NEGRIL, Westmoreland — When the rains start this season, students, teachers and support staff at the Lucea Christian Fellowship Basic School in Hanover won’t have to push furniture out of the way or position containers under the gaping holes in the ceiling.

Thanks to a recent intervention by the Sandals Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Sandals Resorts International, the school is now newly refurbished.

In addition to a brand new roof, the bathrooms have been retrofitted with new doors, toilets and urinals, creating a more hygienic environment for the 3-6 year-olds. The building also received a fresh coat of paint and resort employees and members of the church community have already started work on a new lawn for the school’s playground.

The 50 infants enrolled at the school have even more to smile about as they now have a play area for outdoor activities, a privilege they were previously denied as the area was overgrown with shrubs.

Reacting to the efforts of the foundation, Principal Judith Lowe expressed gratitude to the group for seeking to create a safer, more comfortable school environment.

“I am just humbled at their generosity,” she said. “This will be the first in a few years that we don’t have to worry too much about the rainy season because the leaking roofs, damaged classroom supplies and flooded floors will be no more,” she continued with a smile.

Lowe revealed that the previous infrastructure at the 47-year-old school presented a constant struggle for the teachers and pupils as heavy rains either forced them to sweep water out in order to facilitate the teaching process, or suspend classes altogether.

Projects Manager for the Sandals Foundation Sydney Henry said the partnership with the basic school has blossomed over the years, through annual Christmas treats and other Sandals Resorts’ guest and staff outreach and donations. He disclosed, too, that there are more plans in the pipeline for its development.

“The infrastructural work that we have done on the school is only the first phase of an integrated approach that will see us providing for the needs of our nation’s children,” he said. “We are now implementing our parental intervention programmes and support for teacher training, which will be coming to the Hanover and Westmoreland region in early June.”

The outcome, he stated, is directed towards making a sustainable difference in the education sector through infrastructural support, teacher training and building the capacity of parents so as to serve the best interest of our nation’s children.

Funds for the project were raised through different activities at the Sandals, Beaches and Grand Pineapple resorts in Negril.