THE JAMAICA Social Investment Fund (JSIF) is currently evaluating bids for the 20 projects earmarked for completion within the year. The projects aim to affect much-needed repairs to primary schools and roadways across the island.
The projects encompass rehabilitative work to primary schools damaged by Hurricane Ivan in 2004, road maintenance and the construction of new schools and a health centre.
School projects comprise roof repairs,
guttering, replacement of doors and electrical works, said Latoya Halstead, Communications officer at JSIF.
The Askenish Feeder Road in St. Elizabeth, Accompong Road in St. Elizabeth, Whitesand Road in St. Ann and the Treadlight Road in Clarendon were highlighted for attention.
"Road repairs will include site clearance, earth works, provisions for drainage facilities, construction of base layers, road resurfacing and construction of retaining walls," Halstead continued.
CONSTRUCTION PLANS
JSIF plans to construct the Care Bear Basic School in St. Andrew, a six-classroom building on the ground of the First Missionary Basic School, and a two-classroom basic school at Morningside Primary. Steer Town will also receive a health centre, while the Hayfield Water Supply facility in St. Thomas will be refurbished with a new storage tank, a chlorination and filter system and new pipes.
A starting date for the initiative is yet to be announced as the tenders for each project are still being processed. However, work will commence two weeks after the National Contracts Commission grants its approval. Halstead could not provide a total cost for this year's initiative but added that all the funds would be sourced through the World Bank, Caribbean Development Bank and the Canadian International Development Agency.
Halstead explained that the emphasis on education and infrastructure is a part of JSIF's mandate.
"JSIF is a demand-driven organisation. JSIF was designed to assist communities in improving economic infrastructure and education, so therefore we focus on feeder roads so farmers can transport their food to market and make some money."
Pearline Martin, principal of the Spanish Town Primary School, is grateful that JSIF has stepped in as a section of the school's perimeter wall, demolished by Hurricane Ivan, poses a security threat to the students.
VERY NEAR TO VOLATILE AREAS
"We are very near to volatile areas like De La Vega City and March Pen Road," said Martin, "people will use it as a short cut, especially when we are not looking. Even donkeys were coming through the property.
"Naturally we would feel more secure [with the new wall] and the school can focus on other things. It's near to our playing field and we have to remind the students not to go over there because you never know when someone will grab one of the girls," she added.
Principal of St. Patrick's Primary School, Ivy Shaw, is hopeful that the project will remedy problems the school has had for years." The ceiling is coming down as a result of rain," Shaw said, "there is leaking in the roofs in the grade one block and in two of the grade two classes as well as the ceiling in the office."
