The spirit of volunteerism was evident in South Manchester as some 22 Jamalcoans and
community volunteers descended upon the Campbell’s Castle Primary and Infant School to
participate in a Jamalcoans in Action (J-ACTION) workday intended to beautify the school’s infant
department.
The voluntary effort was organised by the Community Relations Officer (CRO) for South Manchester, Natalee Irving, after the school’s administration petitioned Jamalco for help in beautifying the infant block, which has been neglected for years. The newly painted classrooms will help in making the teaching/learning environment more comfortable and conducive for learning to take place.
During the workday, Jamalco and community volunteers cleaned the interior and exterior
walls of the classrooms and replaced the faded blue paint with vibrant pink and brown hues.
The school’s green areas were also bushed in an attempt to add more ventilation to the
compound and rid it of overgrown grass and shrubs, which harboured insects and rodents.
Partitions were also installed to create classrooms as well as a sick bay for the students.
Teacher at the institution, Karen Martin-Williams, said the school appreciated the efforts of the volunteers.
“The new colours add so much radiance to the learning environment, which is now clean and beautiful for the students to interact and learn in,” she said. The J-ACTION grant is valued at J$250,000 and awarded to
eligible community projects or institutions as a way to facilitate community development in Jamalco’s operational areas.