Caribbean News
Refurbished Kitchen at Ianthe Pratt Primary School to Enhance Meal Programme
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, October 5, 2023— For the start of the academic 2022-2023 school year, kitchen staff, teachers and students of the Ianthe Pratt Primary School walked into their newly refurbished kitchen, compliments of the Sandals Foundation and Beaches Turks and Caicos resort. Wooden countertops, shelves and tables were replaced by stainless steel counters and shelves, old appliances substituted for new, more energy efficient ones, an exhaust fan installed and electrical rewiring of the entire kitchen done.
General Manager, James McAnally, Manager of Technical Services of Sandals Resorts International (SRI), Wendy Fay, Public Relations Manager, Orville Morgan and Assistant Project Manager Costley Mullings, supervisor of the Kitchen Renovation project, visited the school to memorialize the handing over of the kitchen. 
Executive Director of the Sandals Foundation Heidi Clarke shared, “this project was born out of the desire for the leaders of this school to increase its capacity to meet the nutritional needs of the student population with the right facilities and equipment that would make food preparation more efficient and hygienic. We are happy with the outcome of the upgrades and our ability to assist in this critical contribution to the holistic education of students.”
McAnally and principal, Neekimo King, had the pleasure of serving some of the senior students of the school. Students were treated to a healthy snack of an assortment of fruits and delicious pastries.
Principal King and Vice Principal, Porsha Saunders seized the opportunity to thank Mr. McAnally for having sanctioned the kitchen project along with many other donations that the school has received throughout the years assured that the Sandals Foundation will follow through with other projects.
“We take every commitment we make to a school seriously and are committed to partnering with learning institutions to provide forthe holistic educational needs of children. Our commitment from the Sandals Foundation is to continue our partnership with schools and communities throughout the Turks and Caicos Islands. The educational and nutritional needs of the children here continue to be one of our major focus, and the culmination of this project is one of our major contribution to our community,” McAnally assured her.
King in responding to the gesture from the Sandals Foundation and the resort noted: “The gift of this renovated kitchen is sincerely appreciated because we know that the costing of getting this done was a tidy sum. Every student and teacher have can attest to the benefit that this partnership continues to do for us as a school. Thank you Sandals Foundation and Beaches Turks and Caicos.”
Wendy Fay, Manager of Technical Services of Sandals Resorts International assessed the work that had been done and immediately set out on a school tour to determine the infrastructural needs of the school. As Fay and Costley measured and conferred, it was evident that they were passionate about enhancing the aesthetic appearance of the institution while making the safety of the students their priority.
And so it should be. Our children deserve the very best learning facilities as brilliant learning environments help foster brilliant minds.
KINGSTON, April 29 (JIS):
Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, says the outcome of discussions arising from the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) will assist in guiding the Government’s planning for climate change.
This, he points out, is important for climate mitigation as well as building Jamaica’s resilience.
“We look forward to the discussions that will, no doubt, take place. We look forward to the basis of planning for the Government to streamline its investments to ensure you have the tools that you need to better advise us, that the WRA (Water Resources Authority) has the tools to digitise its monitoring network, and that all of the agencies that touch our planning mechanisms have the tools. But we need to know what we are facing, and we’re guided by your expertise,” Minister Samuda said.
He was addressing the opening ceremony for the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in New Kingston on Monday (April 29).
Senator Samuda said given the fact that the climate has changed and continues to do so, investments in and collaborations on building Jamaica’s predictive and scientific capacity must be prioritised.
“Ultimately, we need to be able to assess our current climatic realities if we are to better plan, if we’re to insist and ensure that our infrastructure meets the needs that we need it to. I’m very happy that this event is happening… because this is a critical issue.
“Jamaica, last year, faced its worst and most severe drought… and this year, we’re already seeing the impacts of not quite as severe a drought but, certainly, a drought with severe impacts, especially in the western part of the country,” he said.
Principal Director, Meteorological Service of Jamaica, Evan Thompson, explained that the forum aims to, among other things, establish a collaboration platform for climate services providers and users to understand risks and opportunities of past, present and future climate developments, as well as improve inter-agency coordination of policies, plans and programmes.
Among the other presenters were Ambassador, European Union to Jamaica, Her Excellency Marianne Van Steen; Chief Scientist/Climatologist, Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology, Adrian Trotman; and Head, Regional Climate Prediction Services, World Meteorological Organization, Wilfran Moufouma-Okia.
The Meteorological Service of Jamaica hosted the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) in partnership with the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology and the World Meteorological Organization.
The National Stakeholder Consultation is a governance mechanism that guides how different sectors or actors work together to create products that contribute to adaptation and resilience-building. It seeks to create a road map for the development and implementation of climate services to inform decision-making.
NCF-1 aims to bridge the gap between climate providers and users. It increases the use of science-based information in decision-making and operations with the aim of generating and delivering co-produced and co-designed products and services.
CONTACT: CHRIS PATTERSON
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