THE United States Government, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), will today present Education Minister Maxine Henry- Wilson with a certificate of final completion for the Hurricane Ivan School Sanitation Project.

The J$24-million project is part of the overall US Government $1.6 billion effort to reduce immediate risks and to help organisations better prepare for future natural hazards, following the passage of Hurricane Ivan last September.

Implemented by the USAID-funded project Ridge to Reef, the sanitation-upgrade project improves sanitation and basic hygiene for approximately 5,760 current students (ages six to 13 years) and is projected to benefit up to 11,000 students, teachers and school staff over the next five years.

The project combats improper sanitation and wastewater disposal exacerbated by Hurricane Ivan. Work will include the installation of proper fixtures and plumbing as well as complete sanitation systems at schools using pit latrines.

The schools that have benefited from the sanitation project are:

. Highgate All-Age;

. Jack’s River Primary;

. Albion Mountain Primary;

. Spring Gardens All-Age;

. Tulloch Primary;

. Victoria All-Age;

. Polly Ground Primary;

. Springvale Primary;

. Dundee All-Age;

. Negril All-Age; and

. Coopers Hill All-Age.