Members of the Hope Valley Experimental School Environmental Club got a boost recently when wife of the Prime Minister, Mrs Lorna Golding, donated $260,000 towards the school's environmental programme.

During her visit to the school, Mrs Golding, in her capacity as founder and chairman of the Jamaica Early Childhood Education Foundation, recalled her love of nature and its importance to the development of children.

Garden parish

"I grew up in St Ann, the garden parish, surrounded by beautiful mountains, flowers, rivers and hills. We must protect those natural resources and, to do that, our children must value the land, rivers, the Caribbean sea; and they must understand how to sustain and protect them."

The school club and principal, Mrs Sharon Williams, expressed appreciation for the donation, noting that it will go a far way towards exposing the students on how the environment impacts directly on the quality of their lives. An immediate goal of the club, she said, will be to carry home a trophy in the upcoming Safe Schools Competition.

Integrated approach

Hope Valley Experimental School caters to disabled and able-bodied children. Five years ago, the school established an environmental programme that engages children from grades one to six.

The Jamaica Early Childhood Development Foundation (JECDF) is a non-profit organisation designed to assist in the Government's transformation of education programme. The project will take an integrated approach to health and education, and provide early stimulation for parents and children. The focus will be on nurseries and basic schools.

'I grew up in St Ann, the garden parish, surrounded by beautiful mountains, flowers, rivers and hills.'