POINT, St James — The Sandals Foundation has partnered with the Cornwall College Old Boys’ Association Mid-Atlantic (CCOBAMA) and Maldon High School Alumni Association (MHSAA) to provide a game-changing $750,000-tilapia fish project at Maldon High in this St James farming community.

In providing an overview of the project, MHSAA President Baldwin McIntosh said the collaboration was a spin-off from previous efforts by the three groups. Through their efforts, equipment was delivered to 51 schools across the island during the COVID-19 pandemic, a move that ensured 40,000 students could learn virtually.

Speaking at the handing over of a fish tank and tilapia fingerlings to the school on Tuesday, McIntosh said the goal is to leverage a new technological agricultural programme to revitalise the farm at Maldon High.

“It was decided that we would embark on a fishing tank. Sandals said they would stand 100 per cent behind us, being that we would be implementing it in a fashion that would educate the students and embrace technology in the sense of it being [an] acroponics farming deployment.

“The water we use will then be used to grow other vegetation. That water will never go to waste and the plants will grow from the nutrition of the fish waste. This will be the life cycle at Maldon for years to come,” added McIntosh.

Sandals Foundation’s Georgia Scarlett said the project is in line with work the 15-year-old entity has done over the years.

“This is not new for Sandals,” said Scarlett.

She explained that the foundation has long believed in the value of agriculture, and how important it is for students to be educated on the topic.

“We have chicken coops in schools in Barbados; we do food security projects in Turks and Caicos, [and] here in Jamaica. This fish programme here is just another part of what we do. It is so important for students to be actively involved in things so that they can replicate it when they are older,” Scarlett added.

Agriculture science teacher at Maldon High Glenvill Wynn also spoke of the importance of the fish project, which he described as a multifaceted initiative that will enhance food security.

“It gives a different mindset as to what agriculture is and the various aspects of agriculture,” said Wynn.

“It is a new paradigm, it is a new shift. It shows you that agriculture can go into a different level. Having it, we have our aquaponics over there, we have a hydroponics system, we can integrate with the hydroponics system that we have there. So it’s a different field, it’s a different perspective that we are bringing to you students and the wider community,” he added.

Wynn thanked the CCOBAMA, MHSAA and Sandals Foundation for their roles in making the groundbreaking project possible.

“Thank Sandals because they are the money behind what is taking place; and we do thank you,” he said to Scarlett.

President of the CCOBAMA Michael Williams also expressed gratitude to Sandals Foundation for partnering in the project.

“I don’t want to forget how important Sandals is. I just want to say, personally, thanks, you guys,” he said.

His deputy, Neville Bell, also lauded Sandals.

“Sandals has been a partner for us in all the projects that we have undertaken in the last two and a half years, especially when it comes to education. It was a natural leap for us when we had the discussion on the farming aspect and their acroponics project. Sandals, once they became aware, were not hesitant to help. It’s an opportunity that you guys will have that a lot of schools wishing they could [have],” Bell said to the students.

Principal of MHS Janet Manning and Head Boy Leonardo Crossbourne also lauded Sandals and the other partners whose hard work brought the project to life.