Horse Guard and the neighbouring Mocho community were two of the poorest areas in Jamaica.

Education officer Beverley Parkinson said the education ministry had embarked on a programme to ensure that communities like Horse Guard received quality early childhood education.

“In addition to the existing buildings that we have, we will be building some new ones and we will be training our early childhood practitioners,” she said.

Added she: “We are happy to have agencies like (JSIF), who have come to help us and to form partnership with communities to provide better education for our children.”