CHRISTIANA, Manchester — The Jamaicans Abroad Helping Jamaicans at Home (JAH JAH) Foundation recently made a donation of classroom furniture and other items to the Bryce Primary School in North East Manchester.

According to a news release, 100 desks, 100 chairs, smart boards, chalkboards and a 20-piece drum set, all valued at more than $700,000 were handed over.

The release said the JAH JAH Foundation was responding to requests for help from the school’s administrators.

Member of Parliament for Manchester North Eastern, Audley Shaw, the Harriott family at the Bryce United Church and past student of Bryce Primary Cisilyn Balfour ensured that the donated items, which were sourced in the United States, were cleared when they arrived in Jamaica.

“The items were well received by both staff and students, they were very excited for the gift,” said vice-principal and past student of the school, Angella Scully.

She noted that the teachers, especially, were happy for the new interactive smart boards, which gives them an opportunity to modernise their teaching methods.

The Christiana-born chief executive officer of the JAH JAH Foundation, Dr Trevor Dixon, a resident of the United States who missed the handover presentation, reportedly said the gift was made possible through the contribution of supporters from the Diaspora in New Jersey and New York.

“This donation is one of many initiatives being carried out by the JAH JAH Foundation to uplift the education sector in Jamaica,” Dixon said, according to the release.

Dixon said the Foundation, which has been doing voluntary projects in Jamaica since 2007, is also conducting major renovations at the Mango Hall Basic School in Little London Westmoreland, a project scheduled for completion in January 2018.

JAH JAH Foundation’s philanthropic efforts are concentrated in areas of health, social services and education and are made possible through the efforts of a team of volunteers in the US and Jamaica.