Building a New Basic School for Children in McCooks Pen, Jamaica
Following the success of our first two projects, our third endeavor will be a new primary school in McCooks Pen, Jamaica. The children in this community are currently attending school in what could more accurately be described as a shack with gaping holes in the walls and ceiling, a kitchen constructed of patches of wood, and a sanitation "facility" tacked onto the side of the building that is inadequate, unsafe, and unsanitary. The school conditions are so poor that it faces closure unless a new one can be built soon. The situation is so deplorable right now that many parents will not send their children to school, which means they are missing out on the education they deserve.

The new school will have a small kitchen to ensure that the children have a hot meal during the day, as well as sanitation facilities, which many families do not have available at home. The facility will be constructed using local labor, helping other members of the community to improve their economic conditions and standards of living.

To best meet the needs of those we are trying to help, Eight 4 Third World Hope has chosen to once again work with Food For The Poor (FFP) for this project. FFP's Jamaica School Construction Program builds sturdy wooden schoolhouses using construction specifications that meet the Jamaica Ministry of Education's requirements for a basic school in areas where no schools existed before or where the schools are simply old, rundown buildings and huts. Each school includes a classroom, kitchen, office, sanitation facilities, ceilings, electrical wiring and fixtures, school furnishings, and a wheelchair ramp.

The total cost for this new basic school is just over $45,000! Won't you help us provide the foundation for a solid education for these children? They, like our children, deserve an education and hope for the future.