KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Government and Christel House International, a non-government  organisation, have reached an agreement to build a school that will accommodate 840 students from improvished areas in Kingston.

In a release this afternoon, Christel House said it signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Education earlier this week.

The NGO will build the facility on a 10-acre parcel of land near Kingston, which the Jamaican government is contributing as part of a public private partnership. 

Minister of Education, Ruel Reid, has applauded the decision of Christel House to invest in Jamaica.

 “This proposed development will be a significant addition to the many safe housing facilities available for the children under our watchful care. This will be a home where the children will experience love, care and security, while their education and development needs are being addressed,” said Reid.

The NGO said i hopes that the facility will start operations in August 2018.  The school will be built in phases, with the first phase to accommodate grades KG – 2.

Each year thereafter an additional 60 kindergarten students will be admitted, and the school will grow organically until it reaches capacity at grade 13. 

Admission to the tuition-free school is on a needs-base. Applications will be available in early 2018. 

In addition to academics and character education, students will receive books, uniforms, transportation, breakfast, lunch and a snack daily and health services accessed through Government resources.

Christel House Founder and CEO, Christel DeHaan, expressed delight about the expansion announcement.

“This public private partnership with the Government of Jamaica is an exciting new development for Christel House.  We are enormously grateful for the warm reception we have received, the Ministry of Education’s enthusiasm for our model and our mission, and the opportunity to transform the lives of hundreds of impoverished Jamaican children and their families.”

The Ministry of Education is also contributing a per-student stipend to assist Christel House Jamaica with operating costs. 

Additional fundraising initiatives will be pursued both on-island and around the world, but particularly in the US, where Christel House International is based.

Christel House Jamaica is a Jamaican legal entity, with an independent board of directors, and its nonprofit tax status is expected to be received shortly.  The organisations have no political or religious affiliations.