Sagicor delivers double boost to Melissa-hit schools

SAGICOR Foundation Jamaica on Monday handed over restored facilities at two schools damaged by Hurricane Melissa last October and announced the allocation of an additional $30 million to support further school restoration.

The $30 million, the foundation explained, will build on the record $152 million raised through the 2026 Sagicor Sigma Corporate Run, which surpassed its $150-million fund-raising target. “Last year, following the hurricane, Sagicor allocated $200 million to national recovery efforts, separate from and in addition to the funds raised through the Sagicor Sigma Corporate Run. I am pleased to share that $30 million of that allocation will support additional school projects, helping to fast-track restoration and return more children to safe, welcoming spaces,” Sagicor Group Jamaica President and CEO Christopher Zacca said during the handover at Little London High School in Westmoreland. The foundation said that restoration works, at a combined value of approximately $50.4 million, have been completed at Little London High and Mayfield Primary and Infant School in St Elizabeth. Approximately $22.2 million was invested at Mayfield Primary and Infant School while approximately $28.2 million funded restoration and infrastructure works at Little London High School. The projects addressed priority sections damaged by the hurricane rather than complete school-wide refurbishments.

Brigette Azan (centre), director, Sagicor Foundation, cuts the ribbon to mark the official handover of restoration works at Mayfield Primary and Infant School. Sharing in the occasion are (from left) Loren Newbold-Gayle, principal; Jamaine Morris, head boy; Malia Poyser, head girl; and Marion White-Cuff, vice-principal.

The two schools are among five selected to benefit from the 2026 run. Work at the remaining beneficiaries — Hopewell High, Green Pond High, and Salt Marsh Primary and Infant — is nearing completion, the foundation said in a news release. The foundation also said it will work with the Ministry of Education and the National Education Trust (NET) to identify additional schools with the greatest need for restoration support. On Monday, Zacca credited the public’s support for helping turn the fund-raising effort into completed improvements. “The real value is a student focusing on a lesson instead of a leaking roof, a teacher working in a safe space, and parents sending their children to school with greater peace of mind. After the year these communities have endured, that stability means everything,” the release quoted Zacca. “When we asked Jamaica to ‘Run for the West’, people answered the call. They registered, donated, volunteered and supported because they understood that getting our children back into safe and functional schools had to be part of the recovery of western Jamaica. Today, we can actually see what that generosity has accomplished. These improved spaces mean students and teachers can focus again on what matters most — teaching, learning and building a better future,” Zacca added. Sagicor Foundation board member Brigette Azan said restoring schools is ultimately about protecting opportunity for Jamaica’s children. “Education remains one of the greatest tools we have for creating opportunity. Not every child starts life with the same advantages or resources, but every child deserves the opportunity to learn, discover their talents, and fulfil their potential. That is why getting our students back into safe, welcoming schools matters so much,” Azan said. Latoya Harris Ghartey, executive director of NET, said the completion of the projects demonstrates what can be achieved through purposeful partnerships centred on students and their education. “When we first began this process, the priority was clear: identify the schools where the need was greatest and help get our children back into safe spaces where they could learn and thrive. NET was pleased to work with the Sagicor Foundation from those early stages, supporting the process of identifying the beneficiary schools and the areas requiring attention. Seeing the work completed at Mayfield Primary and Infant School and Little London High School is especially meaningful because, ultimately, this is about ensuring that the disruption caused by Hurricane Melissa does not become a lasting barrier to our children’s education,” Harris Ghartey said.