Acting principal of Mountain View Primary and Infant School, Sashan Brown has welcomed a donation from the Usain Bolt Foundation, which she says will enhance the efforts of the school to improve its students.

The foundation last Thursday presented the school with a cartridge-free Epson printer, a projector, and five reams of paper as part of its participation in the Athletics for a Better World programme, which is powered by the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF).

Under the Athletics for a Better World umbrella, the Usain Bolt Foundation will be donating 100 printers and 20 projectors valued at just over $20 million to primary schools across Jamaica.

According to Brown, the Eastern St Andrew-based school feels “privileged and blessed” to have received the donation.

“These gifts presented today [Thursday] are very essential tools to our students and they will be helping our school to provide students with printed materials and enhance the teaching and learning experience,” said Brown.

In her address at the handing-over ceremony at the school in her St Andrew Eastern constituency, Minister of Education, Youth and Information Fayval Williams urged corporate entities to support the education sector.

“I want to say sincere thanks to the Usain Bolt Foundation and to continue appealing to our corporate entities and Diaspora to continue to support the education sector. The Government cannot do it alone. We need all of our stakeholders to come on board to help our children to ensure that they have the necessary resources, and that our schools are so equipped in terms of what they need as well,” declared Williams.

“I note, too, that this part of a global effort in which our legendary Usain Bolt is involved with other athletes under the umbrella of the IAAF’s Athletics for a Better World programme to use their platform of sporting achievement and popularity to help reach and change the lives of thousands of children through athletics and also inspire lasting social change.

“The investment in the lives of our children, especially through education, is a collective responsibility. We all have a part to play and therefore on behalf of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, special thanks to Mr Usain Bolt and the foundation for your contribution to this school and many others across the island,” added Williams.

In the meantime, chairperson of the Usain Bolt Foundation Winsome Wilkins said it continues to support early childhood institutions, improve playground facilities, and assist sports development and at-risk youth programmes.

“In April of this year the foundation provided 150 laptops valued at over $5 million for teachers in 150 early childhood institutions as identified by the Early Childhood Commission. Today we’re expanding our reach to primary schools,” noted Wilkins.