Construction of an Alternate Learning Centre

We are raising funds in partnership with Unitas of Jamaica (a non-profit organization) to finish the construction of an alternative learning centre. The project is situated in Springfield, St. Elizabeth, Jamaica.

 

 

WHO IS UNITAS?

In its forty-one (41) years of existence, UNITAS has laid the foundation for a progressive future in preaching the gospel through social services. It is a registered Charities Organisation NGO established to assist in project-type community development on a small scale.

 

Most Notable Achievements of Unitas of Jamaica To-Date

The Project

The Springfield community is situated in a deep rural village of the Cockpit Country and the Santa Cruz Mountains. The centre is about 2 miles from a major Jamaican attraction, YS Falls. It is about 15 miles from Black River, the capital of St. Elizabeth, 30 miles from Santa Cruz, another major town in St. Elizabeth and 7 miles from Lewisville, the nearest Secondary School.

The Springfield community is a rural one. More than 90 percent of the residents are subsistent farmers, with the others being itinerant vendors, small shopkeepers and teachers. The school, post office and clinic are the only providers of employment. School leavers, therefore, head to the cities in search of jobs, higher education and the availability of civic amenities. The total population of the area is estimated at 150,000 residents.

 

The zones impacted by this project are: Springfield, Woodlands, Donegal, Kraal, Claremont, Pisgah. The number of beneficiaries of the project is estimated at 120,000 residents.

The population does not have a certified vocational training centre in academic and sanitary infrastructure.

 

Objectives

 

The objective of the project is to implement a social intervention skills empowerment by constructing a vocational training facility so that 40-60 young adults can receive skills training in a pleasant setting:

 

• To develop and train as many young people in those skills to be gainfully employed to live honestly and decently and be an asset to society.

• To coordinate the energy and abilities of the congregation and the community in mobilizing the necessary resources to benefit the young in the Community.

• To make the centre more comfortable and convenient in training the young in employable skills, by making the equipment and the environment equal to the working facilities they will encounter after graduation.

• To renovate and replace the centre's building as it is not convenient and accommodating as it should be in training students for modern-day equipment and facilities.

 

 

Justification of the project

About 500 hundred families live in the Springfield area, and the community boasts an early childhood center and a primary school, a post office and a medical clinic. Graduates from primary school travel from Springfield to Lewisville, Black River and Lacovia High to access secondary education. A few students attend boarding schools at St Elizabeth Technical High and Munroe High and Hampton High schools 30 and 45 miles away. ( respectively)

 

Current Problem

Students from Springfield and other surrounding communities have difficulty accessing secondary education. Students have to travel more than 6 miles to attend secondary schools. There are no school buses or reliable transportation available to students. The hilly, mountainous terrain in the community has hindered economic growth and development. There are no community resources available. Most homes have no running water, electricity, or infrastructure security. Proximity and economic factors have therefore resulted in high absenteeism, tardiness and high levels of school dropouts.

 

What the Centre will accomplish

Establish a skills development center, focusing on technical and entrepreneurial skills such as Information Technology, business, plumbing, farming techniques, woodwork, eco-tourism, electrical repairs, appliance repairs, and graduate with a certificate and employable skills upon graduation. This would provide students in Springfield and surrounding areas who cannot access secondary education from public schools because of proximity and or economic constraints.

 

Primary level homework and skills

 

The Center would also assist students at the primary level with homework and preparation for external examinations for students at higher levels.

It will provide the young people in these communities the opportunity to develop physical, social and emotional skills through extra-curricular activities. These activities are also critical for personal as well as community development.

 

Seniors and Adults

The adults in these areas will benefit as the Centre would house health fairs and as an entertainment hub for senior citizens. The facility would also be available for community meetings.

 

Outreach to dropouts and the unemployed

We will presently reach out to students who drop out and the unemployed, and graduates of tertiary institutions who are desirous of getting a skill to be employed those who want to learn a new skill. The age group ranges from 18 to 45 years old.

 

Solving the Problem

In solving the problems, the following will be implemented:-

• Renovation of existing building concrete frame.

• Procure equipment with new and more technological ones to make more space available and for work to be done more speedily.

• Arrange the building to accommodate classes so that adequate spacing will always be there for convenient and smooth interchange of classes.

• Within a new environment, the attitude to work and learning will be positively improved, thus raising the standard of the school's performance.

• Introduce the HEART NSTA TRUST curriculum for local standard certification

 

Donor Contributions

Length of Project

The project's construction phase will span a period of 12 months (52 weeks).

 

Implementation Schedule

 

Our Partners:

Unitas of Jamaica

The Moravian Church in Jamaica

Factories Corporation of Jamaica

The Institute on Holistic Wealth

 

Contribute $150 or more and receive a gift

For those contributing $150 and above, The Institute on Holistic Wealth will provide a complimentary copy of the NEW Holistic Wealth Expanded and Updated : 36 Life Lessons To Help You Recover From Disruption, Find Your Life Purpose and Achieve Financial Freedom by Keisha Blair.