MONTEGO BAY, St James — An act of kindness has helped Glendevon Primary and Infant School in Montego Bay double the number of four-to-six-year-olds it can enrol.

Food For the Poor worked with United States-based non-profit, faith-based organisation Christos Ministries Inc to build three classrooms, bathroom and kitchen facilities, and a sick bay at the school. A perimeter fence was added and play equipment also provided for the children. With the work done, the infant school can accommodate 100 students, up from the 50 it could admit before.

Work was completed in 2021 but the facility was officially handed over on November 1.

According to president for Christos Ministries Inc Mervyn Levy, giving back to the community was a no-brainer given that his mother, who started the organisation, is no stranger to Glendevon.

“My mother is from Montego Bay, came to Glendevon many times doing Sunday school teaching and things like that. So they are very familiar with the area and they wanted to give back to the island. So when Food for the Poor came with the opportunity to do something in Glendevon, it went straight to my mother’s heart and certainly we would do it. That’s why we became the donors for this particular project,” he said.

A grateful Principal Audrey Lee-Peynado said the project has ensured that the children are learning in a more comfortable and spacious environment.

“We are seeing more and more children coming over to our infant department. Last year we had up to 103 students and we are still registering, so we have a line up for January…It’s a major boost, we wanted some more space and that we have gotten,” she remarked at the handover ceremony.

“This will boost us because it’s a feeder to our primary school. Over last year we noticed that our grade one classes, the numbers have increased as a result of the infant [school] feeding children into the primary school, so this will go a far way,” she pointed out.