The sun was blazing on Monday, but that didn't stop a group of 25 volunteers from rolling up their sleeves and getting their hands dirty at Maldon High School. They weren't there for a light walk; they were on a mission to fix a poultry house and a shade house that Hurricane Melissa had essentially turned into scrap metal.
Marion Edwards, the Sagicor Bank branch manager for Montego Bay, was spotted grabbing a broom and getting straight to work. She wasn't just directing traffic; she was sweeping and scrubbing right alongside the community members and school staff. It’s the kind of hands-on energy that gets things done when budgets are tight.
Stacy-Ann Russell-Walker, also from the Sagicor team, spent the day scraping stubborn algae off the farm walls. Beside her, principal Janet Manning was busy coordinating the restoration effort. They’re both pushing to have the facility fully functional by September, just in time for the new academic term.
"We feel that, if we are able to help them with their farm-to-table projects, then we would have made a difference on Labour Day."
Janet Silvera, the chairman of the Jill Stewart MoBay City Run charity, explained that this project wasn't picked at random. The school’s agricultural setup supports an entire feeding programme for students and teachers. If the coop isn't working, the school canteen feels the pinch directly.
This farm is more than just a place to keep birds; it’s a classroom. Janet Manning describes the poultry house as a "tutorial slash commercial venture." The students don't just study books here; they learn the business of farming. When they put 800 chickens in that house, they’re creating a steady stream of income for the school.
There is a special connection between the school and the MoBay City Run team. Students from Maldon High absolutely dominated the recent race. One student grabbed first place in the 5K, while others took second in both the 5K and 10K. Seeing the youth perform like that motivated the organisers to protect the environment that nurtures their talent.
The Sagicor Foundation put their money where their mouth is, donating $750,000 to cover the repairs. This money is going toward patching up the poultry house roof and replacing the zinc sheets that the hurricane tore away. The project also covers the restoration of a shade house, which is the heart of the school's hydroponics programme.
Hydroponics—the method of growing plants in water without soil—is a sophisticated part of the school's curriculum. Losing that facility hit the science programme just as hard as the hurricane hit the chicken coop. By combining financial support from a major bank with the muscle of a local charity, the school is set to regain its footing.
This partnership marks the second year in a row that Sagicor has teamed up with the Jill Stewart MoBay City Run. Marion Edwards noted that this collaboration allows them to push their community development work far beyond the borders of Montego Bay. It’s a clear example of private sector backing meeting boots-on-the-ground volunteer work.
For the students at Maldon, this project provides a restored learning and feeding hub by repairing the roof and walls. As the dust settles from the Labour Day activities, the school is ensuring that when the students return in September, the clucking of 800 chickens greets them once again.