KINGSTON, Jamaica— Volunteers from the JN Foundation, supported by members of the National Helmet Wearing Coalition, travelled to the DRB Grant Demonstration Basic School in Catherine Hall, St James, recently to assist with critical post-Hurricane Melissa cleanup efforts, as the early childhood institution works towards recovery after suffering extensive damage.

Principal Heather Wiggan described the impact of Hurricane Melissa as devastating, estimating that the school lost nearly 95 per cent of its infrastructure and resources.

“We have lost most of the roof. We have lost all the furniture and equipment,” she said, noting that mud and silt also flooded the facility, compounding the destruction.

The damage has severely disrupted teaching and learning, forcing the school to close its physical plant.

Wiggan explained that, drawing on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, the school has pivoted to online instruction, despite challenges with connectivity.

“We now have to do the same thing for Hurricane Melissa,” she said. Teachers currently send activities to students and facilitate limited in-person reviews on Fridays, when parents are able to bring children in for one-on-one engagement.

The JN Foundation volunteers spent the day removing debris, clearing mud-filled classrooms and washing interior spaces to prepare the compound for eventual rebuilding.

Volunteers at the JN Foundation sweep mud from one of the classrooms at DRB Grant Demonstration Basic School.

Laurie Radlin-Walker, a volunteer with the National Helmet Wearing Coalition, said the decision to give her time was driven by concern for the children.

“The hurricane affected everybody, and this is for a good cause; it’s for the children,” she said. “The work was hard, but once the children can come back to a clean environment to work and learn, that makes it worth it.”

For Wiggan, the show of support brought renewed optimism.

“Just looking at the group and seeing what is being done gives me a sense of relief, hope and joy, knowing that recovery is on its way,” she said. “I am so grateful to the JN Group, the parents and all the other stakeholders who are on board with us.”

Sydoney Preddie, lead for youth and education programmes at the JN Foundation, said the cleanup was a necessary first step after an initial visit revealed the extent of the damage.

“Before any sort of repairing could happen, the school required a vast amount of cleaning – debris, mud, everything,” she explained as she commended the Jamaica Fire Brigade, which supported the initiative. “This allows us to properly assess where to go next and how best we can support.”

Preddie added that the initiative aligns with the Foundation’s focus on education and community development.

“This is an early childhood institution, and the first three years of a child’s life are the most foundational,” she said. “We’re taking small but important steps and hoping to encourage other partners to join in the extensive aid the school needs.”

The DRB Grant Demonstration Basic School, established in 1988 and named after Dudley R. B. Grant, serves approximately 165 students with a staff of 14. The institution is regarded as a “mother school”, known for modelling best practices in early childhood education and supporting the training of student teachers.

Despite the cleanup, significant support is still required, said Wiggan. The school needs major reconstruction, building materials, furniture, teaching resources and cafeteria equipment.

“At this point, all that is left standing are the walls and the floor,” she said. “Whatever can contribute to learning at an early childhood institution is needed.”

As recovery continues, Wiggan is encouraging corporate partners, organisations and members of the public, to support the restoration of the school, helping to ensure students can return to a safe and nurturing learning environment.