MONTEGO BAY, St James — “We’re more than grateful. We are very, very thankful,” said principal of Maldon High School, Janet Green Manning, as she sought to find just the right words to describe what a donation of agricultural equipment means to the rural school.

Maldon High is one of 32 schools across Jamaica to benefit from an initiative spearheaded by the Cornwall College Old Boys’ Association Mid-Atlantic United States chapter (CCOBAMA) and supported by a wide network of those who bought into the worthy vision. The Maldon High Alumni Association, for example, had a hand in the donation of agricultural tools to their alma mater. It’s the first time these types of items have been included as part of the Partnership to Build Information Technology and Agricultural Capacity in Schools. The items were recently distributed to school representatives.

“We got incubators, we got feeders, waterers and even the common water boot,” an obviously pleased Green Manning told the Jamaica Observer.

The school, she noted, is already big on agricultural studies and the items received will go a far way in supporting the work they are doing.

“In recent times there has been a push for us to increase, as a country, our food security. Maldon is within a rural and agricultural community and we would want the children to see how the school contributes to the whole business of food security,” the principal remarked.

She was equally effusive in her gratitude for the IT equipment received.

“We are doing the whole business of technical drawing, we have shifted from the board so we do the AutoCAD on these systems to facilitate them,” she revealed.

The help, Green Manning said, was timely.

“We need it. We can’t always depend on the Government bodies or the Ministry of Education. They have done their part but certainly with what is happening here, it has filled a gap — and not a little one,” she stated.

Four hundred computers were donated to schools across eight parishes. The work was done under the second phase of CCOBAMA’s Share The Wealth (STW) initiative.

“Our collective efforts will once again make a significant impact on the lives of countless students and educators in Jamaica, empowering them with the tools they need to succeed in their education,” president of the old boys’ association Michael Williams told the Observer.

He and other members of the association strongly believe that sending digital equipment to Jamaica will have a significant impact on the way the lesson plan is delivered and the way students receive, research and complete assignments.

Special projects coordinator Neville Bell pointed to the impact the project has already had and how much more of a difference the most recent round of donations is expected to make.

“In 2022, which was phase one of the project, some 25 schools across eight parishes with 30,000 students benefitted,” he noted.

“For this year this number is higher as phase two will benefit 32 schools with over 35,000 students this year,” he added.

Donated items included desktop computers, laptops, wireless access points, laser printers, server racks and more.

Bell said the bulk of the IT equipment was donated through private interests in Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York and New Jersey.

In addition to the work done by some of the schools’ alumni associations, the initiative also received tremendous support from Sandals Foundation, the Having P.U.R.P.O.S.E charity, Irie Jam FM (New York), Bridge FM, Dennis Shipping, FarmUp Jamaica, the Ward Foundation, and Mill Wright Logistics.

Bell told the Observer it was difficult to put a price tag on the donations and pointed out that a lot of work went into getting the items to the level where they can adequately support the needs of local students.

“It was just shy of 300 desktops and just shy of 100 laptops. It costs us an average of US$110 to US$125 to refurbish these units. It’s not just a refurbishment but an upgrade. Think in terms of a solid state hard drive being installed, for the laptops batteries and/or chargers,” he explained

“The true value is hard to quantify when it comes to retail but it is up there,” he noted.

According to Bell, the group has taken a long-term approach to the project. So institutions like Maldon High should be getting support for years to come.

“The schools that we’ve assisted will end up on our list to be refreshed down the road because these units, bear in mind, they are going into a school environment, we know they will not last, let’s say for three to four years… Our intention is to keep a plan in place that down the road they will need to be upgraded,” he said.

In addition to Maldon High, the list of beneficiaries also includes Albion; Herbert Morrison; Mount Osborn Primary; Manchester High; Marymount; Montego Bay High School; Mt Alvernia; Westwood; Cornwall College; Knockalva; Technical High School; Central High; Green Island; Tivoli High; Vaughansfield Primary & Infant; NET; eLearning; Dumfries Primary and Infant School; Anchovy High; Catherine Hall Primary and Infant School; Carthagena Basic School; Regent Street SDA Early Development Centre; Cambridge Infant School; William Knibb; Stratton Early Development Centre; Denbigh High School; Mount Providence Primary; Pleasant Valley Primary and Infant School; Refuge Primary; Braes River Primary School; Mt Salem Infant and Primary School.