Gareth Davis, Freelance Writer

As part of a joint initiative between the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) and the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, five poverty-stricken communities in Portland are to be provided with potable water.

The communities are Lighthouse, Spring Bank, Stony Hill, Shot Over, and Ranch Hill, none of which have ever had piped water flowing into their homes. The contract signing for the project took place on May 16 at the Norwich Church of God building.

Managing director of JSIF, Scar-lette Gillings, said that an entombment and weir is to be built to harness the output from the existing underground spring, along with the construction of a 20,000-litre storage tank.

"We are going to lay and supply mains from the rear of the entomb-ment to the water storage tank", said Mrs. Gillings. "And we will also be laying supply mains for the water storage tank into the distribution mains."

Approximately 5,000 residents from the five communities are to receive piped water upon the completion of the project, which is one of largest of its kind to be undertaken by the JSIF. The ground-breaking ceremony is scheduled to take place in two weeks, and the project is expected to be completed before January 2008.

Ease to students

The project will cost just over $24 million, of which the Lighthouse, Shot Over, Range Hill, Spring Bank, and Stony Hill (LORBS) Benevolent Society is to provide a little over $10 million. That figure is a contributory amount and can either be tendered in the form of cash, labour, or material.

Student leader at Titchfield High, Rasheed Robertson, thanked JSIF and its partners for the much needed water project, which he believes should alleviate the strain on teenagers, whom he believes will be able to better study now that their heads can be rested from carrying water.