THOUGH its classrooms are still exposed to the elements six weeks after the passage of Hurricane Melissa, the spirit of gratitude is still high on the compound of the roofless Burnt Savannah Early Childhood Institution as individuals, organisations, and former students chip in to help the school rebuild.

Principal Elaine Williamson Smith said the school has also jumped at the opportunity to give back as they receive, joining forces with World Central Kitchen to distribute meals to residents of Burnt Savanna, St Elizabeth, who were hard-hit by the Category 5 storm.

“Burnt Savannah Early Childhood Institution and Greenville Classroom have been affected a lot. If you notice, we have no rooftop. The zinc disappeared during the storm and other things that happened. Persons took away the zinc that belongs to the school, but Mr Claston Bernard — a past student of the Burnt Savannah Early Childhood Institution and a member of this community — has [got] some US Navy workers and some [workers] from Mexico to help. They came and they gave us the tarpaulin on top,” she told the Jamaica Observer during a visit to the school last Wednesday.

“A lot of people came and said they will help us rebuild the school, along with the minister of education and [representatives from] the Early Childhood Commission, so I’m just praying for the best to see what will happen. We have some people who continue to give to us, and we just received a contribution just a while ago from Mr Benson Williamson to start with a few zinc on the top,” she divulged.

Naming other institutions that have also offered assistance, the principal said the response to the needs of the school, which has come “from near and far”, has been overwhelming.

“We have been blessed. God has done so much in our lives to the point where I cannot say we are not grateful. Food For the Poor just came a while ago to say that they are going to help us with some building material and give us some packages to give out to the community, so we are grateful, and we are happy that God is sending persons to our help and our rescue.

“…It’s going to be a process, and it’s going to take time. I’m just waiting on persons contributing to us so we can do the school [roof]top because when we have rain, it pours heavily, so we have the children from 9:00 am until 12 noon because it usually rains in the afternoon,” she said.

Williamson Smith shared that with the assistance they’ve received, the school was able to return to regular operations about two weeks after the passage of the hurricane. When the Observer visited on December 3, she said 52 of total 105 students were present, a number that has gradually increased since the school reopened its doors.

“We are giving God the praises and the blessings that they were able to return to us and to normal teaching. Half the school is missing, but all my staff are in place, all my cooks and my janitors are in place,” she said.

The principal explained that some families have had to temporarily relocate to less-affected areas, while others are struggling to send their children out to school as they are recovering from the storm’s impact. She added that Melissa has contributed to learning loss, but said she’s hopeful that attendance will improve as affected households stabilise.

Her ultimate wish is for “Burnt Savannah Primary School, the health centre and the Burnt Savannah Early Childhood Institution to be up and running fully, so that all our students can return to school and have face-to-face learning, which I think is much better…

“We have water, we don’t have current [electricity] and we don’t have Internet, so doing online teaching will become very difficult for us,” she added.

As they receive, Williamson Smith said the school has also made it its mission to give. She shared that a week after the storm passed, World Central Kitchen — a not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation that provides food relief during disasters — reached out and requested to use the institution as a distribution centre.

“A lot of people [post-Melissa] have assembled on the church compound [where the school is also located], so I saw it fit to have my fellow community members receive their meals here. I’ve sent meals to Burnt Savannah Primary School, Knoxville Basic School, and I have sent food to Slipe,” she explained.

The principal said the meals are distributed after school commences to prevent any further disruptions to students’ learning. Distributions are not done on a Sunday, out of respect for the operations of the church.

Principal of Burnt Savannah Early Childhood Institution Elaine Williamson speaking to the Jamaica Observer team at the St Elizabeth school last Wednesday.